Diet + Exercise = Gain?!?!?!

jdzane
jdzane Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi All,

I've been working out off and on for the past month, and really hitting the gym hard for the past two weeks. I do around 45 minutes of cardio every day, and have a strength training routine that my trainer gave me that I also do every day. I use a heart rate monitor at the gym to keep track of my calories burned, because I found MFP over estimates. Since I started August 2nd, I've gained 3.5 lbs. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but to me it is. I"m at the gym every day killing myself and there's been no change.

I am aware that I'm building muscle and that muscle weighs more than fat. And that's the logic that got me through the first 3 weeks of this nonsense. Now I'm just pissed and discouraged. My inches haven't moved at all, if anything I've actually gained an inch in my stomach.

Does anyone know what the hell is going on and why my working out isn't helping at all??!??!

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Sorry to disappoint you but you aren't gaining muscle - especially if you're eating a deficit. It's either water retention or you're eating more than you think. Also a heart rate monitor isn't going to be accurate for strength training.
  • jdzane
    jdzane Posts: 7 Member
    Water retention for 6 weeks? I know I'm not eating more than I think, I'm super religious about measuring and logging everything. I lost the first 30 lbs by diet alone. Then I plateaued. So I added in this exercise. And I've gained a little and plateaued again. Do you have any useful advice besides just telling me I'm doing it wrong?
  • DrJenO
    DrJenO Posts: 404 Member
    You can't outrun your fork.

    Exercise makes you hungry, esp a lot of cardio.

    If you would like specific suggestions, you might consider opening your diary and letting us have a look.
  • Brandolin11
    Brandolin11 Posts: 492 Member
    I lost the first 30 lbs by diet alone. Then I plateaued. So I added in this exercise.

    Did you recalculate your daily calories after you lost that weight and eat accordingly? Did you recalculate your daily calories after you added in the exercise and eat accordingly?
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Water retention for 6 weeks? I know I'm not eating more than I think, I'm super religious about measuring and logging everything. I lost the first 30 lbs by diet alone. Then I plateaued. So I added in this exercise. And I've gained a little and plateaued again. Do you have any useful advice besides just telling me I'm doing it wrong?

    Well, you are doing it wrong. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but somewhere along the way you must be doing something wrong.

    Double-checking your logging accuracy is the first place most people around here will start because it's easily the most common problem we see when people stop losing weight. Especially with a closed diary. Are you using a food scale? Are you using a heart rate monitor? Are you logging your exercise calories? Are you logging too many exercise calories? Are you forgetting anything like condiments, cooking oils, cheat meals, etc? These are all important questions to start with and make sure we're all on the same page here.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    How many calories are you averaging per day? If you're eating at a small deficit, and if you're new to weight training, you could be gaining a small amount of muscle, but not 3.5 pounds in 6 weeks. You probably couldn't do that if you were eating at a surplus and training like a beast.
  • cummingscb
    cummingscb Posts: 24
    I know that there are certain times where I appear to have gained pounds and inches, and that's usually the day before my period starts until the day or two after it ends. And then it falls back off. Could that be factoring in at all, with the addition of some extra muscle? Perhaps - you would know if that has been recent. But also the food diary is crucial - if you'd open it up, I think we all agree we could look at it objectively and maybe give you some more clues as to why this is happening.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Water retention for 6 weeks? I know I'm not eating more than I think, I'm super religious about measuring and logging everything. I lost the first 30 lbs by diet alone. Then I plateaued. So I added in this exercise. And I've gained a little and plateaued again. Do you have any useful advice besides just telling me I'm doing it wrong?

    Sorry, but the poster that you're getting huffy at was probably dead on.

    Building muscle (especially that much in that time frame) takes an on point diet (with surplus), an immense amount of work, is extremely difficult......for guys. It's exponentially harder for females.

    With that said, if I read your OP correctly you've changed your workout routine / intensity twice in this timeframe.

    You worked out on and off for a few weeks. If that is addition to 0 exercise, your body is going to retain water for repair. You then stated that you've "been hitting it hard" that past two weeks. Again, with the increase the body is going to retain water for repair again.

    Also, are you eating back 100% per the HRM. As the individual stated, those aren't 100% either.
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Water retention for 6 weeks? I know I'm not eating more than I think, I'm super religious about measuring and logging everything. I lost the first 30 lbs by diet alone. Then I plateaued. So I added in this exercise. And I've gained a little and plateaued again. Do you have any useful advice besides just telling me I'm doing it wrong?

    Sorry, but the poster that you're getting huffy at was probably dead on.

    Building muscle (especially that much in that time frame) takes an on point diet (with surplus), an immense amount of work, is extremely difficult......for guys. It's exponentially harder for females.

    With that said, if I read your OP correctly you've changed your workout routine / intensity twice in this timeframe.

    You worked out on and off for a few weeks. If that is addition to 0 exercise, your body is going to retain water for repair. You then stated that you've "been hitting it hard" that past two weeks. Again, with the increase the body is going to retain water for repair again.

    Also, are you eating back 100% per the HRM. As the individual stated, those aren't 100% either.

    This. When you increase your activity level your body stores additional water and glycogen to fuel the increased demand on it.

    Additionally, you should not be strength training every day. Your body needs rest to recover and rebuild.
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Additionally, you should not be strength training every day. Your body needs rest to recover and rebuild.

    OP: If your trainer knows what he/she is doing, and told you to do the routine every day, then it must involve alternating different muscle groups on different days. You shouldn't work the same muscle group two days in a row.
  • mynameisoliverqueen
    mynameisoliverqueen Posts: 63 Member
    I am suffering from a similar thing. Started at the gym 8 weeks ago, and have lost 1KG!!! I do at least 60 minutes on elliptical x-trainer per day (average 14kmph). Body fat has dropped by 1% after completely changing my diet to eat healthily, cut out all processed & added sugars, using 40/40/20 macros (carb/pro/fat) as recommended by a very good nutritionist, gym programme given by personal trainer that has a very high success rate.

    I am 40 years old and suffer from MS, so in constant pain. My initial thoughts were that my body was producing too much cortisol because of the MS & chronic pain (as well as being stressed because of the ailments!).

    I also thought that it may have been water retention through using creatine, which I cut all supplementary creatine out of my daily ingestion (only creatine I might get comes from meat), but no change.

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