Can walking make you stall weight loss?

NeuroticVirgo
NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
So here is my dilemma...When I was just watching my calories for the day, I was losing with pretty good progress. Then I started walking 2 miles day, granted I've only done it for about 5-6 days now, but I've either gained, and then gone back to where I was....so no actual weight loss.

I know that this sounds like a dumb question, but can adding in exercise actually stall your weight loss for a bit? Maybe force you to plateau?

I'm going to keep it up for a while, but I get discouraged so easily, especially when I feel like I've been really good and working my butt off. Knowing myself.....I'm worried that if I don't have some kind of progress shown in another week, I'm going to have to lock myself in the bathroom to keep me from eating the whole house (emotional eater).

I've heard that when you exercise your gaining muscle, and that makes you gain/stay the same etc, but I've also heard that's only true if your pushing yourself and actually causing the muscles the tear/stretch, then they repair and so on and so forth. Like with running, weight lifting, you know when you "feel the burn" lol. So I don't know...very confused.

So if anyone can shine some light on this, that would be great.

Replies

  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    I have no idea, no scientific idea.

    I've found that I tend to lose faster while not working out, like lately, but I'm not sure why. It might be that I eat more when I exercise and maybe I'm not accounting for calories right, I don't know.

    I am curious to hear what others have to say.
  • littlemamajamie
    littlemamajamie Posts: 118 Member
    It is really common to see your weight stay the same or go up after adding exercise you are building muscle which weighs more than fat. I know walking doesn't seem like its intense enough to make you build muscle but it does. Just keep at it and you will see the results you want. :) Good job on your weight loss so far you are doing awesome!
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    This is one of the articles I was reading when trying to figure out this answer. lol

    http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100185373

    One thing I would like to add, I don't eat my exercise calories. So if it says I burned 300 calories, I don't actually eat them, I stay under my 1500 that MFP tells me to do.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    That was the article that confused me about the muscle weight .

    "Some people assume that they gain muscle and this makes them heavier, too. Unless you are lifting heavy weights and eating more, it’s unlikely that you’re gaining muscle weight. Even then, it might take six months to gain a couple of pounds."
  • StephieWheats
    StephieWheats Posts: 88 Member
    Walking is a "full body" workout.. What you might be have is a little water retention from upping your exercise. You shouldnt be having any real muscle build from just doing it for 5 to 6 days. Try increasing your water just a tad. Your muscles will thank you!
  • SwissTracey
    SwissTracey Posts: 34 Member
    Walking is a "full body" workout.. What you might be have is a little water retention from upping your exercise. You shouldnt be having any real muscle build from just doing it for 5 to 6 days. Try increasing your water just a tad. Your muscles will thank you!

    I was thinking water as well. Make sure you have increased your water because of this new exercise. I think you will find that you will lose and its better in the long run to have the exercise added in. Give it a couple of weeks, I think your loss over that time will be greater with the exercise then without. Good Luck
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    I can tell why you gained weight. Most likely it is water weight caused from the insane amount of sodium that you have been ingesting. the 2500mg is the maximum amount you should eat, some days you are more than double this and this is a maximum not an ideal amount. Ideally you would only get 1500 or so mg of sodium.
    Drink plenty of water and cut back on the salt intake.

    You may also want to eat at least some of your exercise calories, when exercising your body need additional fuel. MFP already puts you in a caloric deficit before exercising so you should eat at least some to keep this deficit from becoming too big.

    Try also stepping away from the fast food and convenience food not good for you and full of sodium.
  • blh_1010
    blh_1010 Posts: 284 Member
    I walk every day...and when I first started on MFP I followed Leslie Sansones walking DVD's....I lost and lost and lost...but then came to a sliding hault...so I changed it up a bit and added in jogging and strength training. I eat my exercise calories as well. I don't know what your work outs were like before this, but if they were too much, your body may be in shock due to the new exercises, but if you keep it up, it will work. PLUS I toned up...so instead of a saggy bum and theighs, though they are still kind of saggy, they are more plump and firm. Youc an lose weight without working out, but you not get the toned body that you want if you don't add in the exercise. ALSO I would encourage you to drink nothing but water for a week (that helped me lose a lot of pounds one week, it was amazing. ALSO don't give up...walking will help...and actually it helps bring the stomach down too (another area I had problems with, and now I can feel my abs under the little bit of flab that is left.). I lost 18lbs since July...and most of that was just due to walking and drinking water. Good luck, and don't give up! Look up Leslie Sansone see if that is something that would be helpful to you...You can buy her DVD's at Target for around $10. I love it, and it pushed me to lose the weight! I would recommend my favorite "Walking for Weightloss - 5 miles" you walk at 5mph for 5 miles which equals out to be about 12 min miles. You can do one mile and stop or do three or do all 5...it lets you choose...and really after the first week of doing that you will want to do 5 everyday...it makes you feel good and you feel the weight comming off!
    ALSO don't forget that some of that nonweightloss may be inches being lost instead...I was at a plateu for about a month, but my pants kept falling off...I hadn't lost weight, but gained some muscle, and in thr process lost inches from my neck, arms, theighs, stomach, bum...etc....it was amazing! I was really discouraged but watching my pants fall off made me extatic! :) Totally changed my way of thinking of weightloss!
  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
    Your muscles naturally retain water when you exercise, which could be why you aren't losing as much. Excercise is good, though! You want that. Exercise helps you lose inches faster, too. I do a lot of walking and bike riding and my thighs are shrinking quickly, so I know I'm doing something good even if the scale doesn't agree. Are you making sure you're drinking enough water? I have to drink at least 100 oz of water a day before the scale will move.
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
    I can tell why you gained weight. Most likely it is water weight caused from the insane amount of sodium that you have been ingesting. the 2500mg is the maximum amount you should eat, some days you are more than double this and this is a maximum not an ideal amount. Ideally you would only get 1500 or so mg of sodium.
    Drink plenty of water and cut back on the salt intake.

    You may also want to eat at least some of your exercise calories, when exercising your body need additional fuel. MFP already puts you in a caloric deficit before exercising so you should eat at least some to keep this deficit from becoming too big.


    I just went and looks and he's right. You are bloating yourself with the salt.
  • CGerman
    CGerman Posts: 539
    Muscle doesn't actually weigh more than fat - it's just denser. So you can look trimmer and actually weigh more. But a pound of anything still weighs a pound.

    It takes a lot of work to gain enough muscle mass that you're going to see a gain, especially in such a short amount of time. If you weren't exercising before your body may be holding onto water to repair the muscles, and you will eventually even out. Make sure you're getting in enough water, this will help keep from body from retaining water. Most of my exercise is walking because I can push myself to workout longer and burn more calories than some of the higher intensity workouts I get it, and I've been losing pretty steadily.

    Keep it up - sometimes it just takes your body some time to catch on to what you're trying to do.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Muscle doesn't actually weigh more than fat - it's just denser. So you can look trimmer and actually weigh more. But a pound of anything still weighs a pound.

    It takes a lot of work to gain enough muscle mass that you're going to see a gain, especially in such a short amount of time. If you weren't exercising before your body may be holding onto water to repair the muscles, and you will eventually even out. Make sure you're getting in enough water, this will help keep from body from retaining water. Most of my exercise is walking because I can push myself to workout longer and burn more calories than some of the higher intensity workouts I get it, and I've been losing pretty steadily.

    Keep it up - sometimes it just takes your body some time to catch on to what you're trying to do.

    When people say muscle weighs more than fat they are implying the same volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. You are just arguing semantics, you know what they meant.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    I've been trying to cut back on the salt, but I was eating to much sodium before the walking and losing 2-3lbs a week. So my eating habits haven't changed, just the added walking. Which is why I figured walking must be the culprit, otherwise I would think I wouldn't have lost before even with the high salt (which I agree is too much, but one thing at a time)
  • StephieWheats
    StephieWheats Posts: 88 Member
    I can tell why you gained weight. Most likely it is water weight caused from the insane amount of sodium that you have been ingesting. the 2500mg is the maximum amount you should eat, some days you are more than double this and this is a maximum not an ideal amount. Ideally you would only get 1500 or so mg of sodium.
    Drink plenty of water and cut back on the salt intake.

    You may also want to eat at least some of your exercise calories, when exercising your body need additional fuel. MFP already puts you in a caloric deficit before exercising so you should eat at least some to keep this deficit from becoming too big.


    I just went and looks and he's right. You are bloating yourself with the salt.

    I agree with the amount of salt you are eating and with the increase in exercise you are absolutely retaining water. Our bodies only need so much salt. You are going to have to decrease the salt and increase the water. That much sodium is EXTREMELY bad for you!!!
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
    I'll try getting in more water and see if that helps. So if you drink more water, it actually helps you not retain water? Just wanting to make sure I understand lol.
  • CGerman
    CGerman Posts: 539
    I'll try getting in more water and see if that helps. So if you drink more water, it actually helps you not retain water? Just wanting to make sure I understand lol.

    Yep - as backwards as it seems, drinking more water will help
  • gambitsgurl
    gambitsgurl Posts: 632 Member
    I'll try getting in more water and see if that helps. So if you drink more water, it actually helps you not retain water? Just wanting to make sure I understand lol.

    YES!!!!! A LOT more water. Your muscles need the water to work (breathe). If you aren't taking in enough it stores MORE water in your system to draw from. Ideally your body draws stores from your system as needed but if it feels like you won't have enough it will retain it and all the icky stuff along with it. You will pee a whole lot but eventually it balances.
  • StephieWheats
    StephieWheats Posts: 88 Member
    I'll try getting in more water and see if that helps. So if you drink more water, it actually helps you not retain water? Just wanting to make sure I understand lol.

    Yep - as backwards as it seems, drinking more water will help

    Your body is storing water due to the amount of sodium in your body. It fears it wont have enough so it hold on to it. If you increase your water your body will realize that its going to get more and release it. Its kinda like starvation mode for water is how my husband explained it. When you start giving your body more water it will stop hoarding the water it has.
  • elsa11170
    elsa11170 Posts: 83 Member
    You should read the book "This is why your fat (and how to get thin forever)" By Jackie Warner. Not saying that you're fat. But I own the book as well and I'm not overweight but it has some really great tips. All the salt doesn't help and the fast food you're eating isn't good.
    And you can't starve yourself because that won't help in the weight loss. You're body will go into starvation mode and your metabolism rate will decrease and you won't lose any weight. I eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and then another snack. But all healthy stuff (besides the occasional alcohol drink) I get paranoid when I haven't had all my calories which sometimes is hard to do. She explains that you need those calories or your body goes into shock and starts storing fat. Good luck! (Her videos are really good if you get bored with walking!)
  • elsa11170
    elsa11170 Posts: 83 Member
    yes and lots and lots and lots of water!!!!
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