Lifting weights

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moniew24
moniew24 Posts: 88 Member
in Success Stories
I have been lifting weights and doing light cardio for about 3 weeks now and have gained 2lbs. I know that you cant always live by the scale but could I be gaining muscle. I am in a challenge and feel like I am letting my team down by having 2 gains in a row. Any comments are helpful.

Replies

  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but its unlikely you put on 2 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks (assuming you're not taking any steroids).

    your diary isn't public so I can't see what's going on. there's some chance that if you're eating back your exercise calories, you're overestimating your exercise calories. strength training is good to do, but you don't burn too many calories doing it. also, too many grains (pasta, bread) and sugar might be the culprit...and/or too much sodium. finally, make sure you're drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day....aim for at least 10 glasses of water on workout days.
  • Indy_Mario
    Indy_Mario Posts: 541
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    Yes, according to my nutritionist, lifting weights will more than likely make me gain weight because muscle is heavier than fat. If you do enough weights to increase your muscle size you will gain weight in the short term, but lose in the long term because muscle eats fat, even while resting.
    If you do not want to gain weight. then use very light weights and do many more reps. This will slow down the muscle build process and instead strengthen the muscle you already have.
    Or something like that...
  • jgic2009
    jgic2009 Posts: 531 Member
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    I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but its unlikely you put on 2 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks (assuming you're not taking any steroids).

    your diary isn't public so I can't see what's going on. there's some chance that if you're eating back your exercise calories, you're overestimating your exercise calories. strength training is good to do, but you don't burn too many calories doing it. also, too many grains (pasta, bread) and sugar might be the culprit...and/or too much sodium. finally, make sure you're drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water a day....aim for at least 10 glasses of water on workout days.

    THIS.
  • Krisengel
    Krisengel Posts: 161 Member
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    I would up your cardio, if you're trying to lose for the contest. You'll get a better calorie burn doing that. Keep with the strength training, but don't count on it for burning calories quickly. Good luck with the contest!
  • kitkatkait
    kitkatkait Posts: 87 Member
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    This has been happening to me too.
    I looked it up, and apparently after you start the routine or increase the difficulty of the routine, you gain water weight for about 2 weeks because your muscles are desperately trying to repair themselves. If you keep gaining after that, it's food, not exercise side effects.
  • MLeigh18
    MLeigh18 Posts: 120 Member
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    Just because your scale reads 2 pounds higher doesn't mean much unless your scale reads your body fat percentage as well. 2 pounds of fat is very different than 2 pounds of muscle as im sure you know. Think of it this way, those 2 pounds of muscle you gained allow you to push, pull, and lift heavier and bigger objects than 2 pounds go.

    I was 138lbs when i joined a crossfit gym and now i weigh in at142. I've gained 4 pounds since joining crossfit. Of course i get anxious when i get on the scale still because i dont want to be over 140. But i know that when i was 138 i could hardly squat 95 pounds. Now, 10 months and 4 additional pounds later my squat PR is 135. So don't let those 2 pounds deter you, think of them as helping your team instead of hurting. if you've been exercising, eating and living right there's very little chance those 2 pounds you gained are fat.

    good luck.

    "Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
    -Aristotle
  • arsenal45
    arsenal45 Posts: 211 Member
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    Yeah, I would think if you're in a weight loss challenger, flip it and do more cardio and weights occasionally.
  • bzmom
    bzmom Posts: 1,332 Member
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    THIS
    This has been happening to me too.
    I looked it up, and apparently after you start the routine or increase the difficulty of the routine, you gain water weight for about 2 weeks because your muscles are desperately trying to repair themselves. If you keep gaining after that, it's food, not exercise side effects.
  • jimmacdonald
    jimmacdonald Posts: 93 Member
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    I bike, trying to do a century 100 miles.

    If I do a 40 mile or more ride I will gain water weight of a couple of lbs.
    By the end of the week it is gone.

    Drink lots of water

    It is a life change.

    Now I would rather loose inches then lbs.

    But still watch the scale, for 1 more lbs gone.

    Got 10 more lbs to go to reach goal weight.

    One day at a time.

    Cheers
    Jim

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