Increased cardio but gaining weight!?! :( Help!

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lcamero2
lcamero2 Posts: 52
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok... this happens everytime I actually start going to the gym. I will do cardio at the gym and keep a close eye on my food intake.. and instead of losing weight... I end up gaining it!.

I have been going to the gym for 4 days in a row now, doing the elliptical at level 10 for 30 minutes and burning 460 calories each day, and twice I did hip abductions and adductions, and chest presses and lat pull downs.

I started at the gym at 156.8 and yesterday I was 157.4 and today I weighed in at 158.2!

This happens every time I actually start exercising routinely.... Ill gain weight consistently for the first couple of days and it will discourage me and I eventually stop 5 or 6 days in.. and then will go back to the gym 2 weeks later and do the same thing all over again. I know that muscles retain water when they are exercised but when will this stop! When can I expect to start seeing the scale ... or the tape measure... go down!

My goal this week is going to be to go a whole week without weighing myself. I am a chronic weigher... I normally weigh myself in the morning... before my evening workout, after my evening workout.. and before going to bed (to see how it changes over night). This is going to be harder to stick to then even my goal of going to the gym 6 days a week because I like to see what I weigh so I can tell if the day before was good or bad. Ill need some support for this.. anyone want to help keep me off the scale? Or tell me what I am doing wrong or when the weight will start coming off?

Replies

  • classyleo77
    classyleo77 Posts: 98 Member
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    Your muscles could be retaining water. Give it time, consistency is key.
  • waverly9876
    waverly9876 Posts: 605 Member
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    I didnt lose a lb till week 3. U have to try to stop weighing yourself. I now weigh myself once a week or once every TWO weeks. You will feel so much better and lose weight. Just wait at least a week and then weigh yourself. Plus you are gaining muscle also.
  • greeneyed84
    greeneyed84 Posts: 427 Member
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    Your muscles get sore from working out, retain water... that is probably it. And your weight also fluctuates day to day so it's really not good to weight yourself daily if its discourages you. Once a week, same day and time every week is better. Pack the scale away, move it somewhere where it's work to get it. More than likely you'll just say screw it and not even bother to get the scale then. I have the same problem, lol
  • Jenni268
    Jenni268 Posts: 202 Member
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    I'd say that you need to stop weighing yourself. Try to cut it back to once a week or even once a month. When I first started my husband stole the scale and didn't let me on it for a month. I was so happy to see a 4 lb weight loss! If I'd weighed myself every day, I would've been discouraged by the ups and downs. It might sound drastic, but if you keep giving up because you get discouraged, then take away the thing that's causing the discouragement!!

    Also, try to keep in mind that the numbers aren't as important as how you feel! Just keep your head up knowing that you're making positive life changes and choices!!

    Good luck!
  • Godan2b
    Godan2b Posts: 57 Member
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    Well not knowing your whole story or body composition you could be building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. It might be best to NOT rely as much on the scale as it would be your measurements or maybe inches lost.

    Just a thought, I'm not a professional trainer and I don't play one on TV =)
  • butterfly7772
    butterfly7772 Posts: 3 Member
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    muscle weighs more than fat. At first you may seem to gain but with the cardio and strength training exercises you'll get leaner muscle. sometimes the scale is our worst enemy, measuring and picture taking is a good way to see our progress
    \
  • cmbneeley
    cmbneeley Posts: 160 Member
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    i have the same problem. for me, it took 2 weeks. kinda. i gained steady up to 2 lbs the first week, then it went down .5 lb, (then i had my TOM, and gained 5.4 lbs), then i lost 4.8 over the next week, and have continued to lose 1-2 lbs per week since. until TOM happens, then i gain 2 lbs in a week, then lose3-4 the following week after. i only weigh 1-2 times per week, otherwise it drives me crazy!
  • absolament
    absolament Posts: 278 Member
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    Could be your burning too many calories and not replenishing them, so your body pulls from your muscles. Also, if you are going at it hard too fast, your body might be in stress and holding onto fat. Or, could be the kind of cardio you're doing is working your muscles if you're calorie intake is good, and so your are getting nice heavy muscles instead. When in doubt check out how your clothes fit, or use a tape measure.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
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    Whatever you do, DON'T weigh yourself more than once/wk. Even that can be too much. You will see fluctuations from day to day, from morning to evening, based on LOTS of factors: water retention, stress, that time of the month, what you ate, etc etc. You will make yourself crazy by noticing all the little ups and downs, and trying to figure out "what you're doing wrong" and "how you're going to control it".

    You won't control those fluctuations, but what you can do is notice if the general trend, over time, is that your weight goes down. Also, your measurements will probably change more than you'll notice the scale budge, at times. I got so discouraged from my weight "going up", that I stopped weighing myself all together. I only weigh myself now when I instinctively know that I'm lighter/smaller (how I feel, fit in my clothes, etc). And then it's positive reinforcement, b/c my weight HAS gone down. But maybe tomorrow it will be up again (a bit). But I won't weigh myself tomorrow. :)
  • cookiemonster5587
    cookiemonster5587 Posts: 3
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    Throw away your scale!! Avoid the scale at the gym at all cost.. do that for a month! I always gain weight before I lose it, your body is not use to the exercise so your bowel movements are not regular.. When you start changing things up, your body will stop everything and wait to see what you're doing. Once you have a habit, your flow will keep up with your new "Diet".

    Just remember "Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going!"

    Good Luck!!
  • lcamero2
    lcamero2 Posts: 52
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    Yay ! Day 1 and I did not weight myself once! Only 6 more days to go.. tomorrow morning will be difficult.. the scale is always right there when im getting ready (I cannot move it/throw it out as it is used by other family members)
  • lcamero2
    lcamero2 Posts: 52
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    Yay ! Day 1 and I did not weight myself once! Only 6 more days to go.. tomorrow morning will be difficult.. the scale is always right there when im getting ready (I cannot move it/throw it out as it is used by other family members)
  • aeckels616
    aeckels616 Posts: 210 Member
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    Same thing happened to me. Apparently my muscles were retaining water, which is common when they start getting worked in ways they're not used to. It's temporary and only lasted about a week for me, then I started seeing the weight come off. Avoiding sodium and drinking plenty of water should help some.
  • hedleyrocks247
    hedleyrocks247 Posts: 185 Member
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    There can be up to a 5 pound fluctuation in someone's weight in one day - this is not "actual" weight gain or loss...it's water, bloat etc. It takes 3500 calories to put on a pound / 3500 deficit to lose a pound. So do not be discouraged by it.....better to stop weighing yourself a couple times a day and go for once a week or once a month...easier said than done, I know!! Believe me, I find it so hard not to weigh myself everyday.....but I'm trying. Saturday mornings ONLY!! And not when it's TTOM!!! Good luck, and don't be discouraged :smile:
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
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    When I started losing weight, I weighed myself the first day and promised not to weigh in again until two weeks had gone by. At two weeks I had lost 8 lbs :D So I say stop weighing yourself, do it every two weeks instead. Also, I know PMS makes me gain like 5lbs :mad:
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
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    muscle weighs more than fat. At first you may seem to gain but with the cardio and strength training exercises you'll get leaner muscle. sometimes the scale is our worst enemy, measuring and picture taking is a good way to see our progress
    \
    no no no no and no
    http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/busting-the-muscle-weighs-more-than-fat-myth.aspx
  • epedchenko
    epedchenko Posts: 10
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    I've been there and first of all, you need to stop weighting yourself :) limit to once per week.
    Make sure you est enough calories because otherwise your body might be going into starvation mode. Plus, it's normal to gain a bit of weight at first because muscle weights more than fat - you need to give it time to start replacing fat because right now it's fat+muscle=slight weight gain.

    Just to summarize all the comments above - consistency is the key ! Good Luck, my friend :)
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    Please don't weigh yourself more than once a week! You'll make yourself crazy!

    As others have pointed out, starting a workout routine means that glycogen is going to be stored in your muscles along with 3 times as much water as the glycogen. So you will see a slight (few pound) water weight gain. This is totally normal and healthy.

    I would not trust the 'calories burned' estimate on any cardio machine as they are often not very accurate in the first place, and secondly, waaaaayyy too many people lean on the machines, supporting part of their bodyweight with their arms and totally throwing off the calorie count. So if you've been trusting the machines and then eating all your exercise calories back, this might be the issue. Or part of the issue.

    It's wonderful that you are exercising as there are many associated health and mental benefits. But weight loss is at least 80% diet. Take a look at your food diary and see if there is anything you can clean up a bit.

    Also, make sure that you are accurately measuring portions, rather than eyeballing them so you can be sure you are logging your food correctly.

    Hang in there!
  • dfinch3327
    dfinch3327 Posts: 5
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    Stop checking your weight every day, I step on the scale once a week ( the same scale at the same time of the day every Sunday) and also measure my neck chest and stomach. I do see lower numbers each week and think you would also. Keep up the hard work and good eating habits and your goal will soon be reached. Stay positive and if you need a friend for encouragement feel free to add me.
  • lcamero2
    lcamero2 Posts: 52
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    Thanks for all the help guys... I do want to clarify one thing that is a common mistake.. MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT... that is a common misconception.. 1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat (they both weigh a pound), the difference is is that muscle is more compact than fat and therefore ... 1 pound of muscle takes up less space and is firmer than 1 pound of fat. :) just to clarify

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