Gaining weight but NOT losing inches?

prisky780
prisky780 Posts: 30 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Okay, so I'm 2 months newbie at this weight lifting. I'm slowly started to understand how it works and realised I needed to up my calories. It's been 2 weeks now and I can feel my pants are getting tighter around the hips and waist. How long does it take to lose some inches? I'm not talking about pounds or weight. I'm not losing any inches and instead gaining some more. Do I have to do cardio? This is really discouraging. I absolutely hate doing cardio which is why I decided to so weight lifting. Approximately, how long should wait to feel my pants loosen up and what should I do to get there?

Replies

  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Are you gaining weight or did you mistype the title?
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    If I understand correctly you want to gain muscle (weight) and lose inches. The way many people do it is that they go on bulk sessions (what you are currently doing) where they gain weight, muscle and inches of fat. After a while of bulking they go on cutting sessions, where when the fat gain gets too much for comfort they start dieting and losing weight to get rid of the fat they accumulated. Rinse and repeat. The inches lost will show up after you cut, not during your bulk.
  • MargaretSobers
    MargaretSobers Posts: 167 Member
    Yes you can go for cardio it will be a best option for you to loose weight as well as inches.
  • All4Me2014xx
    All4Me2014xx Posts: 155 Member
    Exercise is any form is for health and fitness. Calorie deficit is for weight loss.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Cardio will help with weight loss, weight training is about building muscle, which takes up less room than fat.
  • roxylola
    roxylola Posts: 540 Member
    So, you started lifting, increased your calories (from what and to what?) and you are gaining weight and inches. If you genuinely have weight to lose try reducing calories
  • prisky780
    prisky780 Posts: 30 Member
    I guess my title is somewhat confusing. What I was trying to tell is that since I started working out and lifting, I have been gaining muscle weight. This is great since I started with 97lbs for almost 30 years old me. Now I'm at 107lbs. I understand most of the weight gain is probably the muscle. ( I see definitions on my arms and legs)

    However, my pants (especially the wasit area) are getting tighter and tighter. I thought lifting helps to lose fat all around. Why an I not losing inches off? Do I HAVE to do cardio? is there any other way I can without doing cardio. The reason I started lifting was to lose inches off (again NOT weight).

    I was trying to increase my calories from 1000 to 1300. I'm busy and half the time I don't remember/dont have time to eat. Trying to increase food intake is stressful enough. Now I'm wondering if I should be lifting at all to achieve what I want.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    There is no way in hell you gained ten pounds of muscle mass in two months while eating at a deficit. Go to the Getting Started part of the message boards, read the stickied threads, learn, go from there.
  • JenMc14
    JenMc14 Posts: 2,389 Member
    The type,of exercise you choose is not what causes a weight loss or gain, it's your diet. If you're gaining weight, you are not in a deficit. Lifting weights is great, but if you're not in a deficit, you won't lose fat. Even adding cardio won't cause you to lose if you're not in a deficit. I know you say you eat 1300 calories, are you sure? How accurately do you log? Weigh/measure everything?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Yes you can go for cardio it will be a best option for you to loose weight as well as inches.

    Hmm....

    Cardio is for building endurance, great for your heart, and burns more calories than strength training.

    Strength training while eating at a deficit helps you hold onto lean muscle, is great for bone health and shaping your body.

    If you are eating at a deficit you will lose weight. If you are exercising you can increase the deficit and/or shape the end result.
  • prisky780
    prisky780 Posts: 30 Member
    I had my 2nd measurement yesterday and looks like I lost half a inch around my waist and lost half lbs. gained 1/2-3/4 muscle in various different place. I did increase my food intake. I'm eating lot more and often. I'm not sure if increasing my food intake helped or is it the cardio/yoga that I did. Diet wise, I don't eat out that often unless I'm out on a date. I cook food at home including lunch. Even then, I don't eat processed food like canned food. So, I don't know how more healthy I can be. I also limited my portion on the carb.

    By the way, someone asked about my 10 lbs gained. It is definitely not all muscle gain. It's a mixer of fat and muscle gain.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    edited October 2014
    47Jacqueline wrote: »
    Deficit will help with weight loss, weight training in a deficit is about maintaining muscle, so you lose mainly water and fat.

    FIFY.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    MargaretSobers wrote: »
    Yes you can go for cardio, but your dieficit mixed with cardio and a good lifting program will be the best option for you to loose weight as well as inches.

    FIFY x2

  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    There is no way in hell you gained ten pounds of muscle mass in two months while eating at a deficit. Go to the Getting Started part of the message boards, read the stickied threads, learn, go from there.


    ^^This.

    OP, for more advice you should open your diary. IMHO, there's no way you're getting bigger at 1000-1300 cals.

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