Why am I gaining?

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aeckels616
aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been doing Jillian michael's 30 day shred twice a day for a little over a week now. I have also been counting calories and staying around 1200 net calories per day (what I'm eating minus what I've supposedly burned exercising). Over the past week, I have gained 2.5 pounds. Does that even make sense? I'm 5'1", 30 years old and weigh 133. I've heard that muscle weighs mOre than fat, but I kind of doubt that I'm gaining enough muscle frpm these short workouts to offset any weight loss by that much.

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  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    your muscles may be retaining water as you've just started this new workout routine

    also do you have a HRM that is accurately measuring how much you burn? you may be eating too much or too little
  • Nikayla11209
    Nikayla11209 Posts: 31
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    It sounds like it is muscle that is making you gain, even if it is a lot it can make a big difference. it could also be water gain as well because when you burn off fat water fills those spots where the fat used to be, its aiding recovery I think.
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    It sounds like it is muscle that is making you gain, even if it is a lot it can make a big difference. it could also be water gain as well because when you burn off fat water fills those spots where the fat used to be, its aiding recovery I think.

    fyi muscle takes a long time to build. body builders will spend months trying to gain a few pounds of it.
  • cedder1
    cedder1 Posts: 139 Member
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    Your are my exact build...I just posted something that relates to exactly what you are talking about. Read it!! It makes sense!!! You have to figure your BMR (basic metabolic rate) that is the amount of calories your body uses just for bodily functions if you were to lay in bed all day. I had my caloric rate set at 1200 also and I have been gaining. My BMR is 1231, so I wasn't taking in enough for my body to just function, and this does not count any daily activities or exercise. Google BMR and you can find the formula and then adjust accordingly.
  • Bethy25
    Bethy25 Posts: 73
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    I was only doing JM 30 DS about 5 days a week and supplementing 20 min of elliptical on most of those days. I also gained in the beginning and lost a little at the end which left me exactly even on the scale for the entire month. I mostly did level 1 and some level 2. I know it is supposed to be done 30 days consecutive but that kind of time just doesnt work for me. So ANYWAY, long story short, just measured myself on Wednesday and even though I didnt loose any weight, I lost 1 inch off my waist, .5 on each arm, .5 on each thigh, and a whoppin 2.5 around my Hips! Stick to it, if you are ok ignoring the scale, you will still get results!
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
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    You are correct, you are not gaining muscle. When you are dieting and exercising at the same time, exercise just helps lessen the loss of lean muscle mass and helps to encourage your body to rely on fat stores. You have to eat EXTRA in order to add significant muscle mass.

    The reason you are gaining is from inflammation and resistance from your body to reduce fat stores. This happens for many different reasons. Strenuous exercising causes muscles to tear, and the healing process requires extra water to be rushed to those areas, otherwise known as inflammation or water weight gain. Also, if you exercise without fueling your body the way it whats to be fueled, it will resist with all its ability to burn fat. This can occur even if your calories are enough, but the QUALITY of those calories are not providing your body with the nutrients needed. Also, overloading the liver (which is the organ that converts fat to energy) with alcohol, preservatives, atificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, artificial fat, etc. doesn't give it enough time to use fat as an energy. Your liver can only do so much. If it is constantly busy cleaning impurities from your system, there is no time to metabolize fat. Therefore, lean muscle mass is used instead, thus convincing your body even more so to hold on to every calorie it can.
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
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    So if I'm understanding right, I may not be consuming enough calories, and my body may be storing water instead of fat?
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
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    So if I'm understanding right, I may not be consuming enough calories, and my body may be storing water instead of fat?

    Basically, yes. You might be storing water and NOT burning fat due to a combination of factors. Too few calories, calories without nutrients your body needs (could be different that someone else), or calories heavy in processed food additives.
  • AmeMahoney
    AmeMahoney Posts: 232
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    Where are your measurements? You need them to see what is going on.
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    Thank You Cbirdso! That was a very clear, conscise, and well put explanation of what we all go through now and then. You've now convinced me to eat something before I exercise in the morning! = D
  • PhoenixFire975
    PhoenixFire975 Posts: 70
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    You may need more cals in your diet. MFP only puts 1200 on there as the absolute minimum, which is way to extreme for most bodies, especially if you exercise. I had to raise my cals by about 200 (from 1400) just because I exercise everyday. Your body is quite possibly throwing you into starvation mode (YES IT IS A REAL ISSUE!!! Health Class 101 people) and holding onto that fat and any fat you eat, thus the gaining extra poundage. I've gone off on this subject way to many times to count since checking out the MFP forums and too many people are confused. I mean seriously??? I learned about how starving yourself and over-exercising only leads to your death when I was like 5, and they also taught it to us in health class. Use some common sense people and try researching the RIGHT way to lose weight (of course, only use reliable sources) because it scares me to think that so many of you try to starve and over-work yourselves to lose weight. It'll only land you in a nut-house or 6-feet under.

    Sorry for the harsh ranting, but I'm really upset over this :/
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    I think that unfortunately for a lot of older women like me (54) especially 1200 calories seems like a sufficient amount to eat. As a hospital nurse (and a fat one at that!) I constantly heard doctors recommending 1200 calorie diets for weight reduction to patients right and left! Old habits and old fashioned learning die hard especially when the physiology of weight loss/gain is not well explained to those who so desparately need it and from reliable sources. How many times have we all heard it broken down into "calories in must be less than calories out"? I believe it to be true that the older doctors are not well versed in the subject themselves. "Starvation" is a relative term. Most people don't look at their fat bodies and think they are starving themselves on a 1200 calorie diet; pictures of children from Bangladesh more so fit the picture for me. Not everyone can pick up what some did at 5 years of age and realize that starvation is indeed a 1200 calorie diet. But it is nice to benefit from the lessons and blogs and comments of others who are better informed than some of us and it is appreciated.
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
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    You're welcome susanswan. I too think it is a bit presumptuous to obsess about the 1200 calorie 'rule'. For myself personally, I could not live on that amount and be sane OR LOSE weight, however I know many people think 1200 calories is more than enough and lose weight just fine on that amount.

    Also, despite the calories in, calories out relationship essential to weight loss, they are not opposites; they, in fact, work together. Calories are fuel to get you through your workout, your workout is not a way to get rid of the food you eat. Constantly playing the math game of indulgence (over eating) and punishment (over exercising) will not only have you fighting to keep your head above water, it gives a negative connotation to both diet and exercise. Exercise is not a punishment for eating, and your food choices should be based on what is going to give you the best nutritional bang for your buck and provide your body the nutrients it needs to perform and look its best.
  • kwardklinck
    kwardklinck Posts: 1,601
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    Water weight. Try drinking tea or water with lemon in it. Once your body gets used to the exercise, it won't hold the water in your muscles anymore.
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
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    About how lOng does it take for your muscles to stop holding water?
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
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    About how lOng does it take for your muscles to stop holding water?

    It depends on how diligent you are in tracking and experimenting and how well your body heals. You have to eat plenty of protein so your body has the nutrients to repair the tears caused by exercising. You have to keep sodium intake low, you have to know what triggers inflammation in your own body (like for me it is corn products) and reduce that too. You have to drink plenty of water because excess toxins from fat burning also cause inflammation. You have to NOT OVER exercise and add mild cardio to your workouts. For example, walking at a moderate pace really helps my body eliminate toxins and water weight.

    Good luck and with a little effort now, you will know what works for you.
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
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    Thanks for your help. Over the past couple of days, the weight gain has tapered off and the numbers are starting to come down again. Hopefully that trend will continue :). I'm boiling some eggs to have around to increase my protein.

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