Exercising & eating right but gaining weight

trekkiebeth
trekkiebeth Posts: 172
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
I've only been on a strict diet/exercise plan since Monday, so I could maybe understand if I stayed the same weight and didn't lose, but I've actually gained at least a pound. I was trying to be really strict for 2 weeks so I could lose at least 3 pounds by New Year's Eve, but the first week made me gain!

What's wrong with me? And please don't say that muscle weighs more than fat because I'm pretty sure it takes a lot of work to gain pounds of muscle and all I've been doing is watching calories and doing cardio.

I guess I should give up the idea that I could lose 2-3 pounds in 2 weeks. But why on earth am I gaining instead of staying the same or losing? This is way less calories and much more exercise than I've gotten in at least half a year. I thought I'd be able to lose about a pound in a week.

This whole thing is just depressing. It was so hard to get through this first week and I'm worse off than when I started.
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Replies

  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    Make your Food Diary public so I can see and give you some tips :)

    Also...maybe you're not eating enough?
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
    If youre not used to working out then it is due to your muscles retaining fluids to help repair and refuel for the next workout.
  • trekkiebeth
    trekkiebeth Posts: 172
    I'm definitely eating enough because I'm always within 100 calories of my goal. I eat all healthy food, and a lot of what I buy is organic. Here's a typical day:

    Breakfast: 1 packet of organic oatmeal with Rice Dream

    Snack: banana

    Lunch: Sandwich: organic wheat bread, 1 slice of cheese, turkey lunch meat, 1 tbsp Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise

    Snack: Clif bar

    Dinner: Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, organic brown rice, organic vegetable mix
  • NanBar
    NanBar Posts: 283 Member
    Most likely because it's only been 4 days- be patient. Don't stop.

    Your body is 70% water. If you are drinking the recommended amount of water you are going to flush out some water as well.

    Keep doing whats right.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    1. Switch out the packet of oatmeal for the real stuff (it really doesn't take long to cook)
    2. Try a wrap instead of the bread (your body may have an issue with gluten as well, it's what made me gain a bunch of weight)
    3. Get rid of the lunch meat & have real turkey!
    4. How much juice are you drinking? Pop? Water?
    5. How many calories are you burning with exercise in a day and what is your daily calories set to?
  • arp1217
    arp1217 Posts: 38 Member
    Is your salt intake within the limits as well? Because you could just be retaining the water you are taking in. Also, sometimes it just takes your body a little bit to get used to a drastic change and its holding on to all of those good nutrients. Just hang in there and if you keep eating and working out the way you are, you will start losing in no time.

    Keep your head up and you will do great! I wish I could tell you something different to make it go away cause I had the same problem but it just takes time to adjust. You are beautiful the way you are and will only make yourself more beautiful through out this journey!

    Good luck!
  • maureak
    maureak Posts: 107 Member
    How is your water intake? Are you getting in your 8 glasses?

    Also, it may sound like the opposite of what you want to do, but lifting weights will actually help boost your metabolism.
  • maryellengallagher
    maryellengallagher Posts: 27
    Most likely because it's only been 4 days- be patient. Don't stop.

    Your body is 70% water. If you are drinking the recommended amount of water you are going to flush out some water as well.

    I agree about the salt. Lunch meat has a ridiculous amount of sodium in it and that may be one place you are getting too much sodium which will definitely make you hold onto water and look like weight gain. When I have sashimi for dinner, no matter how little I have had for the rest of the day, I gain 1/2 lbs because of the sodium in the soy sauce. I keep drinking water and it disappears shortly.
  • trekkiebeth
    trekkiebeth Posts: 172
    I haven't drunk anything but water all week, and I've been having plenty of it. I track my sodium in my food diary and all week it's been well below the limit.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
    Well then hun, it sounds like you're doing everything right, make sure you're eating enough calories (1,200 may not be enough for you, I know on days I exercise I cannot go below 1,500, non-exercise days 1,400). Maybe experiment with calories a little & just keep doing what you're doing & it will come off soon :)
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    Personally, I don't think that five days is enough to gauge anything by. This is a lifestyle change, not a crash diet. You are in this for the long haul. Just relax and continue trying to add exercise and improve on your dietary selections. Setting what may be an impossible goal for yourself is counterproductive and may be harmful to your overall mentality regarding weight loss and a healthier lifestyle.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
    Also, from what I can see, you are already relatively slim looking to get slimmer and your weight loss goal is pretty small in the scheme of things. The last 10 or 15 pounds, which is actually where you are starting, is notoriously difficult to lose. It is liable to be hard and slow .

    Just keep at it. I reiterate that 3 pounds by New Year's especially considering your total projected weight loss is not realistic. It would represent crash dieting and is not a good start towards a healthy lifestyle.
  • trekkiebeth
    trekkiebeth Posts: 172
    I forgot to add that I'm shooting for 30 minutes on my exercise bike 5 days a week, and I'm planning on increasing it to 45 minutes over time.

    I guess I can see why losing weight would take a lot more time than I wanted. It was just really discouraging to see that I actually gained weight the first week.
  • floridabootcamp
    floridabootcamp Posts: 74
    Honestly, in that amount of time it is probably just water. Like you said, that wasn't enough time to add lean muscle. If you are eating correctly and working out the right way then your body will burn off fat. Keep plugging away and try not to stress yourself out.

    Have a good one!
    William
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Simple answer: It's been 4 days.

    That's it. No elaboration needed. No speculation about salt, water, too many carbs, too few carbs, yadayadayadayada.

    It's been 4 days.

    The only thing that is wrong with your "program" is that you have chosen an arbitrary date, an arbitrary weight loss goal, and then expected your body to react like a trained seal.

    The changes you are making are fine ones and you will most likely see results if you follow through. But your body works on its own timetable.
  • chocolatnoir
    chocolatnoir Posts: 182 Member
    Simple answer: It's been 4 days.

    That's it. No elaboration needed. No speculation about salt, water, too many carbs, too few carbs, yadayadayadayada.

    It's been 4 days.

    The only thing that is wrong with your "program" is that you have chosen an arbitrary date, an arbitrary weight loss goal, and then expected your body to react like a trained seal.

    The changes you are making are fine ones and you will most likely see results if you follow through. But your body works on its own timetable.

    I agree, try to be patient and don't expect results so quickly. Give it time to work. I get jealous when I see people on here losing 2 lbs a week because my weight loss is sloooooooooow but I also only have about 15-20 to lose, so I expect it will take me a while to do it the right way.

    Hang in there!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I haven't drunk anything but water all week, and I've been having plenty of it. I track my sodium in my food diary and all week it's been well below the limit.

    Are you weighting yourself in the morning, after using the bathroom and preferable without clothes? If you weigh yourself at different time of the day and/or with different outfits/shoes or in different scales, you will see fluctuations, which WILL NOT show your real weight.

    Be patient, don't loose motivation you will get there. Good luck and Happy Holidays.
  • ReallyBigFatGuy
    ReallyBigFatGuy Posts: 3
    Edit (LOL I did not even notice the post above this one!!! What she said!)

    One thing I have found is to ALWAYS weigh yourself in the morning.

    Your weight will fluctuate during the day dramatically, its all good, you are doing the right things, just keep on it, and it will happen.

    You just need to find what works for you, but one thing is for SURE, if you eat more and exercise less, guess which way the scale will go!!
  • trekkiebeth
    trekkiebeth Posts: 172
    Yep, I always weigh myself in the morning after I go to the bathroom and before I eat, without any clothes.
  • McFrench
    McFrench Posts: 205 Member
    Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat anyways. One pound of fat weighs the same as one pound of muscle and weighs the same as one pound of feathers. One pound= One pound. Not the point of your post, but I have never understood the saying.

    Good luck and keep doing what your doing. I agree when you work out hard, your muscles retain the water to repair. If I am feeling sore from workouts, I dont weigh myself, because I know it will be a higher number.
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