Workout 6x/Week and I gained weight!?!

Inittowinit11 · May 2011

Hi everyone!

I workout 6 times per week for at least 2 hours per day. I am doing p90x (lean), weight training, and cardio (mostly elliptical, but also karate, walking, etc). I started MFP on May 2nd and lost 8lbs in the first week. MFP reccommends that I eat 1620 calories per day in order to lose 2lb per week. Since I've started I've been working extremely hard, buring an average of 1900 - 2100 calories per day and eating an average of about 1400 calories per day. Yesterday I burned 2400 calories and I've been doing a lot of weight training.

The dilemma:
I weighed myself last night (my 2nd weigh in) and to my surprise I gained weight! I went up .4lbs! This may not seem like much, but I wanted to cry because I really pushed myself harder than ever and I thought I would have lost at least 3-4lbs. Recently I saw a show on tv and the doctor (a nutrition expert) said that "muscle actually weighs more than fat, so don't get discourage with the scale if you know you are doing things right." My question is should I stop doing so much weight training (I'm probabily lifting 3x's per week plus p90x has me doing strength training 2x per week)? I have a lot of weight to lose, so I was thinking that maybe i should focus 99% on cardio until I'm at least half way towards my target weight.

In 2007, I did a study at school where I had to exercise a lot for 10 weeks. I changed my eating habits and I saw a huge difference in my appearance and I received many compliments. However, at the end of the 10 week journey when I stood on the scale - I was shocked! I weighed exactly the same weight. If didn't move at all. But, my clothes were loose and people could tell. So, this is probabily just a repeat. Do you all think I'm obsessing too much over the scale or I should cut back on weight training? Or continue doing what I'm doing?

Thanks so much for any responses!

kdelost630 · May 2011

I had a similar problem when I switched up my workout routine and starting running. For the first two or three weeks, I gained weight and then plateau-ed. It was discouraging, but someone told me that you retain water when you start a new workout routine. I would say just keep at it and eventually, you will start losing again.

Plus, if you're building muscle, you may not lose pounds initially, but see changes in your measurements! I wouldn't worry about it just yet!

infosynth · May 2011

You will gain weight while dieting if you're building muscle, which weighs more than fat. Talk to a trainer about a body fat % assessment. Also, take some measurements (waist, chest, thigh, etc.). You could be losing inches and not weight.

Weigh yourself in the morning before you eat breakfast. As you eat throughout the day, you will "gain" weight.

Overall, the actual weight is less important than your fitness level.

fishermanwife · May 2011

did you say you weighed at night and was .4 up ? weigh your first thing in the morning after you use the restroom and see if that helps

teetees40 · May 2011

Okay punkin' - first of all, congrats for being so dedicated and working so hard!

I swear I feel like a hypocrite saying this, but, DO NOT get hung up on a number! I say this because so many times we all start this journey, and yes, it is a journey, and then fail because we compare ourselves to others or to what we "think" our "number" should be. I do it so often and have to be reminded - LOL. You are doing this to be healthier! And look at how hard you've worked! Turn around and burn some calories by patting yourself on the back sweetie!

On another note, muscle does weigh more than fat. It's a fact. SO, while I dont have any perfect weight loss tips or answers as to what you should and shouldn't do, I'm a cheerleader for you and I think you are doing well....Just dont give up on yourself. You deserve the very best you and THAT is what you are doing!

(((HUGS)))

pjrazon · May 2011

The only accurate way (well kind of) to know if you're losing fat and gaining muscle is to use a body fat caliper. Scales are kind of useless if you're doing weight training as muscle weighs more than fat. Weigh yourself n the morning and do it every week at the same time. Don't be alarmed if your weight fluctuate wildly, if you're eating right, exercising and drinking enough water you'll definitely lose weight!!!

P.S

Don't think about losing weight too much enjoy life and what you have so far; you'll surely succeed...

GOOD LUCK

AnnaPixie · May 2011

You definitely retain water when you start a new routine/build muscle. It can take 3 to 5 week for your muscles to repair and get accustomed to the onslaught.

I do P90X too, and I really dont think you need any more resistence work, so yeah, I'd back off on the weight training too. Even with just doing P90X I didnt really see results for 5 weeks.

Dont sweat the scales. You're doing great. Scales dont tell the story. Make sure you measure and take pics.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

jlguenther · May 2011

Honestly, you are probably working out too much and your body is storing everything you eat.... I would cut back on your workouts and make sure are eating at least 1620 calories (that MFP says you should eat)- especially if you are working out that hard. I tend to get caught up on numbers myself, so I like the scale.

But maybe you should NOT be focusing on that- especially if you tend to "bulk up" more. You certainly don't need strength training more than 3-4 times a week... I like to also do 30 mins of cardio on strength training days.... but you don't need to work ouf for 2 hours. I would say an hour max of cardio- unless you are training for a race or something. Definitely don't stop doing strength training- you need those muslces to burn the fat!! Good luck.

zakkthebear · May 2011

weigh yourself once a week (2x max) at the same time after the same routine. most people use the restroom then get nekkid and get on the scale (or that's how I do it and assume everyone is like me)

lots can affect weight, especially in women, so .4 is nothing. over the next two weeks do as described above and see how it goes.

Also, building muscle while in a caloric deficit and being female is extremely unlikely. Most likely the .4 was water, food in your system, clothing, etc.

the program you're on looks good on paper, keep it up and results will follow methinks.

joshholl · May 2011

omg i know how you feel, i really am trying hard to lose weight but gained like 6lbs my first workout. Its hard to let go of but i typically gain 2-3 lbs at the beginning of the week when my workout ups intensity (c25k and strong lifts) but by the end of the week i usually end up lower. Ive learned to fight the urge to break down and cry when i hop on the scale on mondays and tuesdays, because by thursday or friday i'm usually cheering.

Keep doing what you're doing if you're gaining from muscle thats a good thing because in the long run more muscle mass will help you burn more calories than fat does.

karinane · May 2011

I wouldn't worry about the scale if you are seeing and feeling a difference. Muscle definitely weighs more than fat, and I've had too much focusing on the scale burn me both ways. A few years ago I lost about 75 lbs, then, even though I was still changing visibly and fitting into smaller sizes my weight stayed the same. I was just gaining muscle. Then a few years later I moved and my habits changed a bit. I could see that I was getting less lean and my clothes were tighter, but my weight stayed the same. It even dropped a little because my muscle was turning into fat. I knew I should get back in line, but was able to convince myself to work out a little less because the scale said everything was fine.

MaryW1962 · May 2011

It sounds like your doing an awful lot of weight training. You should weight train every other day with cardio on the days between. Your muscles need time to repair themselves. Maybe you need to eat a little more because you are burning alot of calories. Good luck.

Dmatkin · May 2011

I wish everyone would stop saying that muscle weighs more than fat. It does not! 1 pound of anything equals 1 pound. I don't care what it is. One pound of feathers weighs as much as a one pound chicken breast; doesn't it? The feathers just take up more room. The same is true with muscle vs. fat. Fat takes up more space, that's all!! And in order for your body to get the metabolism you want, you must have muscle!! And guess what, more muscle and less fat equals a leaner you, no matter how much the muscle weighs!!

I do not think you should be doing any more exercise than is asked by the P90X program. You are not giving your body a chance to repair itself if you are doing more. These programs are designed by trainers, nutrtionists, and scientists. They have created a program that you can do without any thought. And we go changing them all the time. Now if we had the expertise to go changing them, we wouldn't be here in the first place.

You could have gained .4 pounds for any reason. If you are not drinking enough water, you could be holding on to it when you do drink it. If you are working your muscles too much, there is a lactic acid build up, and that could account for it. Stick to the plan and you will get results. It's not the weekly weigh ins that count. It is the constant effort that you put in. It will build up over time and you will get amazing results!!

Inittowinit11 · May 2011

Thanks everyone! You all helped out so much. I'll definitely take what you said into consideration and I'll stop obsessing over the numbers on the scale.

Thanks again!

cjjones007 · May 2011

did you say you weighed at night and was .4 up ? weigh your first thing in the morning after you use the restroom and see if that helps

That's a great idea because I know my weight can fluctuate as much as 2 pounds during the day from morning to night... So that's a great call...
inittowin hon - how is your water intake? I was personally having some problems with weight loss with water intake (and later with sodium but your diary looks pretty good overall for that!)

hang in there - You are doing SO fantastic - It WILL come for you, and remember that the muscle you build today is burning calories for you ALL DAY LONG which is awesome!!!!

Hugs.

kdelost630 · May 2011

Just to set the record straight, muscle does NOT weight more than fat. It's a myth. They actually weight the same, but muscle is more dense than fat so that's why it takes up less space.

Inittowinit11 · May 2011

Thanks again everyone. As far as the muscle weighing more than fat thing, I've just always heard that. I've even heard doctor's say that....so, that's weird. Anyhow, I'm just going to take the advice that I was given! Thanks again!

fridayjustleft04 · May 2011

They're costly, but if you can invest in a scale that measures body fat, do it. I have the Weight Watchers scale. It tells you how much you've gained or lost since your last weigh in, how far you are from your goal, your body fat (in lbs.) your percentage of body fat, and your BMI. I find this very encouraging and helpful because my weight sometimes goes up, but I know it's because I've gained muscle and lost fat..my scale tells me so. Also, try to follow the advice of weighing in the morning; everyone's at their lightest then.

Most importantly, DON'T get discouraged. Celebrate the fact that you're actually being proactive about your health; that's more than a lot of people can say.

Inittowinit11 · May 2011

Thanks so much! I'm going to look into purchasing one of those scales asap! Thanks everyone for the encouragement, it means a lot!

Workout 6x/Week and I gained weight!?!

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