frustrating weight gain with insanity

Come on people! If you're going from not working out more than twice a week to doing the insanity program you are probably gaining a lot of muscle strength. Stop blaming working out for not getting the results you want in only a month or less. Getting in shape takes time and effort. Keep at it or you'll never see results no matter what you do.

I am almost finished with my 4th week of Insanity and I was also feeling a little frustrated because I feel like I haven't lost very much weight (a few pounds) and I have been working my *kitten* off....but today I took pictures and looked back at what I looked like a mere 3 weeks ago and I think there is DEFINITELY a difference. My stomach is tighter and my clothes fit better. And I am also much stronger and can endure the workouts much better. I think looking for weight loss (especially when you only weigh a buck and a quarter) is not going to be the biggest gain for you. Honestly, you are going to build that lean muscle and get super toned! THE SCALE IS A TORTURE DEVICE - I am so serious. You don't have to lose tons of weight to see results!

If you need inspiration, check out this link on the message board. This should inspire you to keep going:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/580019-the-scale-is-a-lying-torture-device-i-m-proof

I am having the exact same issue! I have gainned 5-6 pounds and have just completed the first month and am now on the recovery week. I dont know what I am doing wrong? Someone help! I am at the point of quitting.

This sounds exactly like me the first time, I have had issues in the past maintaining enough calories a day but even on insanity I still struggled to eat 1200, I saw a little change in my body but was gaining weight, I started insanity at 107 and ended it at 111? The workouts are so much fun to me that on top of my low calorie diet, I did insanity 5 days a week, swam 500-750 meters twice a week, and was running 1-2 miles 3 days a week. And STILL GAINED? Someone please explain that?

And my 107 start was fairly muscley to start, I have done gymnastics and cheerleading all my life and work at a gymnastics center. If any of you would like to see my profile and help me more personally just add me as a friend! Thanks all of you!

I did two rounds of Insanity and lost about 5lbs. Nothing major inches wise, but I was a lot stronger. The first round I ate more to compensate for the intensity of the workout. The second time I cut my calories and still no major results. I think the workout is just too hard for those results. I found it very discouraging. I know some people have had great success and I do love the workouts, but I got better results doing Insanity three times a week and weights two to three times a week. .

So are you weighing at the same time each week? Have you been doing any other exercising? Are you sleeping less? There are a myriad of reasons that weight might be up.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This is happening to me! I'm up about 2-3 pounds, and I was only drinking water before/after the workout. So now I am drinking at least 8 glasses a day throughout the day. I KNOW I am stronger because I can get through the workouts easier.

I'm on day 24 today, so I took some pics wearing the same outfit and used the PicStitch app on my phone to compare my pics when I started to now because I was losing hope. But there is a difference! It helps to look at photos. Even look at one before and then take one and look at the to compare (photos are more truthful than what you see in the mirror).

I am trying so hard not to focus on the scale. I'm just glad others are experiencing the same. I went from exercising 4-5 times per week (Turbofire, Zumba, elliptical mix) to Insanity so no wonder my body is shocked.

The hardest thing is eating. I am so much more hungry because of Insanity so I've been trying to eat healthy foods (protein smoothies, salads, etc) instead of junk.

I'm in week three of month two of Insanity and I have been consistently fluctuating between 138-140 for awhile now, upwards on 140-143 after a day of high sodium, certain days of the month, water retention from muscle soreness, etc. However, I have lost several inches all over my body and when I compare my "before" pics to my progress pics at the beginning of month two, there's a noticeable difference, particularly around my stomach and hips and my clothes are getting looser. Remember that our scale weight can fluctuate greatly due to many factors so keeping track of inches and comparing pictures and taking note of how clothes fit can give you a much better idea of your progress. If you haven't taken measurements and pictures, do so now! Stick with the program through month two, then compare