Started working with a trainer, gaining weight.

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Dauntlessness
Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Over the last year I have been working out on my own. I had help from trainers to learn the machines and new exercises but I developed my own routine. In that time, I lost like 62 pounds. 75 if I count a few months before I started working out. Over the last 3 months I have only lost maybe 6 pounds. I thought working with a trainer would help.

Last week I developed a new routine with a trainer. The exercises are harder but there were less of them. I used to be in the gym 2-3 hours a day and he told me no more then 2 now. The first week I lost 2.6 pounds!!! I was so excited!

This week is a different story. Yeah, I went out to eat a few times but I was always in the green for my calories. This is pretty common and it hasn't been a problem in the past. At most, I just didn't lose any weight. but I have gained 3.6 pounds as of today! Really? You have got to be kidding me! In my whole weight loss journey I have only gained weight on 2 occasions, the rest was plateauing or losing it.

I know this guy just got certified and I do trust he know the correct way to do certain exercises but now I am starting to think my way is better. I also worry it may be too much sometimes.

This is his routine:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lect

Mine is weight lift 45-75 minutes 3 days a week, cardio 6 days a week for around 1.5-2 hours on the elliptical and treadmill.

Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!

Replies

  • hottottie11
    hottottie11 Posts: 907 Member
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    Unless you are underestimating calories intake and/or overestimating calorie burn, you are not gaining fat. It is most likely water retention.

    It could be muscle if you are in a calorie surplus but if you are in a deficit, it's highly unlikely to be muscle unless you are very new to weight lifting (beginners gain) or if you are an athlete returning to a lifting routine.
  • sammys1girly
    sammys1girly Posts: 1,045 Member
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    You are most likely gaining weight from muscle gain. Try measuring yourself and see if you are losing inches. When I started lifting, I gained at first, but after a few weeks, lost more quickly as the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn.
  • KristyJoy123
    KristyJoy123 Posts: 84 Member
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    Are you tracking your inches and body fat percentage or just your weight? I'm in the same situation as you -- I've lost about 70 lbs on my own and recently started focusing on weight training more. In 2.5 months, I've only lost 2 lbs total, but I've lost 3 inches off my waist and my body fat percentage has gone down from around 30% to about 25%.

    I hate it when people say muscle weighs more than fat, but it IS more dense than fat, so you could be losing inches and body fat but not losing weight on the scale. I'm heading up a weight loss competition at work and I was surprised to find out some people who are bigger than me weigh less than me. I'm learning more and more to focus less on that number on the scale and more on how I look/how my clothes fit and inches.
  • meggymoo86
    meggymoo86 Posts: 3
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    I know gaining weight is obnoxious and can make you feel like giving up BUT DON'T :-) This new increase in the amount of exercise can spark an initial weight gain as you're converting fat into muscle (muscle is more dense than fat) How are your clothes fitting? Better yet, how do you feel?

    Give him another week (or two) and see what happens. And of course limit your eating out- the excess sodium, in most restaurants!, could have also lead to an increased water retention.

    Good luck!
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
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    My guess would be water from inflammation. Give it three solid weeks before you give it up. Take measurements and use those to guide your decision. Also could be your sodium intake, I know I crave more sodium type food when I lift heavy. I lift regularly and when I switch up from light weight high rep work to heavy mass building work I always have a temporary gain even though my food intake stays level. It always drops off in a week or so for me.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Here is how my trainer explained my FIVE pound weight gain in 2 weeks:noway:

    Timing had something to do with it as although I am postmenapausal (sp) I still have cycles. When we life heavier weights we make micro tears in our muscles. Just like a scrape on your knee, the fluid rushes to the site to keep it from further injury, and build it back up. This was 2-3 lbs of my weight gain.

    The funny thing is she pulled out a tape measure and I was down 1 inch in my waist, 1 inch in my hips.

    I dont care what Mr. Scale says as long as Mr. Jeans look hot:love:

    Keep up the good work!!!:flowerforyou:
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
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    I gained weight initially... about 4 lbs...

    Probably due to inflammation and not eating enough...had all the classic signs such as being cold and stuff... took a week off from cardio by going abroad with dad to do some stuff on their land out in Italy, so wasn't a sedentary holiday but wasn't a beasting. I ate what I wanted when I wanted but know I didn't over eat (I even got drunk one night-oops!) and I came back having lost 4.4lbs and the weight has been dropping off ever since.

    I do mostly cardio and very little resisitance but I do some calisthenics.

    I blame a lot of my weight gain due to the fact with extreme endurance cardio, your body starts storing glycogen and water in the tissues ready for next time. I was losing inches....so maybe just look at body size for a few weeks until everything settles. I also didn't understand the significance of rest time too. I take a day off once every 9 days or so. :)

    Despite weight loss slowing down, my body fat percentage is dropping off rapidly now... and I eat about 2000kCal a day (not net but just in) which seems to be good for my height/weight/age/gender and activity levels for losing about 0.5lb a week - I am well within healthy weight so no point losing faster than this... xx
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
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    Here is how my trainer explained my FIVE pound weight gain in 2 weeks:noway:

    Timing had something to do with it as although I am postmenapausal (sp) I still have cycles. When we life heavier weights we make micro tears in our muscles. Just like a scrape on your knee, the fluid rushes to the site to keep it from further injury, and build it back up. This was 2-3 lbs of my weight gain.

    The funny thing is she pulled out a tape measure and I was down 1 inch in my waist, 1 inch in my hips.

    I dont care what Mr. Scale says as long as Mr. Jeans look hot:love:

    Keep up the good work!!!:flowerforyou:

    If I could "like" this...I would!
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    Oh I have been lifting for like a year now, actually doing more exercises then I am now but the ones I just started are harder ones but less of them. I thought I was done with the building muscle stage but maybe that's it, I am not ruling anything out. I am starting to not have sore muscles anymore so that's why I questioned it. The first week when I lost weight, I thought my body was dying! lol

    I have lost 6 pants sizes since my journey. My pants are fitting the same BUT I just measured my waist and I am up an inch. I am guessing this is one more clue water weight is probably the culprit now.

    I haven't tracked my body fat. I have been meaning to go to a nutritionist and have it done I am just so busy lately with holidays and stuff. I think that would be a good step in the right direction for me too.

    I really appreciate your help! I think I will talk to him and just let him know whats going on. That way if we do need to change things he will have a better understanding the highs and lows.
  • KristyJoy123
    KristyJoy123 Posts: 84 Member
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    I guess you never stop building muscle, right? But yeah, maybe tweak your plan a little to see what's going on. Good luck!
  • Dauntlessness
    Dauntlessness Posts: 1,489 Member
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    Oh I mean a gaining significant amount weight in a small amount of time from muscle building. lol ;)
  • stevwil41
    stevwil41 Posts: 608 Member
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    My weight loss has slowed quite a bit since I started seeing a trainer part time and unfortunately I didn't take measurements pre-trainer. However, even though I've only lost 6 or 7 lbs in the last 2 and a half months I've went from a snug 38 to a loose 38/snug 36 in my pants and I can see the difference. I'm quite happy with these results and while the scale annoys me periodically, I mostly ignore it.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    Here is how my trainer explained my FIVE pound weight gain in 2 weeks:noway:

    Timing had something to do with it as although I am postmenapausal (sp) I still have cycles. When we life heavier weights we make micro tears in our muscles. Just like a scrape on your knee, the fluid rushes to the site to keep it from further injury, and build it back up. This was 2-3 lbs of my weight gain.

    The funny thing is she pulled out a tape measure and I was down 1 inch in my waist, 1 inch in my hips.

    I dont care what Mr. Scale says as long as Mr. Jeans look hot:love:

    Keep up the good work!!!:flowerforyou:

    If I could "like" this...I would!

    Thanks. When I was in full training mode I had someone take my scale. It meant more to me to be in size 6 skinny jeans, than any number on the scale.

    Ah, seeing that brought a tear to my eye. I need to get my booty back into gear. These tight 8s and 10s that fight lovely are NOT ok:grumble:

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