my weight gain...

chanstriste13
chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
(yes, i am being obsessive about this - thank you for indulging me)

i spoke to my gym instructor today, affectionately known as 'psycho lady' about my mysterious 8 pound gain. she gave me a lot of food for thought that i think is worth sharing.

my situation is this:

i went on maintenance for about 4 or 5 weeks and gained no weight. i was eating crap, drinking no water and working out very sporadically. i thought this was pretty cool and was excited that it would be so easy to maintain once i reached my goal weight.

fast forward to two weeks ago: i got back to the gym, started drinking my water and working out five days a week. since that time, i have gained 8 pounds!

i asked pyscho lady about it, and she said that what has happened is related to my metabolism. during the first two weeks or so of my maintenance period, it was still on go. during the next few weeks, it began to slow until it turned sluggish again because i was not working out.

basically, i let me fire go out and now i have to stoke it again.

so, i'm really glad to know that when i go on maintenance again, i'm not going to be able to just drop everything and call it good, even for just a few weeks, without it coming back to bite me in the *kitten*.

another reason to *not* trust the scale - it told me that everything was fine for that length of time, just so it could screw me when i felt comfortable!

okay - ever onward. happy day, everyone!

Replies

  • BrendaBlis
    BrendaBlis Posts: 165 Member
    Thank you for sharing that! Very good to know, I am *almost* there. :smile:
  • mgmlap
    mgmlap Posts: 1,377 Member
    thanks for sharing...I think once we get to our goal weight..we all think that we can relax.but in reality....its the lifestyle change that must continue..basically forever..if we want to maintain
  • smbakke77
    smbakke77 Posts: 273 Member
    I'm glad you posted this...thank you!
  • barbiex3
    barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
    i have a feeling the reason you gained weight is due to more than the fact that you were not working out. If I eat like S***, but I still workout, I will gain weight.

    And yes, I do train hard. I run cross country for college. You can't get away with eating junk all the time. It really effects the body in negative ways.
  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
    thanks for sharing...I think once we get to our goal weight..we all think that we can relax.but in reality....its the lifestyle change that must continue..basically forever..if we want to maintain

    well said. i'm glad i learned this lesson mid journey instead of at the end of it - i think i would have been super bummed if i had hit goal and then gained 8 back so quickly. i'll be on my guard next time around!
  • aj_rock
    aj_rock Posts: 390 Member
    Your trainer over simplified the reasoning, but I'm betting that you began holding some water when you began drinking it again, combined with the high-sodium diet.

    That being said, maintained exercise levels is KEY to staying the same weight. Your body actively adjusts calories burned following a good workout depending on how much you've eaten.
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
    Highlights the importance of looking at your weight/fitness/health over a period of days or weeks rather than some spot measurement.
  • Chicka_Boom
    Chicka_Boom Posts: 62
    Bodies are weird, but we have to trust that if we're doing things the right way - eating healthfully, exercising, and being honest & accountable - we'll get there eventually. Sometimes I think that people aren't 100% honest with themselves about how many calories they are REALLY eating & burning, and sometimes we have warped ideas about what we SHOULD weigh (one person at 5'6 may be healthy at 130, and one may be healthy at 150).

    Here's another possible explanation for your gain: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan

    I'm experiencing a very frustrating plateau right now - it sucks, but keep up the awesome positive/practical attitude and you'll be fine!
  • bentobee
    bentobee Posts: 321 Member
    You probably put on some pounds once you began working out again because your muscles were retaining water from being thrown back into exercise.

    You could not have gained 8 pounds of fat unless you had an abundance of calories over your maintenance.
  • basschick
    basschick Posts: 3,502 Member
    Another thing I've learned: Maintaining at 30 pounds above your goal weight is a lot different than maintaining NEAR your goal weight and you will, at some point, have to readjust your daily calorie intake.
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