Gaining weight doing Insanity!

Dhanupadmanabhan
Dhanupadmanabhan Posts: 30
in Fitness and Exercise
Help! I am doing Insanity and currently on week 4, month 1. I had lost 2.5 lbs the first two weeks, but this last couple of weeks, i have put back on the lost weight. I push myself and give my best doing the intense workout. I seem a little bigger than the last 2 weeks. i can't say from my clothes. Because they seem to fit alright. But i look a little bigger on my upper body. I read the nutrition plan, i have upped my calorie intake as recommended. Could that be the problem? I have also read posts that we tend to put on weight the first two weeks because of the new workout program. In my case, this is happening after the first 3 weeks which doesn't seem right and downright discouraging. What am i doing wrong?? Any help would be appreciated!

Replies

  • ctcountrygurl
    ctcountrygurl Posts: 10 Member
    Hey there!

    First off, congrats on tackling Insanity! It's a challenging program, but if you stick with it, you will see some great resluts (both aesthetically and health-wise).

    So, what is your calorie intake like? How many cals are you taking in? Are you using a heart rate monitor to track your exercise calories or are you using the MFP exercise values? A heart rate monitor will give you a better sense of how many calories you are buring vs entering in on MFP, which is an estimated value (not always accurate).

    Secondly, are you tracking all of your food? Do you drink enough water? It is common in the first few weeks of a new exercise program for your body to retain water in the muscles, especially if you are really new to exercise.

    Don't be discouraged! Getting into shape/ better health is not always smooth, and it certainly isn't easy. Just be patient with yourself! Believe me, I have to tell myself that all the time.

    Also, make sure to take progress pictures! A few weeks back I was getting discouraged for the same thing so I took some progress pictures and I look trimmed up. I always keep it in my mind not to let the scale be the only measure of success for getting in shape. There are several tools you can utilize to measure progress (pictures, body fat, waist/hip/arm/leg measurements, pants/shirts, etc.).

    You can friend me if you would like a workout buddy! I'm doing an Insanity/p90x hybrid right now :)
  • michael_j_w
    michael_j_w Posts: 28
    I had similar situation with the p90x3 program, where I gained 3 lbs but i noticed i was stronger and more toned up. After week 4 I lost the initial 3 lb gain. I have not lost weight, but have not gained either.. and I notice my body being more toned. I had a similar post on the p90x3 board and a lot of people have had similar experiences, and there can be many reasons. A lot of people, even in the test groups do not see a big wright change until month 2-3. Stay on course and motivated (i know it can be tough) but you will be fine! :) Feel free to add me as a friend for motivation.. I could use it too!!
  • Dhanupadmanabhan
    Dhanupadmanabhan Posts: 30
    Hi there!

    Thank you for the motivation. My calorie intake used to be somewhere between 1300 to 1500, now i have upped my calorie to 1900 as recommended on the nutrition guide.I am 5.4" and weight 127 lbs. After increasing the calories, i feel more energized and do the workout better. I drink plenty of water, eat good amount of home made chicken for protein, wheat bread for carbs, have fruits and vegetables and nuts for snacks, brocolli( steamed) beatroot(boiled), Almonds, grape fruit, sweetlime and oranges etc. Right after the workout i have an 8 inch banana followed by a breakfast which is fingermillet malt(a drink made of fingermillet, redrice and some grams and nuts) and then lunch, snack and dinner and i do not eat anything bad or junk and only on the weekends, i made cheat here and there.

    I am not new to exercise, I used to go for aerobics dance, low to moderate intensity strenth training classes, and lost about 13lbs in 6 months.I do not use a heart rate monitor, Do you recommend me to use it, how does it help??

    And yes i took progress pictures and its not showing a great difference, on the other hand, i feel muscles everywhere already.

    Thank you again for giving me that push to continue doing the workout. I shall keep it with the workout. No way, i was gonna stop doing insanity. I am addicted!
  • liz_walkerrr
    liz_walkerrr Posts: 38 Member
    I just finished the first month of Insanity. I lost 10 lbs before starting it, and only lost 1 lb throughout the month. However, I have lost 3 inches off my waist. BUT, I cannot tell a difference in my clothes either... I think they fit more comfortably, but they definitely aren't falling off me by any means.
    I do think a lot of it is water retention & have heard most of the loss comes in month two.
    I HIGHLY recommend a heart rate monitor, just so you know how many calories you are actually burning. I didn't get one until last week, and I wish I would have gotten one before starting the program. It allows me to adjust my caloric intake as needed, based on my actual calories burned. It's very easy to overestimate or underestimate how much you burn doing these workouts. Sorry I can't give you more information, but you are not alone!
  • Dhanupadmanabhan
    Dhanupadmanabhan Posts: 30
    Thank you for the advice. I will buy a heart rate monitor asap. good to know i am not alone! 3 inches off the waist is good..congrats on that. Good luck with your workout

    Cheers
  • ctcountrygurl
    ctcountrygurl Posts: 10 Member
    Hey there!

    Sorry for delaying in replying.

    So, the heart rate monitor is a biggie. I have a Polar FT4 and it has allowed me not only to track the amount of calories I have burned, but also to ensure I am within a safe range for working out.

    It sounds like you are definitely on the right track though. The second month is where you will really see a difference (like other's have said). If you feel like you're in the second week of the second month and still not seeing a difference, experiment with changing the calories a little bit. What I would suggest is taking 100 calories off and see is you start to see a difference, not only in weight but how you feel in your clothes, pics, etc. Sometimes it takes a little bit of persistence in finding the perfect balance of calories in and exercise.

    Either way, you are doing great! I'm always around if you need support!
  • michelle_belle07
    michelle_belle07 Posts: 17
    Hi! Great job with Insanity! It certainly is addicting. Personally, I don't really pay much attention to weight. It can vary day to day, so I don't put much stock into it. Just pay attention to how your clothes fit. Are your jeans getting looser? Do you feel like you're getting stronger? That's what matters!

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