I'm working out properly but not losing weight

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david_swinstead
david_swinstead Posts: 271 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been working out now since September. I go to the gym at the very least 3 times a week, usually 4 or 5 times, sometimes even more.

I spend most of my time lifting weights via the smith machines, doing medium weight for a medium amount of sets/reps (around 3 sets of 15 reps, with a weight to match that). I do these in a circuit with minimal rest inbetween to keep my heart rate high and my blood pumping.

I also do some cardio (though perhaps not as much as I should, but at least 15 minutes per gym session). Mostly I do this in interval training, so I'll sprint for a minute then jog/powerwalk for 2 mins, or do the equivalent on the bike.

From everything I read in Men's Health every month, as far as I can tell this is an almost perfect workout regime for fat loss. It's designed from the ground up to not only burn calories in the gym, but also get the metabolism boosted through resistance work to keep burning calories over the next 48 hours. It's pretty much in keeping with all the latest research I think

Why am I not losing weight? I've gone from 227lbs to 244lbs in that 3 months. I've gained 17lbs.

I'm well aware that of course muscle is heavier than fat so all the resistance work I'm doing has led to me gaining muscle and therefore gaining weight. Of the 17lbs I've gained, I expect that around 14lbs of it is muscle weight, and the extra 3lbs is a little Christmas weight that I'll lose pretty quickly now my eating/drinking habits have returned to normal (after an indulgent Christrmas period).

But nonetheless, aside from gaining muscle weight I should be losing fat. I'm not. So I suppose my initial question of 'why am I not losing weight' should actually be 'why am I not losing fat?'.

My body fat percentage according to some Weight Watchers scales (which, for the sake of my manhood, I will claim are the property of my girlfriend) put me at 28%, which hasn't budged throughout.

Can anybody help? :/
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Replies

  • stayxtrue
    stayxtrue Posts: 1,190 Member
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    I've been working out now since September. I go to the gym at the very least 3 times a week, usually 4 or 5 times, sometimes even more.

    I spend most of my time lifting weights via the smith machines, doing medium weight for a medium amount of sets/reps (around 3 sets of 15 reps, with a weight to match that). I do these in a circuit with minimal rest inbetween to keep my heart rate high and my blood pumping.

    I also do some cardio (though perhaps not as much as I should, but at least 15 minutes per gym session). Mostly I do this in interval training, so I'll sprint for a minute then jog/powerwalk for 2 mins, or do the equivalent on the bike.

    From everything I read in Men's Health every month, as far as I can tell this is an almost perfect workout regime for fat loss. It's designed from the ground up to not only burn calories in the gym, but also get the metabolism boosted through resistance work to keep burning calories over the next 48 hours. It's pretty much in keeping with all the latest research I think

    Why am I not losing weight? I've gone from 227lbs to 244lbs in that 3 months. I've gained 17lbs.

    I'm well aware that of course muscle is heavier than fat so all the resistance work I'm doing has led to me gaining muscle and therefore gaining weight. Of the 17lbs I've gained, I expect that around 14lbs of it is muscle weight, and the extra 3lbs is a little Christmas weight that I'll lose pretty quickly now my eating/drinking habits have returned to normal (after an indulgent Christrmas period).

    But nonetheless, aside from gaining muscle weight I should be losing fat. I'm not. So I suppose my initial question of 'why am I not losing weight' should actually be 'why am I not losing fat?'.

    My body fat percentage according to some Weight Watchers scales (which, for the sake of my manhood, I will claim are the property of my girlfriend) put me at 28%, which hasn't budged throughout.

    Can anybody help? :/

    For starters sounds those scales are not accurate.. I use calipers or you can use a bod fat% calculator online which is going to be much more accurate, It will require you to take some measurements and then it will do the calculations for you. Whats your diet looking like?
  • ScubyUK
    ScubyUK Posts: 271 Member
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    Also, take some physical measurments if you aren't doing so already. Chest, Waist, Biceps, Thighs etc.
    I was working out like a demon in September, only dropped 2lbs in 20 days, but lost 5cm around the waist.
  • tuskegee4
    tuskegee4 Posts: 110 Member
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    Has to be something in your diet. Also try some HIIT..google Turbulence Training, Tabata or bodyrock.tv. There a several free sites to get exercises from. Mix these in with your weight training.
  • david_swinstead
    david_swinstead Posts: 271 Member
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    Diet is sort of OK. I indulge a little here and there but usually I'm not too bad.

    Breakfast: I don't usually have anything. I know I should but I'm never up early enough to have time before work.

    Lunch: Usually have a couple of wraps with tuna mayo (light mayo). Maybe snack on some fruit during the day too.

    Dinner: Straight from work I go to the gym, then afterwards I go home and usually grab a sandwich while the GF cooks a dinner. Something out of a jar usually, as we're not very domesticated.

    I could be doing a lot better for dinners, but the way I see it I can afford to go off the rails a bit by dinnertime as I've only had about 700-900 cals for the day at that point so I've got plenty to spare.
  • kirst10985
    kirst10985 Posts: 2
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    You may have put on weight as you have gained muscle :)
  • BeautyAndStrength50
    BeautyAndStrength50 Posts: 273 Member
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    You are going to gain when you lift weights. Muscle weights more then fat so its a good gain.. And also measure your body inches is so important when you are training as hard as you do.. :)
  • cryspetstalerson
    cryspetstalerson Posts: 147
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    You may have put on weight as you have gained muscle :)

    Exactly what I was going to say. It sounds like you are building muscle.
  • Nikki582
    Nikki582 Posts: 561 Member
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    I think you need to eat more.... and share your diary so we can see. :)
  • Ladyloraella
    Ladyloraella Posts: 46 Member
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    Remember to eat all your calories.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    Burning fat is 99% diet. You need to count calories accurately or there's no way to know if your diet is off the rails for sure. You're building muscle, which indicates that you are actually eating a surplus. Luckily, you are doing enough strength training to offset the surplus and turn it into muscle instead of fat, and the more LBM you build, the higher your BMR goes, so that's helping you work TOWARDS a deficit. However, you won't start really shredding fat until you start really paying attention to the calorie intake vs. output over time.

    You may want to look into an intermittent fasting program along the lines of Leangains, since you are already skipping breakfast. It has a lot of adherents, and I've been on it for a couple of months. Seems to make my weight fluctuate less if I go over on calories for a day or so, and I regained less on a bad week than I used to, but I haven't been too concerned about my deficit lately so it's hard for me to tell how well it really works for fat shredding. The science behind it makes sense to me, from what I've read.
  • OooLaurenooO
    OooLaurenooO Posts: 227 Member
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    Dont forget muscle weights more than fat so it could be down to that.
  • OooLaurenooO
    OooLaurenooO Posts: 227 Member
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    sorry entered twice - dont no how to delete
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    I doubt that it's a case of gaining muscle - muscle weight gains take time.

    It would be useful to look at your diary to work out what's going on. It does sound like you're maybe not eating enough to fuel your workouts - particularly protein?
  • HBBrown78
    HBBrown78 Posts: 55 Member
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    not eating enough calories and working out like that can make you gain weight. Your body needs the right calorie count and exercise to burn properly or it will think you are starving and store fat. Consider protein shakes in the am and after your workout. Also, you should see your Dr. and get blood work done. Test everything to make sure its not a medical issue. Are you on any medications? Some meds have a weight gain side effect- no matter what you do they can make you put on or maintain even with low calories and exercise. I was on an rx that had this and despite a low cal diet and major exercise I gained 50 lbs. Now Im off but my body reacts to food diff and I have to work harder to fix it. Just some ideas to check out.
  • tuskegee4
    tuskegee4 Posts: 110 Member
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    Gotta eat more than that and try to eat breakfast..piece of fruit, ready made protein shake, something you can eat in car since you are short on time.
  • EddieG77
    EddieG77 Posts: 185 Member
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    Not to sound harsh but....

    Muscle DOES NOT weigh more than fat!!! How can 5lbs of muscle weigh more than 5lbs of fat? Fat is thicker than muscle but does not weigh more!! That is an old myth!!

    http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html

    Forget the scales!! You are building lean muscle!! Go by how your clothes fit and what you see in the mirror. I have not lost a lot of weight for months but I have lost significant inches all around!!

    Make sure you are drinking LOTS of water!! It makes a huge difference!!
  • geckofli
    geckofli Posts: 155 Member
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    Diet is sort of OK. I indulge a little here and there but usually I'm not too bad.

    Breakfast: I don't usually have anything. I know I should but I'm never up early enough to have time before work.

    Lunch: Usually have a couple of wraps with tuna mayo (light mayo). Maybe snack on some fruit during the day too.

    Dinner: Straight from work I go to the gym, then afterwards I go home and usually grab a sandwich while the GF cooks a dinner. Something out of a jar usually, as we're not very domesticated.

    I could be doing a lot better for dinners, but the way I see it I can afford to go off the rails a bit by dinnertime as I've only had about 700-900 cals for the day at that point so I've got plenty to spare.


    I'd say it's diet, are you logging?
    When I can't stand the thought of breakfast I grab a protein shake, since I've started doing this before the gym I'm finally loosing weight.
    I'm definately no expert but since I've had stuff in my belly before gym And eating cleaner (as in vege and whole foods) I'm making progress. I only have a shakes before te gym real food just doesn't sit right when I'm trying to push myself oh and I drink a truck load of water these day
  • david_swinstead
    david_swinstead Posts: 271 Member
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    Oh yea I forgot to mention I'm also having protein shakes. At least 2 a day, sometimes 3. I have one as soon as I get to thwe office, which is the closest I get to a breakfast.

    The shakes I have are the ones with almost no carbs in (only 4g per serving) so I don't think they could be blamed for the lack of fat loss though.

    Although the extra protein does explain the rapid muscle growth.

    I don't think I am undereating, usually I'm hitting around about my MFP target of 1700 cals. And yes I eat back my exercise calories, which puts me up to around 2000.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    Building muscle is a good starting point for loosing fat because it raises the amount of calories your body burns for any activity (including doing nothing) - lets say for a simple example, before your built muscle your body would burn 2000 calories if you just went to work then came home and sat on the sofa. Now if you do the same it burns 5% more, so you burn 2100 calories doing the same. Generally weight lifting does not, in its own right, burn many calories - An hour of weights ~250 Calories and 15 minutes of CV will be 200 Calories = 450 Cals - even with the extra 5% you earned its going to be closer to 500 Calories. (5% was a randomly chosen number - you have to check this out for yourself)

    Fat loss is a simple question of Calories in - Calories out. if you do all the above daily, your calories out is going to be around 2500. If your calories in is the same, you keep the fat. If its less, you loose it. 500 Calories per day will give you about 1lb per week weight (fat) loss. You will not put on muscle at anything like this rate!

    You can dramatically increase your calories out by doing more CV work - I suggest you do at least 10 minutes as a warm up (this is good practice regardless of your targets) and 30 minutes after you do your 1hr weights - this will make your gym session closer to 700 Calories.

    If you want to loose quicker, throw in a couple of CV days where you only do CV work - an hour and a half of dedicated work will get you +1200 Calories... Personally I burn 450 Cals per half hour on CV pretty consistently - I think you will be similar.
  • stayxtrue
    stayxtrue Posts: 1,190 Member
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    Make your diary private that we we can see your macros and so on... Also I would be finding out your BMR and eating only 20% less.. You need to eat food to fuel the body, and obviously nice healthy foods :D

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