HELP i'm gaining but working out at the gym!

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CPlempel1013
CPlempel1013 Posts: 40
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so I'm totally confused and upset. I've been working my butt off at the gym and staying under my calories and when I weighed myself this morning it said i gained 3lbs? wtf? I mean seriously I've been doing cardio and a lot of weights to gain muscle. But I hear that weights will help burn fat but obviously it's not...I don't know I'm super discouraged now. What's happening!?

I also don't feel super fat. I'm feeling more fit but I need to get under 200lbs! Gah!

Replies

  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,154 Member
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    Starting a new workout program or upping the intensity can make you gain and hold onto several pounds of water weight. Ignore it and just keep doing what you're doing. Maybe take measurements.
  • Sassymama66_75HARD
    Sassymama66_75HARD Posts: 91 Member
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    Right there with you! I have complained about it for over a week. Spoke with my trainer and he said it is normal when you start a new intense workout program. I had my husband take the scale out of the house and am not weighting until Memorial Day with my trainer. He will also redo my measurements and hook me up to the body fat reader.

    Stay off the scale for a bit and keep up the GREAT work! It will come off.

    Sassy
  • jetlbomb
    jetlbomb Posts: 43 Member
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    Stick at it. Your weight can fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. Like Jestinia said, a new routine can make you put on water weight. See if you've lost weight in two weeks and go from there. Your body just takes a little time to adjust.

    How long have you been exercising and tracking your calorie intake?
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
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    Forget the scale. It has a tendency to play mind tricks on you. Also, how much you're eating play a roll. If you're not eating enough to support regular bodily functions AND your workouts you will end up doing more damage than good to your metabolism. Take pics, weekly if you're one that needs to see results sooner rather than later. The scale barely (if at all) moves for me...but eventually my clothes and pics tell a whole different story.
  • CPlempel1013
    CPlempel1013 Posts: 40
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    Thanks everyone!

    @jetlbomb I lost about 60lbs two years ago but gained it back. So i started this january to get my life back on track. I did gain a lot back but I still didn't look as big as I did...so maybe I was more fit...? But I have started since january exercising and changing my eating habits and have lost about 17lbs.

    I just joined the gym about a week and a half ago and have been going frequently. I'm loving it! Especially the weights!
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Okay so I'm totally confused and upset. I've been working my butt off at the gym and staying under my calories and when I weighed myself this morning it said i gained 3lbs? wtf? I mean seriously I've been doing cardio and a lot of weights to gain muscle. But I hear that weights will help burn fat but obviously it's not...I don't know I'm super discouraged now. What's happening!?

    I also don't feel super fat. I'm feeling more fit but I need to get under 200lbs! Gah!

    Going to gym doesnt mean weight loss. It means you have gone to the gym. 'Working my butt off' is an opinionated statement. Again it doesnt mean weight loss. How many calories do you lose from working your butt off? 10? 100? 1000?

    In the first instance water retention may play a part but in the grand scheme of things it boils down to one thing. Calorie deficit = weight loss
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    most likely water retention, how many cals are you eating and what are your stats?
  • BoxingLifestyle
    BoxingLifestyle Posts: 35 Member
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    I believe we all have been on this same page either currently or previously. Although we wish the weight will fly off sadly doesnt work that way as we all know. You are doing a great job working out and watching your calories like other mfp members stated the scale will go up and down when adjusting to these workouts you will lose inches before weight. Make sure to not take to little calories or your body will hit starvation and will slow your metabolism. I am going through trying to intake almost all my calorie intake its a bit or struggle when im not that hungry to take in all calories but keep uo the good work =)
  • CPlempel1013
    CPlempel1013 Posts: 40
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    I'm 5'10" 24 years old and very curvy. My goal is 190lbs and I'm about 234lbs right now.

    I'm allowed 1770 cals a day and I burn up to 360 cals a day.
  • jetlbomb
    jetlbomb Posts: 43 Member
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    In that case, check your food. Exercise doesn't contribute to weight loss as much as we might think (damn!). Make sure you weigh everything properly and are accurately tracking everything you eat.

    Open up your food diary, there are loads of people on here who can tell you where you're going wrong.
  • CPlempel1013
    CPlempel1013 Posts: 40
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    I'm not very educated on weight loss and I have no idea what macros are or TDEE..? :/
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    I'm not very educated on weight loss and I have no idea what macros are or TDEE..? :/
    tdee = total daily energy expenditure, i.e. the number of calories it takes you to maintain weight per day

    use this to figure it out http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

    eat 500 cals less per day to lose 1 lb a week, 1000 less to lose 2 lbs etc
  • CPlempel1013
    CPlempel1013 Posts: 40
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    that website is telling me to eat more then i am actually eating...but i feel like if i eat more i'll just gain more! mfp says 1770 cals, but the website says for normal weight loss to eat 2216 cals a day....ughhhh now i'm really confused lol
  • SillyTree
    SillyTree Posts: 29 Member
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    If you're feeling that fat feeling though…
    You may be swollen from your workout… But you may be eating too many carbs also…
    Try a 40/30/30;
    40% carbs
    30% fat
    30% protein
  • The_Godwin_72
    The_Godwin_72 Posts: 102 Member
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    I would rec. taking measurements. Scale are not going to tell you when fat turns to muscle. So I must ask if the number on the scale never changes and you go down 2 sizes, will being under 200 matter?
    I am 5'7" in a size 8 to 10 and I weight 180 lbs.
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    that website is telling me to eat more then i am actually eating...but i feel like if i eat more i'll just gain more! mfp says 1770 cals, but the website says for normal weight loss to eat 2216 cals a day....ughhhh now i'm really confused lol
    ignore what mfp says, their cal recommendations are usually retarded and stupidly low
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    Definitely get a tape measure. The scale is only one indication and it's not even that good of a measurement.
  • CPlempel1013
    CPlempel1013 Posts: 40
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    OK!
  • CPlempel1013
    CPlempel1013 Posts: 40
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    I will buy a tape measure today! and I changed my calorie goal this week to see if it makes a difference. I put the calorie intake as said by the website. Let's see how a another week turns out!

    Thanks again everyone!!!!

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