I've put on weight since dieting and working out

SandraJayneP
SandraJayneP Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I have lost 5 stone in 2 years and for the last year I've maintained my weight with relaxed calorie counting and exercising a couple of times a week. I sacked off over xmas and up to about March so in April I joined a new gym and started being more religious about completing my food diary. Since then I've put on 5kg!! Everyone has said it's muscle but my shape hasn't changed at all. My jeans are tighter and my energy levels are rock bottom. I'm doing the same diet as I did before and lost weight, I've just ramped up my workouts. I do 2 body pump classes, insanity, step and yoga. I have had an induction at the gym so will start going gym on days where I can't get a class. Any advice on how I can lose weight? also, I'd been on steroids for about 8 years. After 3 years of exercising again, I expected my muscles to be stronger but they are not. My core is strong but shoulders and thighs are not.
Sorry that was an epic post!! Hope someone can help.
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Replies

  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    Got to give it a few weeks.

    5kg could be a lot of things that aren't fat.

    Are you sure you food and exercise logging is correct?
  • SandraJayneP
    SandraJayneP Posts: 5 Member
    I've been as accurate as I can with my food, although I'm not measuring my milk for tea but I don't drink more than 3 cups a day. I try to stick to 1200 cals per day so even if I'm not logging my exercises correctly, I should still be losing weight (sometimes I choose the best fit exercise to log). Could it be I'm not eating enough because I'm working out more?
  • Someguyhello
    Someguyhello Posts: 4 Member
    I was on 1500 calories a day. I made the mistake of thinking i can ramp up my workout and eat exactly the same.. It would only make sense right? but when you go past that point and start expending more energy than your body has absorbed it panics and says okay everything you eat from now on i will turn to fat. What you need to do is eat more stick to this rule.. for every 1 hour you train add 200-400 calories of extra food to eat a day okay? 1200 calories is already benchmark for someone who doesnt move all day.... Think about it haha ! Its simple eat more !!!(also make sure the calories are good ones not chocolate bars you need to replace what you have spent in the gym )
  • jonastheis1
    jonastheis1 Posts: 5 Member
    Your low energy levels could be contributed to the increased amount of daily exercise vs. your daily intake being too low. You got to take into consideration that when you do workout and burn, let's say, 400 kcals and you still pertain to eating 1200kcal a day - you're in reality only getting 800kcals. Remember, even though calorie counting is a great tool to take control of your weightloss, it's extremely important to still get in a decent amount of food, so you can refill your energy storage after having a taxing workout.

    If you have a carbohydrate & sodium dominating diet, then you'll "hold" extra liquid, add that to the increased working out and I assume your water intake has increased by that same token.

    Keep in mind that body composition takes a while and if you've never really lifted weights before, you will have a certain amount of "newbie" gains to put on and that will, along with the extra binding of water/liquids, equate to quite a few kg.

    On a closing note, from personal experience I have many times held 2-4 extra kg's if I've been with the family for holiday, let's say Christmas, I held on to 4 extra kg for approximately 2 weeks AFTER starting to diet again. Sometimes it just takes a little while for your body to adjust to your routines, especially if you're working out.

    As one of the above posters wrote, if you are 100% sure your calorie count is on point, then it's just a matter of time before the weight starts to go down again :) Good luck!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    When you start up a new exercise routine you can retain water to help with muscle repair

    if you are certain you are not over-eating on calories, do not worry about it

    it is water-weight

    it will stabilise over time

    give it a few weeks
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    PS strength gains do come quite quickly once you get into a progressive lifting programme - make sure your form is correct to avoid injury

    and good for you

    you'll love it
  • priscaudofia
    priscaudofia Posts: 17 Member
    Ensure you log in everything that goes into your mouth, increase your protein intake to above recommended requirement, this helps the muscle to burn the calories. Increase your veg and fruits, water and tea as well. The steroids will always make you add weight but following this tips will help to loose it. Try and make friends with fresh salads
  • kikichewie
    kikichewie Posts: 276 Member
    I could easily have 200-300 calories a day from 1% milk in my morning teas. You might want to start measuring that.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    SandraJayneP wrote: »
    Could it be I'm not eating enough because I'm working out more?
    No, as far as the weight gain goes. Yes, possibly, as far as the energy levels.

  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
    Water weight fluctuation.
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    kikichewie wrote: »
    I could easily have 200-300 calories a day from 1% milk in my morning teas. You might want to start measuring that.

    How much milk do you have in your tea?!?
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    2-3 cups, apparently.
  • SandraJayneP
    SandraJayneP Posts: 5 Member
    edited April 2015
    Sorry I meant I have 2-3 cups of tea per day, and I have it really strong, 'leave the teabag in for 5 mins at least, and a dash of milk' kind of strong.. I only have it when I get home from work. In the mornings I have fruit tea with my porridge.
    Thank you all for your advice. I've just done the insanity 29 minute workout at the gym. A few of the other ladies have put on weight since working out too, so I'll just keep at it and hope for the best. I'm not going to beat myself up as at the end of the day, I'm not sitting in front of the tv every evening and moaning about not losing weight.. I'm trying and that's a start ☺
    Thanks again Sandra
  • kikichewie
    kikichewie Posts: 276 Member
    katem999 wrote: »
    kikichewie wrote: »
    I could easily have 200-300 calories a day from 1% milk in my morning teas. You might want to start measuring that.

    How much milk do you have in your tea?!?

    I have big cups of tea and could pour in a cup of milk (each) pretty easily. Currently I limit myself to two mugs of tea per day with 1/4-1/2 cup of 1% milk in each. My point was that the OP said its one thing she doesn't measure, and I never used to either. When I started measuring, I was pretty surprised at how easily it could add up.
  • r0bb068
    r0bb068 Posts: 8 Member
    Think of your body as a fire.To make it burn more you need to add fuel. So if your intake isn't matching your calories you burn during exercise and general day to day going on's ,you won't benefit. Eating more protein or taking supplements will help with the lack of energy during your workouts. Better workouts will equal extra calories burned. When I started to exercise regularly I increased my intake to match my calories burned and have had great results.
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
    You said you started working out in April? It's April now. I would say it's water weight from your body adjusting to a new, vigorous exercise regime. You need patience.
  • bendyourkneekatie
    bendyourkneekatie Posts: 696 Member
    kikichewie wrote: »
    katem999 wrote: »
    kikichewie wrote: »
    I could easily have 200-300 calories a day from 1% milk in my morning teas. You might want to start measuring that.

    How much milk do you have in your tea?!?

    I have big cups of tea and could pour in a cup of milk (each) pretty easily. Currently I limit myself to two mugs of tea per day with 1/4-1/2 cup of 1% milk in each. My point was that the OP said its one thing she doesn't measure, and I never used to either. When I started measuring, I was pretty surprised at how easily it could add up.

    Fair enough, but that's a lot of milk in tea. I just measured how much milk I would put in a cup, and calculated the calories. 6.6 calories... Sounds like the op makes her tea like me, so it really shouldn't be a problem for an extra 20 or so calories a day.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    SandraJayneP wrote: »
    Hi, I have lost 5 stone in 2 years and for the last year I've maintained my weight with relaxed calorie counting and exercising a couple of times a week. I sacked off over xmas and up to about March so in April I joined a new gym and started being more religious about completing my food diary. Since then I've put on 5kg!! Everyone has said it's muscle but my shape hasn't changed at all. My jeans are tighter and my energy levels are rock bottom. I'm doing the same diet as I did before and lost weight, I've just ramped up my workouts. I do 2 body pump classes, insanity, step and yoga. I have had an induction at the gym so will start going gym on days where I can't get a class. Any advice on how I can lose weight? also, I'd been on steroids for about 8 years. After 3 years of exercising again, I expected my muscles to be stronger but they are not. My core is strong but shoulders and thighs are not.
    Sorry that was an epic post!! Hope someone can help.

    Do you weigh your food and log everything you eat?

    Do you log your exercise calories? If so, where do you get your exercise burns from?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    SandraJayneP wrote: »
    I've been as accurate as I can with my food, although I'm not measuring my milk for tea but I don't drink more than 3 cups a day. I try to stick to 1200 cals per day so even if I'm not logging my exercises correctly, I should still be losing weight (sometimes I choose the best fit exercise to log). Could it be I'm not eating enough because I'm working out more?

    No necessarily. If you don't weigh your food and correctly log calories in and calories burned, your deficit can be killed pretty quickly. If your clothes are getting tighter, that means you are eating too much. Women don't bulk up with exercise or weight lifting.

    If you were not eating enough you would be losing weight.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited April 2015
    To those saying it's water retention:
    My jeans are tighter and my energy levels are rock bottom.

    It could be some water retention, but....weight gain often causes tighter jeans and lower energy levels.

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