Insane Muscle Gain

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Saeria
Saeria Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am in my 5th week of diet and exercise. I follow a pretty rigid pescatarian diet (and have been for a few months now in an effort to raise my good cholesterol out of the 20's.) Admittedly I am starting out pretty heavy so I expected some muscle gain but not like this. I have lost 3 lbs overall after losing 22 lbs and gaining back 19. My nutritionist has insisted that I follow the 55 grams of protein daily recommendation since I am also exercising to work on regaining heart function and mobility on my left side left weak after a small stroke.
3 days a week I do 30 minutes of cardio and 15 minutes of strength training (mostly on my left side). 2 days a week I attend a 45 minutes low impact aerobics class, and I slow jog about 1.5 miles 6 days a week with the dogs. I am 5'0" and an unfortunate 245 lbs so there is no mistaking I have quite a bit of slimming to do. My goal ultimAtely is to slim down, but slim is not at all what is happening. Instead my arms and legs are getting bigger. Maybe I just haven't given it enough time or maybe I am doing too much or little of something. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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Replies

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Are you saying that in 5 weeks you've lost 22 lbs of fat but gained 19 lbs of muscle for a total loss of 3 lbs?
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    Did you do measurements when you started so you can compare them to now? The exercise you're describing won't give you any discernible muscle in 5 weeks, so if you find that there is a difference in measurement I would look elsewhere.
  • Saeria
    Saeria Posts: 4 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    You aren't gaining a ton of muscle, especially on only 55 grams of protein and half an hour of lifting a week

    Are you counting calories?
    I'm averaging anywhere from 900 to 1100. Low sodium, dairy free, diabetic friendly, cardiac diet, but also within the constraints of the warfarin restrictions I have. ( there really is a pretty insane amount of things I can't eat so I never have been a heavy eater, just far too inactive.) I wind up eating an insane amount of tilapia and squash. I normally have to supplement my daily intake with a protein powder shake.
  • Saeria
    Saeria Posts: 4 Member
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    mph323 wrote: »
    Did you do measurements when you started so you can compare them to now? The exercise you're describing won't give you any discernible muscle in 5 weeks, so if you find that there is a difference in measurement I would look elsewhere.

    There is the very likely chance some of this weight is water weight but typically it doesn't stick around after about a week. I am battling to regain my heart function back to at least normal enough to pass a DOT physical again. The first week I started this I came down with a bout of pulmonary edema and I swelled up like crazy. Since then My waist is a little over an inch thinner, but unfortunately I did not measure my arms or legs before starting this.

  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    Saeria wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    Did you do measurements when you started so you can compare them to now? The exercise you're describing won't give you any discernible muscle in 5 weeks, so if you find that there is a difference in measurement I would look elsewhere.

    There is the very likely chance some of this weight is water weight but typically it doesn't stick around after about a week. I am battling to regain my heart function back to at least normal enough to pass a DOT physical again. The first week I started this I came down with a bout of pulmonary edema and I swelled up like crazy. Since then My waist is a little over an inch thinner, but unfortunately I did not measure my arms or legs before starting this.

    Ah, I see. Yes, water weight can make you look bulky depending where your body retains it. Are you working with your doctor on your diet and exercise routine? Is your nutritionist a registered dietician?
  • Saeria
    Saeria Posts: 4 Member
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    The dietician is the one the hospital set me up with after I had the stroke. Honestly we wind up emailing more than I have actual visits with her ( she primarily does geriatric nutrition). My GP and my cardiologist say two different things about the exercise plan. My cardiologist tells me to exercise "within reason" and the GP tells me to diet first, and start slow. Unfortunately I am also stubborn so once I got over the fear of spontaneously developing new clots I have been kinda balls out (for a morbidly obese fat chick with a limp) I have a protein C deficiency so I clot easily but so far so good on that front. No new dvt's since January and my INR is much more easily controlled now.
    All in all my cardiologist is happy with it all, my GP is nervous but hopeful I can lose the weight without relying on gastric bypass.
    mph323 wrote: »
    Saeria wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    Did you do measurements when you started so you can compare them to now? The exercise you're describing won't give you any discernible muscle in 5 weeks, so if you find that there is a difference in measurement I would look elsewhere.

    There is the very likely chance some of this weight is water weight but typically it doesn't stick around after about a week. I am battling to regain my heart function back to at least normal enough to pass a DOT physical again. The first week I started this I came down with a bout of pulmonary edema and I swelled up like crazy. Since then My waist is a little over an inch thinner, but unfortunately I did not measure my arms or legs before starting this.

    Ah, I see. Yes, water weight can make you look bulky depending where your body retains it. Are you working with your doctor on your diet and exercise routine? Is your nutritionist a registered dietician?

  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    Saeria wrote: »
    The dietician is the one the hospital set me up with after I had the stroke. Honestly we wind up emailing more than I have actual visits with her ( she primarily does geriatric nutrition). My GP and my cardiologist say two different things about the exercise plan. My cardiologist tells me to exercise "within reason" and the GP tells me to diet first, and start slow. Unfortunately I am also stubborn so once I got over the fear of spontaneously developing new clots I have been kinda balls out (for a morbidly obese fat chick with a limp) I have a protein C deficiency so I clot easily but so far so good on that front. No new dvt's since January and my INR is much more easily controlled now.
    All in all my cardiologist is happy with it all, my GP is nervous but hopeful I can lose the weight without relying on gastric bypass.
    mph323 wrote: »
    Saeria wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    Did you do measurements when you started so you can compare them to now? The exercise you're describing won't give you any discernible muscle in 5 weeks, so if you find that there is a difference in measurement I would look elsewhere.

    There is the very likely chance some of this weight is water weight but typically it doesn't stick around after about a week. I am battling to regain my heart function back to at least normal enough to pass a DOT physical again. The first week I started this I came down with a bout of pulmonary edema and I swelled up like crazy. Since then My waist is a little over an inch thinner, but unfortunately I did not measure my arms or legs before starting this.

    Ah, I see. Yes, water weight can make you look bulky depending where your body retains it. Are you working with your doctor on your diet and exercise routine? Is your nutritionist a registered dietician?

    You sound very determined! You definitely need to continue working with your doctors on your weightloss and exercise, but if they are comfortable with how your are proceeding I would just continue to do what you're doing for a few more weeks and see how it goes. You can always adjust as you go along, but you need more than a few weeks to know whether what you're doing is working for you, especially with the edema issues. I wish you the very best of luch :)
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
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    When was your last visit with the doctor? Under the circumstances, the edema you're describing (which most definitely isn't muscle gain) is concerning.
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,222 Member
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    1. You are eating more than 900-1000cals a day
    2. You have gained about 1lbs of muscle at most.

    I suggest you ditch the old belief system (all of it along with the talapia with squash) and start fresh by reading the stickies in this forum and learning how to lose weight.

    Good luck.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,898 Member
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    Saeria wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    Did you do measurements when you started so you can compare them to now? The exercise you're describing won't give you any discernible muscle in 5 weeks, so if you find that there is a difference in measurement I would look elsewhere.

    There is the very likely chance some of this weight is water weight but typically it doesn't stick around after about a week. I am battling to regain my heart function back to at least normal enough to pass a DOT physical again. The first week I started this I came down with a bout of pulmonary edema and I swelled up like crazy. Since then My waist is a little over an inch thinner, but unfortunately I did not measure my arms or legs before starting this.

    Have you discussed the edema with your doctor?

    I don't have edema, and when my lying eye think my arms are bigger I measure them and learn they are in fact smaller. I'd encourage you to measure them now, but I don't know if the edema is still a thing and would give you false readings.

    Given that you are only strength training 45 minutes per week, it is not possible for you to have gained muscle.

    Here's more on that:
    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/workout-routines-for-women/
    http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/how-much-muscle-can-you-gain/

  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
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    I lift 2-3 times a week, boxing twice a week, and get 100g minimum protein a day... I have gained around 5lb of muscle this year. Why has it taken that long? Because I eat at a small deficit, heavy lifting days at maintenance. To build muscle fast you need to be in a surplus.
  • kpk54
    kpk54 Posts: 4,474 Member
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    Just stopped in to wish you the best. You have a great sense of humor "morbidly obese chick with a limp". :) I'm bit of a gimpy old lady. Chuckling at ourselves is is better than feeling sorry for ourselves.

    You have a lot going on medically. Follow your diet plan and exercise as you can. The weight will come off. My mom was on warfarin and/or cumadin. Constant monitoring of her blood, dosage and the foods she ate. Next time you're at the docs talk to him/her about the edema if you haven''t already.
  • atjays
    atjays Posts: 798 Member
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    I think everyone is misunderstanding what she wrote. She has recently lost 3 lbs. Prior to that she had lost 22 lbs but had regained 19 of it before this recent diet push. She never said she gained any amount of muscle, just noted that her arms and legs seem larger which could be due to a variety of reasons. Obviously it's not actual muscle gains.

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