4 Days of insanity and gained 8 pounds

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xXBiGbOiiiXx
xXBiGbOiiiXx Posts: 25
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi

I recently started doing the insanity workout. I just finished day 4. I am 5'5 and 155 pounds, but right now the scale says I'm 163. I'm eating healthy, about 1500 calories a day, and I don't know why I gained weight. Can someone tell me what the problem is?

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  • Care76
    Care76 Posts: 556 Member
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    Hi! I am by no means an expert, but I had a similar reaction recently when I started the 30 Day Shred. From what I understand when we start building muscle and our muscles are repairing we retain water. Also, muscle is heavier than fat. I could be wrong, but I think this could be what you are experiencing.

    Make sure to take measurements and before pictures so you can compare. I have seen that a lot of people lose lots of inches but not so much weight with these types of workouts.

    Don't give up, you can do it. Good for you too, Insanity scares me. :-) Good luck!
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    You haven't gained any muscle after four days of Insanity eating 1500 calories. You're retaining water as a result of your new workout routine. It'll go away.
  • Thully
    Thully Posts: 11
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    Oh gosh, am so glad I read this coz I was so worried that I started doing aerobics (Body Gospel DVD) this week and checked the scale...weight gain a bit. I was in shock and a bit demotivated.

    Thanks.
  • shatham64
    shatham64 Posts: 1
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    I've been doing zumba for months now and can't seem to lose any weight. My body is looking more muscular though especially my legs... my pants are fitting tight. I decided to replace zumba with brisk walking. I lose more when I walk but it's boring and I burn 1/2 the calories I burn doing zumba.
  • mountaingirl2207
    mountaingirl2207 Posts: 181
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    You will retain water (up to 10 lbs) for the first three weeks of any exercise program. In my experience, I retain more if the activity is more intense, as the muscles need to repair themselves. You have not built any muscle in 4 days, and muscle does not weigh more than fat. A lb of fat weighs the same as a lb of muscle. Muscle just takes up less room. Keep it up, don't get discouraged, try to drink tons of water and really watch your sodium intake. After the 3rd week you should see it start to drop off.
  • IZackV13
    IZackV13 Posts: 157 Member
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    Hi! I am by no means an expert, but I had a similar reaction recently when I started the 30 Day Shred. From what I understand when we start building muscle and our muscles are repairing we retain water. Also, muscle is heavier than fat. I could be wrong, but I think this could be what you are experiencing.

    ^^THIS.

    Probably not so much "muscle gained" in 4 days of Insanity, but definitely retaining water. Your body will adjust, but you need to keep your H20 intake HIGH. This will keep your body in "flushing" mode and you will actually get rid of more water the more you drink.

    Be sure to eat healthy; diet is CRUCIAL in Insanity, and if you aren't eating enough you WILL "bonk".
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    ... muscle does not weigh more than fat. A lb of fat weighs the same as a lb of muscle. Muscle just takes up less room.
    Therefore if you have the same amount of muscle as you had fat, you will weigh more because muscle weighs more than fat by volume.
  • LosingExtraKristy
    LosingExtraKristy Posts: 164 Member
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    ... muscle does not weigh more than fat. A lb of fat weighs the same as a lb of muscle. Muscle just takes up less room.
    Therefore if you have the same amount of muscle as you had fat, you will weigh more because muscle weighs more than fat by volume.

    Seriously...people know what this means. No one thinks that a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat. The people who keep making a point of saying this don't look smarter than the rest of us...they just look like they don't get it. Come on.
    OP - yes, you are retaining water. Imagine how much you'd have to eat to honestly gain that much weight in 4 days. It'll go away!
  • SailorKnightWing
    SailorKnightWing Posts: 875 Member
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    ... muscle does not weigh more than fat. A lb of fat weighs the same as a lb of muscle. Muscle just takes up less room.
    Therefore if you have the same amount of muscle as you had fat, you will weigh more because muscle weighs more than fat by volume.

    Seriously...people know what this means. No one thinks that a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat. The people who keep making a point of saying this don't look smarter than the rest of us...they just look like they don't get it. Come on.
    OP - yes, you are retaining water. Imagine how much you'd have to eat to honestly gain that much weight in 4 days. It'll go away!
    Clearly she didn't, or else she wouldn't have said it then gone on to contradict herself.
  • xXBiGbOiiiXx
    xXBiGbOiiiXx Posts: 25
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    Thanks for all of the advice. I think that this because I am retaining water. I don't drink enough water during the day and this might be my problem. Any advice on how to lose the water weight?
  • GymTennis
    GymTennis Posts: 133 Member
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    Drink more and more water, that's how you get rid of your water retention.. As for not losing weight.. Stay on the current course for a couple of more days.. Measure your weight every morning, before eating or drinking and after going to the bathroom.. If you're not losing any, then you're eating too much.. Lower your calories for 200-300... Don't forget to track literally every food or drink you take..Like coffee with cream and sugar..Olive oil in you salads for example,, etc.. Lots of people are not even aware they should count every single calorie.. Good luck
  • jeremyw1977
    jeremyw1977 Posts: 505 Member
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    ... muscle does not weigh more than fat. A lb of fat weighs the same as a lb of muscle. Muscle just takes up less room.
    Therefore if you have the same amount of muscle as you had fat, you will weigh more because muscle weighs more than fat by volume.

    Seriously...people know what this means. No one thinks that a pound of muscle weighs more than a pound of fat. The people who keep making a point of saying this don't look smarter than the rest of us...they just look like they don't get it. Come on.
    OP - yes, you are retaining water. Imagine how much you'd have to eat to honestly gain that much weight in 4 days. It'll go away!

    It seemed pretty clear that the poster knew exactly what they were talking about, which is why the words "by volume" was added on. You're the one who interpreted and paraphrased incorrectly.
  • jeremyw1977
    jeremyw1977 Posts: 505 Member
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    When I started Insanity, I put on over 5 pounds during the first two weeks.
    After the end of the following two weeks (end of Phase 1), I had not only taken back off those 5 but lost another 5 on top of it.
    Then when I jumped into Phase 2, my weight loss was kicked into overdrive.
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    I started insanity & got to 150 pounds from 145 but I lost it after about 2 weeks....:drinker:
  • MsKLarkin
    MsKLarkin Posts: 88 Member
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    Reading through the other comments. reminds me that I need to get back on my exercises!
    But, I suggest you increase water to like a gallon..helps flush everything out.
  • ssh720
    ssh720 Posts: 1
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    Congrats on starting Insanity! As per the weight scale, don't worry too much about it! Best thing to do is continue on with Insanity, and measure your chest/waist/hips/etc. You WILL see differences! Your weight will fluctuate up and down, and a lot of it could be due to water retention and muscle weight.

    I'm a 26 yr old female, 5'3, and I currently weigh 170.8 lbs, and I also have PCOS. The first time I did an entire round of Insanity, I lost about 30lbs, watching my diet moderately (aka avoiding junk food). I am currently on my second round of Insanity (just completed Month 1 yesterday) and I have so far lost 13 lbs! But what I am doing differently this time is strictly watching my diet. I am watching my carbs, keeping it less than 100 g per day, and I try to keep my calories around 1000 everyday. I eat eggs in the morning, a 80% veggie/20% fruit shake for lunch, a 30 g carb lean cuisine for dinner and a small bowl of warm oatmeal/milk at night. I avoid eating bread and rice at all costs. I also have a cup of green tea in the morning, and a cup of water with 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar before dinner.

    By the end of the day, I check the pedometer app on my smartphone to make sure I have walked at least 10,000 steps for the day. And before I go to bed, I do an hour of strenuous Insanity workout.

    Overall, I feel a lot healthier, energetic and happier. I know Insanity is very tough, and you may feel that you need those extra calories/carbs to be energetic, but if you make sure you are eating a moderate amount of veggies every day, that should compensate a lot for your low carb and calorie intake. I cannot stress enough how a low-carb diet alongside daily Insanity workouts work wonderfully for maximum weight loss! But should you choose to take on a low-carb diet, please incorporate most of your proteins from veggies and not just from meats! Good luck :-)
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Keep off the scale.

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