How much muscle am I gaining?

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krisfio
krisfio Posts: 4
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been working out for about a month and a half, spin 3 days a week for an hour and body pump 2 or 3 days a week for an hour. Unfortunately I have not lost any weight. Before when I would watch what I ate and worked out I would see the difference. But I never have lifted weights before. I have an athletic build so it is easy for me to gain muscle....I think. But how much muscle could I honestly be gaining to not see any results on the scale. I have not measured myself but I do feel like my clothes are fitting better. I know this is a common topic about the scale vs inches....but my question is, how many pounds of muscle could I actually be gaining. It is so frustrating weighting myself every week to find no difference. GRRRRRRRR

Replies

  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    Very few in that time frame. It is likely water weight fluctuations. Are you still eating in a calorie deficit?
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    If you are eating at a caloric deficit most likely you did not gain any muscle. If you are new to strength training you may have gained very little.

    What you are probably seeing is water retention in the muscles due to the strength training. So you may have fat, but the extra water in the muscles in keeping the scale still. Once your body gets use to the workouts you muscles should shed this excess water. Also make sure you are eating enough for the amount of exercise you are doing.

    Stick with it and you should see results. I would also suggest you take measurements and focus more on that then the weight on the scale.
  • robinso5
    robinso5 Posts: 310 Member
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    Well you are going to get various answers on this but IMHO i think that you are either not eating your calires back from exercise or that you are not eating enough of the right foods. but in all actuality your body may be transitioning and a month is yoru transition period! Some people have plateaued for 90 days!
  • elcorcoran
    elcorcoran Posts: 16
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    I am having the exact same problem. I've been watching and doing P90X, which is the first time in my life I've followed a weight lifting regimen. I used to go nuts with cardio and that's when I'd lose weight, but now I'm definitely not seeing weight loss even though I'm working out with P90X everday and eating healthy. The only way I know of for measuring muscle vs. fat is with a trainer, but I'd rather be able to do it at home. Maybe there's a scale that can tell body composition?
  • Scarlett_S
    Scarlett_S Posts: 467 Member
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    Its frustrating, isn't it? I go to a nutritionist every three months to measure progress, and they have the calipers and the special scale that shows muscle loss/gain - etc. I was frustrated at my last visit because I had lost only 17 lbs in three months (was trying for the 8-10 a month I was getting at the beginning of all this) and she was able to show me that I had actually lost 25 pounds but gained 8 pounds of muscle.

    Overall, in my head, I know that is better. Its going to assist with my metabolism burning more calories on a constant basis and that is certainly what I want for the long run. But its frustrating to go day in and out without losing weight, I know.
  • jfinnivan
    jfinnivan Posts: 360 Member
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    What are you using to determine how many calories you are burning? If you're using MFP's numbers, you might be eating too much. They tend to give very high burn numbers, in my experience.
  • EdelweissViola
    EdelweissViola Posts: 30
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    I am posting because I totally understand your frustration! My scale virtually did not move since July and I was losing my mind. However, I had to buy new pants in September. I measured on a whim last night to find that I have lost 10 inches since then! I still weigh the same. It is happening. Eventually your body will catch up and you'll see the scale change...good luck, don't give up, and start measuring. :)
  • krisfio
    krisfio Posts: 4
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    I am not eating back all of my workout caloreis, probably under by 200 a day. Do you think I need to be eating more of a certain type of food? Protein, carbs, etc? Usuallly have pb and light bagel for breakfast. Sandwhich, yogurt, pretzels and pear for lunch, banana for snack. Dinner of chicken, veggies, rice, and a snack of pudding or ricecakes at night? Any help would be greatly appreciated

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