Exercising but gaining weight
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Are you focusing mainly on cardio?
When doing cardio, are you huffing and puffing and sweating & keeping your heart rate in the cardio zone for at least 30 minutes non stop?
Logging your food is also important when you start out because there are probably many foods that have a lot more calories than you think they do, and by logging, you will learn what they are.
Also look at the nutritional information when you log, and this will help you make better choices of eating healthier.
Sounds to me like you are taking the right approach, but you are just having a little trouble getting started.
Total health includes a good fitness level and a healthy well balanced diet, and in my opinion is the best long term way to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.
If you go on the CDC website, they have all the information you need to do this.
I know it's frustrating at first, but you can learn how to do this. You already have the right idea.0 -
I think it is a combo of things. Perhaps a perfect storm that has gone unnoticed unless there is strict attention to the scale since beginning.
Water weight! First and foremost this is a bugger and can be caused by hormones, sodium, hydration and lack there of, carb intake, muscle recovery, lack of needed rest, etc. Then the good ole food guestimation.
But you do not have to use MFP at all if you do not want to, it is just that if you ask us what is wrong we point to the "tools" and how you are using them.. but..
However, the "body" could really care less about the logging or what you put on the diary or NOT.. It reacts to all the calories you put it in and how many. So take the day to day fluctuations and if you want a method to see almost precisely to the gram how you are eating, use the MFP + food scale = results.0 -
It could also be that you are gaining muscle. Maybe look for the non scale signs of weight loss, like clothes fitting better, more energy, so on.0
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It's not as weird as you're thinking it is. The problem is you're guessing with everything. Weight loss comes down to Calories in VS Calories out...You need to burn MORE calories than you consume, and unless you're weighing all your food, including booze...and unless you have some way of determining how much you are actually burning each day, you're guessing all the way around. Do yourself a favor and get a digital food scale...at least by weighing your food, you can start to get a better idea of what really is going on with your body. Over a few weeks, you will see your trends..I know you believe you know portion size, so did I...but you will be crazy surprised when you see the real numbers, me thinks...3
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TerriMcElrath wrote: »It could also be that you are gaining muscle. Maybe look for the non scale signs of weight loss, like clothes fitting better, more energy, so on.
Not six pounds worth4 -
TerriMcElrath wrote: »It could also be that you are gaining muscle. Maybe look for the non scale signs of weight loss, like clothes fitting better, more energy, so on.
While I agree that the way clothes fit and body measurements are good indicators of success, there is no way she gained 6 pounds of muscle in two months. She didn't even gain one pound of muscle in two months doing the type of exercise she's doing.4 -
It's more likely miscalculation of calories, water weight, or a combination of both.0
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TerriMcElrath wrote: »It could also be that you are gaining muscle. Maybe look for the non scale signs of weight loss, like clothes fitting better, more energy, so on.
Not six pound unless she it using anabolic steroids.3 -
missrabbitt1 wrote: »
Study after study shows that people consistently underestimate how many calories they consume.
Get a food scale and prepare to have your mind blown.0 -
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Christine_72 wrote: »You could exercise 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. But if you're eating above your TDEE you will gain weight. Losing weight is 80-90% diet/10% exercise, some people will say it's 100% diet.
This. Weight loss is all about calories, not about the type of food/cutting out foods or exercise.
Calories.
You need to know exactly how many calories you're consuming. Either you're eating above maintenance or you're retaining water from exercise/sodium/time of the month.
Get a kitchen scale and start weighing everything and logging everything all the time. You need to know how many calories you're eating, not the amount of food. For example, you could be eating very little volume, but the food may have many calories.0 -
I know it has already been said, but CALORIES. Even going over a little bit every day can lead to weight gain in the long term.1
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Absolutely 100% all about the calories. There is no need to look for extraordinary reasons, when you haven't ruled out the ordinary reasons. You are not tracking accurately. Digital food scale, tighten up your logging and you will get the results you want.2
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missrabbitt1 wrote: »I find it hard to believe that I'm eating THAT much though.. it doesn't add up to me. I'm eating the same way I did before I started working out. And I was maintaining my weight quite normally. Now.. it's the opposite.
This is very common. Exercise tends to increase appetite. Sometimes people don't even notice they are eating a bit more here and there.
Like most other people have said, start tracking as accurately as possible.1 -
Weights will make you retain some water and that is some of the weight. Muscle gain will happen also. Both of these will subside in a couple of weeks after lifting (the extra water will be there and the muscle gain will slow down). The extra weight can be discouraging but your getting leaner (lower percent body fat) in the process which is good (as long as your only gaining muscle and not gaining fat). The stress of working out also can cause hormonal changes that can prevent you from losing as much weight as you would otherwise but I think it is good to workout and you need to think in terms of percent body fat and not just weight.
I do a intermittent fasting diet and it is working well for me. It helps me have deficits without having to do a bunch of small meal, measuring anything, or counting calories. I fast about 21 hours and eat in a three hour window. My stomach shrinks enough that it is hard to overeat. If I still overate doing what I'm doing, I would count but it hasn't been necessary which is great because it is a lot of work counting cals. An extra bonus is I get to eat tell full each day and I don't restrict any food groups although I do fill up on good stuff before allowing the not-so-good stuff.0 -
missrabbitt1 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »You could exercise 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. But if you're eating above your TDEE you will gain weight. Losing weight is 80-90% diet/10% exercise, some people will say it's 100% diet.
Literally my diet consists of home cooked meals I make. My meats, all kinds of produce , but I never eat out. Or if I do I choose something healthier if I can. BUT no mcdonalds and stuff in my diet.
This is the first I've heard that home-cooked meals don't have calories.2 -
99% of meals were home cooked when i gained weight..0
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You're under estimating your calorie intake or over estimating your calorie burn.
I gained weight while "clean eating" because I was eating too many calories. I've lost weight eating pizza and French fries in moderation.1 -
missrabbitt1 wrote: »So ive been exercising for about 2 months now. I was out 2 weeks Bcuz of a surgery but right back afterwards. I drink on weekends but do not smoke anymore, I'm 9 months cigarette free. I do cardio and I switch it up for example.. I do 20 min treadmill 1 min run 3 min walk and over and over. Or I do 12 incline on the treadmill at 2.7 speed which you feel the burn instantly! Then I use the bike around 10 to 15 mins on hill plus . Or the elliptical on fat burn. Then a few weight machine and free weights after. But my issue is I've GAINED 6 lbs. And I'm not happy about it. I'm loving going to the gym it's a lot of fun and I want to keep going bur how can I lose my weight?! I eat decent.. but I don't restrict myself entirely. I eat what I want but I try to not go overboard. Plz help!
I gained 30 pounds while running 3 times a week and doing the eliptical 2 times a week, but only because I was eating too much food.
You can exercise all you want, but if you eat more calories than you expend you will gain weight. In other words, setting aside natural fluctuation and possibly water retention resultant of your surgery, you are eating more than you realize.
It sounds to me like you are not sure of your intake. I suggest weighing all solid food and measuring all liquids and logging every single think you ingest. Read packages and do your own research to make sure you are being as accurate as possible with recording your food. Eat about 70% of your cardio calories back, and don't eat any calories back except steady state cardio. Do whatever it takes to ensure you are in a calorie deficit and you will lose weight.1 -
missrabbitt1 wrote: »I find it hard to believe that I'm eating THAT much though.. it doesn't add up to me. I'm eating the same way I did before I started working out. And I was maintaining my weight quite normally. Now.. it's the opposite.
Denial is bliss....I know, I lived there for a long time.
You said you've gained 6 pounds. Before that you were maintaining. Both of these things mean you are eating too much to lose weight.
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