Eating sensibly, exercising more - GAINING WEIGHT!!

thatlittlebit
thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi,

Was just wondering if you lot could help me. In the past week and a bit I have been exercising more (about 30mins-1hr20 a day with a rest day in the week, usually cardio but with a small amount of weights), I previously couldn't due to illness. I haven't been eating badly (which I had done previously, binging on sugary filled things), so I've tried to cut out refined sugar as it is a trigger for binges.

Anyway back to the point, I would totally understand if I reached a plateau but I'm gaining weight!! any ideas?

My calories have admittedly been a bit low (you can look at my diary, they're usually about 1100) and I'm willing to up them a bit, but to be GAINING, not even just a plateau. It's just a bit fustrating. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks
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Replies

  • rsdgirl
    rsdgirl Posts: 241 Member
    muscle would be my guess
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    How much did you gain? When starting or changing or upping the intensity of a workout program it's pretty common to gain some water weight.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    You may be eating "sensibly," but that doesn't mean you're in a calorie deficit.
  • Silvercivic
    Silvercivic Posts: 156 Member
    I can't see your diary. But 1100 calories a day is definitely pretty low and that is probably why you are gaining weight. (it is probably water weight). I'd drink more water (at least 8 cups a day) to get rid of the water weight, eat at least 1200 calories, and think about eating back your exercise calories. I eat about 2100 calories a day and I've been losing weight. (I'm 5 feet tall, 124.5 pounds) I do about an hour of good cardio a day.

    Anyway, stick with it and don't get discouraged- a few minor tweaks (more water, a few more calories) and I'm sure you'll start to see the results you are looking for on the scale.
  • _snw_
    _snw_ Posts: 1,298 Member
    How much did you gain? When starting or changing or upping the intensity of a workout program it's pretty common to gain some water weight.


    Thank you so much for telling us this. You totally just put my mind at ease. In past week I started working out intensely and I gained a few pounds. ah, you just spelled relief for me.
  • martinh78
    martinh78 Posts: 601
    Not muscle on 1100 calories a day and "a small amount of weights".

    Are you drinking plenty of water?
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    I drink an absolute ton of water, at least 3 litres along with a mug or two of hot water flavoured with cocoa powder (if that counts as water)

    I dont know if it's water weight because my legs feel "fatter" as in they now rub together when they didn't used to, I've gained abotu 3 lbs
  • gracielee1
    gracielee1 Posts: 71 Member
    try eating the most during the day (when you burn the most calories) and decrease your dinner portion.. and see if that helps.
  • bzmom
    bzmom Posts: 1,332 Member
    Have you checked your sodium intake??
  • Pocket_Pixi
    Pocket_Pixi Posts: 1,167 Member
    muscle would be my guess

    NOT this, it coud be a number of things, not eating enough, eating too much, or it could just be fluid retention.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    It's almost certainly water. Either because of the time of the month, or because you are exercising and your body is getting used to it.
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    Have you checked your sodium intake??

    I haven't but this may be the case as I've moved awyay from eating my calories in fruit and generally sweeter things to more savoury things which probably just have more sodium in them
  • sarahgilmore
    sarahgilmore Posts: 572 Member
    water weight - increased glycogen stores - would be my best bet
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    try eating the most during the day (when you burn the most calories) and decrease your dinner portion.. and see if that helps.

    thanks for this advice, I very very rarely feel hungry during the day, only after about 5/6
    plus I have very little time in the day, I'll try and prepare lunch before I go out though
  • mel102772
    mel102772 Posts: 3
    Make sure your protein intake is high enough! Protein=muscle=more calories burned! Switch up your cardio maybe. As a personal trainer I would switch your cardio maybe a run/ walk with incline if you are not able to run walk at different speeds, try the bike or arch machine. Maybe try 15 minutes of Bike and then jump on the treadmill. Muscle confusion helps. If you do not belong to a gym. I have found Beachbody Chalean Turbo Sculpt is a whole body work out it is about 40 minutes. Love it! Good Luck!
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    This is my workout schedule last week
    anything without a label is a run/jog


    36 mins treadmill intesrvals. Warm up / 20 seconds at 15 then 40 at 6.5 all incline 2/ warmdown 2 minutes at incline 2, 4 mins at incline 8, 2 at incline 6, 2 at incline 4, cool down 2 minutes

    5.35 miles (60 mins)


    REST

    20 minutes x trainer, weights

    50 mins stationary bike

    7.5 miles (5.1mph)

    6.32 miles (77 mins-4.9mph)


    This week I'm goign to do body combat and zumba instead of one of the days, and also probably some swimming, just to mix it up a bit. I love running but know it's better to switch it around.

    Protein I try my hardest with, most days I manage to hit my target
  • mel102772
    mel102772 Posts: 3
    So are you doing weights every day? How many days a week? Are you increasing the reps or amount of weight you are lifting? You should be doing weights at least 3 days a week. May i ask your age?
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    So are you doing weights every day? How many days a week? Are you increasing the reps or amount of weight you are lifting? You should be doing weights at least 3 days a week. May i ask your age?

    No I don't do weights everyday, I am definitely aiming for 3 times a week, it depends howo much time I have after cardio before I have to go out. For my weights I'm aiming to increase resistance/weight

    I'm 20 years old, does it make a difference?
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    Heya,

    Just wanted to see if I could gain anymore insight on this. I am STILL gaining weight. Eating around 1200 a day and still exercising. Tried eating some more to see if it was that issue but i gained weight even quicker!

    Please help!!!
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
    One of the most frustrating moments for many dieters is the weekly weigh-in. Sometimes, the results on your scales seem to bear very little relation to the week you've just had. Maybe you've been really good - but not lost anything. Or you've had a couple of meals out, and eaten more than a few candy bars - and yet you've dropped a pound.

    What's going on?

    If you weren't dieting and weighed yourself every day, you'd still find that your weight wasn't steady: it might fluctuate by as much as several pounds. These fluctuations in body weight are commonly due to:

    Water retention
    Glycogen stores
    The amount you've eaten

    Water Retention

    Water retention is caused by drinking too little water, or eating too much salt. If you don't drink enough water, your body will cling onto its water supplies; make sure you're drinking enough. And if you eat too much salt, your kidneys hold onto water instead of excreting it.

    Women commonly retain water during the few days of the month just before their period. This "phantom" few pounds will drop off as quickly as it went on. Some medications can also cause water retention.
    Glycogen Stores

    Glycogen - sugar - is carbohydrate stored in the liver and muscles; usually more than a pound in total, along with three or four pounds of water. This is your body's energy reserve, and gets used up during the day if you're not taking in enough carbohydrates to supply your energy needs.

    When you eat, your body replaces the glycogen store and the water that goes with it - leading to a weight gain on the scales, even if you've only eaten a moderately-sized meal. This is absolutely normal and should not put you off eating carbohydrates!
    The Amount You've Eaten

    Don't think about the meal you've just eaten in terms of calories - think in terms of weight. You could stuff yourself with pounds of fruit or salad for under a few hundred calories - but these pounds will show up if you stand on the scales straight after a meal. (Just imagine weighing yourself with all that food in your hands.) Once your body's had a chance to digest it, that food will disappear. The same applies with water - which has 0 calories, but definitely weighs something!
  • vs1023
    vs1023 Posts: 417 Member
    Can't see your diary, but I'd focus on eating cleanly, no processed crap, watch your sodium, drink water and get enough protein and good fats, veggies. Give it a little time to see if it moves back down and if not have your thyroid checked maybe. I haven't lost much weight this way yet, but it does come off eventually. Everytime I increase my workouts I sort of stall a little and then drop again..stall, then drop. You can to know your body and what it does and it gets worse if I eat too little! Usually I don't eat enough because of being so busy and/or poor planning.
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    I never eat anything processed at all.

    the only reason I'm asking is because it's been weeks and I'm gaining! It's not a plateau, it's a gain.

    It's clearly not sodium etc. because I drink tons and watch my salt intake.

    That's why I'm flummoxed
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Do your clothes fit better/looser?
    Do you do any measurements besides weight?
    How much gaining are we talking about, in the scheme of things? 2lbs for 200lb is 1%. What would your % gain be?
  • thatlittlebit
    thatlittlebit Posts: 46 Member
    it's a 3% gain so far and my clothes are getting tighter. Yes, I have measurements, they are getting larger. I am definitely putting on weight. It's not water weight or anything, it feels like fat to be honest.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    That's probably worthy of a Dr visit.

    The normal reasons that you might expect to see don't seem to apply.

    That leaves something else worth investigating.
  • sarahgilmore
    sarahgilmore Posts: 572 Member
    How long did you try "eating more" for?

    If you have been chronically under eating for so long, then it will take a few weeks to months for the"gains" to slow and stop once you up your intake. I would give it at LEAST 4 weeks to stabilise
  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
    I image you're not eating enough. YOu need to eat at least 1200 and the majority of your exercise calories. So if you're doing an hour of cardio and burning 600 calories, you should be eating around 1800. I have seen a lot of people gain weight or plateau from not eating enough. Just play with it, maybe bump up your calories 200-300 at first to see what happens.
  • dseppi
    dseppi Posts: 1 Member
    Hi, I know this is late, but I was wondering if you were taking a multivitamin? I am having the same problem, and I've linked the weight gain to my prenatal vitamin (I may be trying for pregnancy within the next year). There are numerous posts online about multivitamin and weight gain, but no scientific evidence. Just a thought. I'd like to know what your solution was anyway.
  • amy1612
    amy1612 Posts: 1,356 Member
    muscle would be my guess

    Do I need to post this again?

    musclepounds_zps913edadf.jpg
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    muscle would be my guess

    Sorry but false. You need to eat at a calorie surplus and lift heavy weights to build muscle.

    A gain while losing weight is not muscle... I think that's just something people say to make themselves feel better.

    To the OP, up your calories... by a decent amount. 1200 is even far too low. Figure out TDEE and your BMR and eat somewhere between those. Give any changes a few weeks to see if they work or not
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