Joined a gym and now gained weight....

dragonladey
dragonladey Posts: 75
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone. I have a few questions that I am at a loss about. I started this MFP at 170lbs. In 5 weeks I lost 10lbs. I was doing so good, i was doing a little excersize at home and walking and eating right. 2 weeks ago i joined Golds gym and started taking a power class 2 days a week, a ride class (bikes) 2 days a week and a step class one day a week. Im burning between 500-800 calories each time. I still try and stay with in my 1200 calories plus excersise calories and now I have gained 5lbs back. Im depressed because I was doing better before I started the gym. What am I doing wrong?

Replies

  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Hello everyone. I have a few questions that I am at a loss about. I started this MFP at 170lbs. In 5 weeks I lost 10lbs. I was doing so good, i was doing a little excersize at home and walking and eating right. 2 weeks ago i joined Golds gym and started taking a power class 2 days a week, a ride class (bikes) 2 days a week and a step class one day a week. Im burning between 500-800 calories each time. I still try and stay with in my 1200 calories plus excersise calories and now I have gained 5lbs back. Im depressed because I was doing better before I started the gym. What am I doing wrong?
  • lanasgurl
    lanasgurl Posts: 19 Member
    Are you keeping up with your measurements? You have to remember that when you develop muscle that it weighs more than fat so the scales can be deceiving! :mad: If your clothes are fitting looser and your measurements are going down you know that you are still on the right track. Dont forget that muscle is what burns fat so the more muscle you develop you will be able to burn the fat more efficiently :happy:
  • cattiemac
    cattiemac Posts: 251 Member
    More than likely this is due to gaining muslce. Muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less room so if you measure yourself instead of going by what the scale says I'm sure you're actually smaller. I know it can make it discouraging a first but once you get toned up and see muscle definition you'll look and feel much better.

    Plus, the weight creeping up will only happen for the first bit while you're gaining muscle and then once you start in "maintenance" mode you'll stay the same (or continue to lose in your case).
  • hulfordca
    hulfordca Posts: 9
    Your not doing anything wrong. You are probably just gaining muscle which weighs more than fat. With that much working out, you should notice a difference in the way your clothes fit. The scale may not be moving much but I bet you start to look more toned.
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    I havent measured myself in a while so I will try that. My clothes do fits loser so I guess I am getting somewhere. Its just when you see the scale go back up you get very discouraged:sad: thanks everyone. I have also been drinking the Green Tea because I say someone post that it was helping them lose also. fo me it just makes me pee more:blushing: I think my body just wants to do what it wants to do:ohwell:
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    same thing happened to me but I knew my measurements were coming down so I had to be building muscle faster than I was losing fat but that's ok - muscle mass will keep your metabolism going - keep working hard - it will pay off!
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Thank you. Makes me feel alot better knowing someone else experienced the same thing.:tongue: I truly thought I was doing something wrong!:frown: Ill keep you posted!:wink:
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    It's really tough to break the scale habit. I agreee that it's the increased muscle responsible for the weight gain. Remember muscle=good. Check your measurements & check out the new you in the mirror. Like what you see? Good...ditch the scale.
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    The scale is the DEVIL!:devil:
  • tessy
    tessy Posts: 7
    I completely know what you are talking about. I just asked almost the very same question about
    a week ago. I gained after 4 weeks of being back working out and doing some weights and
    this is week 5 now and it looks like my body fat on the scale has gone down and the weight is
    holding the same within a 1/2 pound. I talked to one of the people that teaches the classes
    and she told me not to worry about it and keep up on the water. She said if by week 12 or 13 I
    am gaining then we might need to do something different. Hang it there. I am trying cut back
    and only do the scales 2 or 3 times a week instead of every day. Maybe that will help. We can
    do this!! :smile:
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    The scale is the DEVIL!:devil:

    YES IT IS!!! :bigsmile:

    Muscle is denser than fat. It's not heavier....A pound of fat and a pound of muscle weighs the same. :wink:

    TOTALLY common for you to gain weight and still look fabulous when you are working out. Keep up the good work and DON'T STOP!!!
  • ce_fit
    ce_fit Posts: 299 Member
    Read "Tami's Secret to Skinny" ... She has alot of knowledge and personal success.

    One thing I will say is to try to change the percentage of your excercise calories that you eat. I am assuming from your post that you are eating all of your excercise calories. This is what I got from the above referenced post and my own personal experience. If on an excercise day you are allowed 1200+500 excercise calories= 1700 then instead of 1700 try eating 1450 calories. If that is successfull then stick with it or if it is working at the new total and you are still hungry then bump it up to 1550 calories. If that total works then you have found your level that you can loose weight.

    Good luck on your journey. :drinker:
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Hmm I didnt think about cutting my excersise calories. I was assuming by everything I read here I had to eat them. I tend to not eat them all anyways but I will try and keep better track. Im getting there....
  • ohthatbambi
    ohthatbambi Posts: 1,098 Member
    My scale has held me in bondage for so long. I HATE that dang thing. Exercise is good for you. Step away from the scale for a few weeks, continue the exercise and good eating habits and then see what happens. I suggest that before you get back on it though...try on a pair of jeans that were too tight two weeks ago first. Hopefully you will be able to tell a big difference and then the number on the scale won't be so "in charge" of your life. If the jeans are looser then you have won before you even step on the scale!
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Well the scale went back down today but yes I need to step away from it. :angry: It has done nothing but make me depressed. :sad: Im going to go measure myself and see what has changed and I did do what you said and tried on a pair of jeans with a fitted top and I look pretty good. Thank you all!:smooched: :heart: :flowerforyou:
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Ok well I measured myself and still I measure the same. I did try on some clothes and they seem to fit alot better so I guess there is some progress. But Im still not losing. I guess Im gonna have to excersise and eat alot less then what MFP is telling me to do.
  • ohthatbambi
    ohthatbambi Posts: 1,098 Member
    When I ate back all my exercise cals I gained weight, so I just eat some of them. I listen to my body and make sure that I eat enough so that I am NEVER light headed or dizzy. You just have to find the right balance and once you do it will all fall (literally) where it is supposed to!
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Thanks. Im trying not to get discouraged. Im also tyring to eat just so that Im not hungry all day but not eat a huge amount just to satisfy the calories.
  • 12by311
    12by311 Posts: 1,716 Member
    Dragonladey, I'm with you. Since really buckling down and exercising a lot (lots of cardio), I've gained 2.5 pounds. I'm trying to base my progress more on the mirror and a tape measure though, to keep from getting discouraged. Good luck.
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Im glad to see some one else experiencing the same thing! Yay its not just me. Im trying to go by how i look but for me even that can be misleading. I have a bad case of "I always look fat no matter what" sindrome. Gotta get over that too. Good luck to you too.
  • Aril
    Aril Posts: 66
    wow, thanks dragonladey for posting this up, i was about to ask the very same question because my measurements are definitely going down but the scale... THE SCALE WONT BUDGE!! Its annoying because you know you need the reassurance of the scale. I'm eating about 1500calories everyday and since my job doesnt allow time for a focus time in gym my workout is spread throughout the day, half an hour in the morning and half an hour 9pm is my "official" workout time.

    i'm the opposite, i'm confident and self-assured, thinking i'm "thin" but i'm actually not (especially when proven by a photo) hahaha. i sooo need to kick myself more and remind myself by staring at those horrible photos!
  • meghanttu08
    meghanttu08 Posts: 158 Member
    i would just go by actual inches not the scale. i know everytime i get on the scale (not often at all) my weight stays the same. However, my clothes are getting bigger, so I know I'm loosing inches. :smile:
  • MisoSoup79
    MisoSoup79 Posts: 517
    First I want to say that it takes a long time to build muscle and you really can't build it on a serious calorie deficit... so it isn't likely that your bulking up under the layer of fat. BUT... what does happen when someone starts a weight routine is that the muscles start hoarding water for a while. So the added weight you have gained might be your muscles retaining water. It can take up to a month of a steady routine for this added bulk to go away as your muscles start getting used to the strenuous work. It's weird, I know... and some people don't experience this at all. But a lot of people do, and that's why they immediately get discouraged when the scale goes up after starting a new routine. Give your body time to adjust and stick with it. Eventually, you will start seeing the scale go the other direction.

    Second, cutting your calories even lower than they already are might not work for you... I started on 1200 cals - lost my first 12 lbs in just a couple weeks, then I hit a standstill. For two weeks, my weight would not budge. I had become more active and my body needed more fuel that I was giving it, so it wasn't letting go of the fat. Long story short, I am eating 1400 calories per day now and I'm back to losing. You may actually need to increase in order to lose.
  • dragonladey
    dragonladey Posts: 75
    Thanks Miso. I never thought about the water retention. I try not to cut my calories below 1200. With my excersise I usually have about 1000 excersise calories a day. I cannot eat 2200 calories in one day anymore so I try to make sure I get at least 1500 now. My scale actually started going the right direction today. So I know I have finally found my routine but I have to make sure Im not starving either. Thanks for the advice.
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