I'm gaining weight, not losing it

calvinjon21
calvinjon21 Posts: 2 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been working with a personal trainer for 3 days a week, for a month now. When I started working out, I was 6ft and 230 lbs. I have maintained that weight for about a year. But every time I check the scale since working out, I go up. I am now 237 lbs a month later. My arms and legs are definitely strong, and I go to the gym the days I don't work out with my trainer. That being said, I probably have worked out more in the past month, then I have in 4 years. So why am I gaining weight? I am not giving up, because I know the only answer is to keep working out, but I don't know what is wrong.

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Calories. Are you counting them? Weight lifting doesn’t burn very much in the way of calories.
  • calvinjon21
    calvinjon21 Posts: 2 Member
    I am trying to understand Macro's more. I would not say my diet is down to the details, but I have changed what I am eating. No more cereal or dumb snacks in the morning, just 3 eggs and 2 sausages. Dinner has not been consistent but nothing outrageous. I would say that my diet hasn't changed that much but I felt I would see more progress on the scale based on pure activity.
  • riffraff2112
    riffraff2112 Posts: 1,756 Member
    Well you didn't gain 7 lbs of muscle in a month so I would definitely look at your diet. It can't be said enough, what you eat has by far the biggest impact on your weight. Lifting weights can assist you in achieving that goal, but not without a proper diet plan (depending on your goals). If you want to lose weight, you need to be in calorie deficit. That is kind of the simple answer.
    Perhaps weight training is leaving you hungry...thus making you eat more? This used to happen to me and made me completely overhaul my eating patterns and timings until I got a grip on it.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    calvinjon21 wrote: »
    I am trying to understand Macro's more.

    Which is fine but it's your calorie balance that determines long term weight loss, maintenance or gain.

    The perfect macros (whatever that means!) in a calorie surplus will result in getting heavier.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    You're eating more calories than your body is using.

    The answer isn't to keep working out (although that's certainly desirable for your overall fitness). The answer is to get a handle on your calorie consumption.
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    As point of interest I got curious.

    3 large eggs - 210 calories (roughly)
    2 sausage patties (Great Value here) 420.

    Serving of fruit loops: 150
    8 ounces of 2% milk - 108

    I don't know how much of either you were or are eating, but you could eat A WHOLE LOT OF FRUIT LOOPS AND MILK for the 630 calories in your breakfast.

    And calories are what matter for weight loss.
  • serapel
    serapel Posts: 502 Member
    Abs are made in the kitchen; strength is made at the gym.

    I think you’re really hungry with your new routine. What works for me is I skip breakfast and eat the bulk of my calories closer to dinner and bedtime. I maintain on 1900 a day as I’m female.
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,067 Member
    if you're putting on weight, you're eating more calories than you're burning. it really IS that simple.

    without any exercise at all, at one point i lost over 50 pounds by substituting full fat versions for light - i switched to light cheddar, light ice cream and non-fat or 1% milk. stuff like that. it cut the calories per servings, so i lost weight.

    on the other hand, i used to be an overweight gym bunny. at 5' 3", i maintained at 170 pounds because even though i did lots of stairmaster, worked heavy and with intensity with weights and was often at the gym, i was eating enough calories to maintain 170 pounds rather than the amount it would have taken to maintain 140.

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