Lifting regularly but weight isn't going down

Options
gham18
gham18 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi folks,

First post, so apologies if I've put it in the wrong section, but I'm looking for some help/advice.

I've been counting calories properly for about 3 months and properly hitting the gym for about 1.5 months now (not long, I know). However, I was initially losing weight fairly regularly and went from 85kg to 80kg while counting calories but not exercising (height of 169cm, ~5'7").

Since going to the gym I have focused more on increasing strength so have typically been doing 3x6-8 with exercises and focusing on compound movements. I've been getting significantly stronger and I definitely feel stronger, especially in my upper back and shoulders, but my weight doesn't seem to be changing.

Currently on a diet of around 1600kcal/day and lifting 4-5 days a week - supplemented with some cardio 2-3 times a week. I've been eating fairly well, only having a cheat meal - typically just some sushi - once per week.

However, since lifting, my weight hasn't changed at all - I'm still at 80-81kg - and I seem to be getting stronger still. I'm a bit of a newbie at this so any explanation from a dietary POV would be great.

Thanks!

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Options
    are you eating back your exercise calories?

  • gham18
    gham18 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    GauchoMark wrote: »
    are you eating back your exercise calories?

    Nah, I'm on a roughly-fixed 1600kcal per day. I plan my meals on MFP and add my exercise into my diary at the end of the day so it doesn't throw off my macros.
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,136 Member
    Options
    Opening your diary up to public view will help you get better responses.

    Also have you been recording non-scale measurements? Weight loss doesn't always show on the scale.

    If you have changed your exercise routine significantly it can take a little time for your body to settle into it, you will retain a little more water for a while, which will be reflected on the scale and may make it seem like you've not lost any weight.

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    Options
    What is your target weight loss per week and how much do you have to lose?

    So, if I understand correctly, for the first ~6 weeks you lost 5 kg eating 1600 cal/day and not working out. Then the next 6 weeks you continued to eat 1600 cal/day, started lifting weights, and have not lost any weight.

    Is that correct? How often are you weighing yourself? When you say you haven't lost weight, is that by comparing one data point versus another or are you trending your weight loss?
  • ditsyblond17
    ditsyblond17 Posts: 155 Member
    Options
    Might be replacing fat with muscle, which is more dense. Although the scale may not move, you should notice a difference in the tape measure. Good luck!
  • jsecret
    jsecret Posts: 606 Member
    Options
    Be sure to be taking measurements to see if you are losing inches instead of pounds. Also if you are experiencing any soreness then you more than likely are holding water in those areas as well as they repair. Take a weekend off and weigh in on Monday morning first thing to see if it drops. Otherwise, slow and stead will get there and this may be a plateau.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
    Options
    Two thoughts:

    1. How are your jeans fitting?
    2. There are mistakes that people commonly make that cause them to not lose weight that we might be able to spot if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • Gondowolf
    Gondowolf Posts: 26 Member
    edited March 2017
    Options
    jsecret wrote: »
    Be sure to be taking measurements to see if you are losing inches instead of pounds. Also if you are experiencing any soreness then you more than likely are holding water in those areas as well as they repair. Take a weekend off and weigh in on Monday morning first thing to see if it drops. Otherwise, slow and stead will get there and this may be a plateau.

    Yeah like jsecret said.I think its more important to take measurments than to weigh yourself
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Options
    Stay positive and focus on those gains that you are aware of.

    As for the weight check your logging carefully. Ensure you are weighing out everything with a scale and truly logging everything. Nutritional labeling carries a margin of error of 20%, so that alone can throw anyone off.

    Try logging your water intake. You didn't mention this, but once bodies are in a state of change, the immediate response is to protect - in biological systems this means water retention, maintaining energy reserves, etc. The key is just to take things slowly - identify bad habits and replace these with good ones.
  • leooftheyear
    leooftheyear Posts: 429 Member
    Options
    My focus has been primarily strength training as well, my scale weight hasn't changed much but my body has definitely changed (see profile picture, left was about a year ago). I have been following New Rules of Lifting for Women, I highly suggest picking up one of their books, they have multiple and reading and following one of their training plans if you don't have one right now.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    Options
    ditsyblond17 wrote: »
    Might be replacing fat with muscle, which is more dense. Although the scale may not move, you should notice a difference in the tape measure. Good luck!

    Not likely. Muscle isn't as easily built as that.

    BUT when you first start lifting, you tend to retain a lot of water. For me, my weight jumped up by something like 5 pounds. It's just the muscles retaining water to repair the tiny tears that are made in them when you lift. This is *good* weight in that it's not fat. It's not making your jeans not fit. It's just your body making itself stronger.

    Unfortunately, this water weight tends to mask fat loss so people often feel like they're not losing any more when they start lifting. As long as you're watching your calorie intake, you're still losing fat. You just have to have patience and wait to see it through the water retention.
  • gham18
    gham18 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    ditsyblond17 wrote: »
    Might be replacing fat with muscle, which is more dense. Although the scale may not move, you should notice a difference in the tape measure. Good luck!

    Not likely. Muscle isn't as easily built as that.

    BUT when you first start lifting, you tend to retain a lot of water. For me, my weight jumped up by something like 5 pounds. It's just the muscles retaining water to repair the tiny tears that are made in them when you lift. This is *good* weight in that it's not fat. It's not making your jeans not fit. It's just your body making itself stronger.

    Unfortunately, this water weight tends to mask fat loss so people often feel like they're not losing any more when they start lifting. As long as you're watching your calorie intake, you're still losing fat. You just have to have patience and wait to see it through the water retention.

    Yeah, I've taken measurements of my body and my torso is slightly smaller, my arms and especially chest/back and legs are a bit bigger too. I doubt I've put on that much muscle, but I'm definitely stronger than I was previously.

    That's good to know that it might not be something a bit more hopeless since I've been tracking diet and logging weights pretty methodically. So it's a case of just sticking at it and waiting it out - thanks for the advice everyone! :smile:
  • perfectjewel
    perfectjewel Posts: 15 Member
    Options
    It certainly depends on your strength training routine, but you can expect to really see a difference and get to your strength goals after 3 months of training. When I first started training, I gained 10 pounds, and my body was slimmer and smaller in clothing size than before. 6 weeks might not seem like much, but you do feel stronger, which is an obvious indication that you are building muscle. Congrats!! Take heart and keep an eye on your measurements and how your clothes are fitting. (P.S. I worked 12 years in the fitness industry as an instructor and trainer.)
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    Options
    I do strength/resistance 3 days a week, but every day I get 11000-14000 steps on pavement, treadmill, or trail. And I eat a Mediterranean style diet with limited calories and also limit carbohydrates to 100-120 per day. I am steadily losing weight at about 1.6 lbs per week. Maybe add some cardio to your routine. See if your gym offers zumba, sculpt, or even boot camp.
  • LPflaum
    LPflaum Posts: 174 Member
    Options
    Maybe try incorporating HIIT... that always works for me
  • ronjsteele1
    ronjsteele1 Posts: 1,064 Member
    Options
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    ditsyblond17 wrote: »
    Might be replacing fat with muscle, which is more dense. Although the scale may not move, you should notice a difference in the tape measure. Good luck!

    Not likely. Muscle isn't as easily built as that.

    BUT when you first start lifting, you tend to retain a lot of water. For me, my weight jumped up by something like 5 pounds. It's just the muscles retaining water to repair the tiny tears that are made in them when you lift. This is *good* weight in that it's not fat. It's not making your jeans not fit. It's just your body making itself stronger.

    Unfortunately, this water weight tends to mask fat loss so people often feel like they're not losing any more when they start lifting. As long as you're watching your calorie intake, you're still losing fat. You just have to have patience and wait to see it through the water retention.

    If you only lift twice a week (tues/thur) does this water process happen every week then? In order to get past it does one need to lift say, 4x's a week? I'm a huge water retainer and lift twice a week and treadmill 5 days a week. I find the water fluctuation to be huge for me week to week. Will it only level out and go away if I go to lifting 4x's a week? It's almost like my body thinks that every week I'm lifting for the first time??? I'm willing to lift more, just wanting to know if this is part of what I'm experiencing.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    Options
    perfectjewel wrote: »
    It certainly depends on your strength training routine, but you can expect to really see a difference and get to your strength goals after 3 months of training. When I first started training, I gained 10 pounds, and my body was slimmer and smaller in clothing size than before. 6 weeks might not seem like much, but you do feel stronger, which is an obvious indication that you are building muscle. Congrats!! Take heart and keep an eye on your measurements and how your clothes are fitting. (P.S. I worked 12 years in the fitness industry as an instructor and trainer.)

    Just want to point out strength increases don't necessarily mean muscle increase. You can get a lot stronger without increasing muscle mass.

Categories