I may need some help....

JustAnotherCollegeGirl
JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Okay, here's the thing, I haven't been losing. The scale is going up and that freaks me out. But I've been eating well...not over doing it! And I go to the gym 4-5 days a week for 30-60 minutes. I have a trainer and I work with her twice a week with strength training and I do AT LEAST half an hour of cardio every day. My trainer took measurements and all that jazz and I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat. Lost an all over 3 inches on my body so far (Okay for a month hopefully), but the scale will NOT go down. And I'm working my booty off! I'm soooooo frustrated and bummed about this. I know I'm losing around the waistline but why is the scale being such a jerk!? Ugh. I need help guys :/

Replies

  • Quickster34
    Quickster34 Posts: 209 Member
    if you gained 5 pounds of muscle and lost 2 of fat thats an amazing month, i dont think you should be frustrated you had a 7 pound swing in a month, turning fat into muscle or building new muscle takes far more work and effort than is reflected in a scale. a scale just shows dead weight on it not how fit you are, thats where your measurements and bf % come in ,

    be happy that your hard work is paying off, muscle weighs more than fat, and people cant see the number on the scale they just see how fit you are! good luck
  • Lrt4uk
    Lrt4uk Posts: 174
    I looked at your diary, it seems that either you aren't finished the logging OR your eating way too few calories.

    I'm no expert, but I've seen lots and lots of threads regarding eating too few calories and NOT losing weight.

    Just sayin.....
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat.

    LOL, I'm not sure a 21 year old male on steroids could pull that off
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    Thanks!! Yeah, I know I have a lot of muscle. I just wish the scale would go down. I can see a difference for sure when I look at my progress pictures but I'd feel better when the scale is going down, haha.
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    @UpondThisRock:
    And I'm not on steroids..nor am I male but my trainer has measuring devices that measure things like body fat %, inches lost, pounds in muscle gained and pounds of fat lost so yeah, I'M WORKING MY *kitten* OFF. :)
  • motherof3brats
    motherof3brats Posts: 38 Member
    Hang in there!! I have been working with a trainer for 6 weeks now 2 days a week also workout for atleast 60 minutes a day. I have only lost 5 pounds in 6 weeks but I have lost 3.5 inches of my waist and 3 1/4 inches off my hips so I know we are doing something right. My trainer said please stop looking at the scale and look at how your clothes are fitting. I really know how you feel and it is very upsetting that the scale wont move but trust me it will. I have a friend who is working out (if you call that working out ) and she is losing weight but she is all flab. I guess we have to take a pick muscle or flab :)
  • NatashaK29
    NatashaK29 Posts: 137
    I looked at your diary, it seems that either you aren't finished the logging OR your eating way too few calories.

    I'm no expert, but I've seen lots and lots of threads regarding eating too few calories and NOT losing weight.

    Just sayin.....

    Exactly.....plz tell me you just never finish logging each day. You need a MINIMUM of 1200 Cal per day to sustain organ function. It great that your gaining muscle and losing inches but you want to do it in a healthy way.
  • sun33082
    sun33082 Posts: 416 Member
    You answered your own question. The scale is not going down because you are gaining muscle. 5 pounds gained muscle - 2.5 pounds fat loss =2.5 pounds gained.

    You don't need any help. You're doing everything exactly as you should! Keep it up! As you build more muscle you will burn more fat and I'm sure you will see the scale go down.
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    Hang in there!! I have been working with a trainer for 6 weeks now 2 days a week also workout for atleast 60 minutes a day. I have only lost 5 pounds in 6 weeks but I have lost 3.5 inches of my waist and 3 1/4 inches off my hips so I know we are doing something right. My trainer said please stop looking at the scale and look at how your clothes are fitting. I really know how you feel and it is very upsetting that the scale wont move but trust me it will. I have a friend who is working out (if you call that working out ) and she is losing weight but she is all flab. I guess we have to take a pick muscle or flab :)

    Thanks!! I'd rather be strong than flabby anyways, haha.
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    You answered your own question. The scale is not going down because you are gaining muscle. 5 pounds gained muscle - 2.5 pounds fat loss =2.5 pounds gained.

    You don't need any help. You're doing everything exactly as you should! Keep it up! As you build more muscle you will burn more fat and I'm sure you will see the scale go down.

    Thanks!! I know that's probably it but still...it can be discouraging, haha. But thanks :)
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    I looked at your diary, it seems that either you aren't finished the logging OR your eating way too few calories.

    I'm no expert, but I've seen lots and lots of threads regarding eating too few calories and NOT losing weight.

    Just sayin.....

    Exactly.....plz tell me you just never finish logging each day. You need a MINIMUM of 1200 Cal per day to sustain organ function. It great that your gaining muscle and losing inches but you want to do it in a healthy way.

    I know, haha. I definitely eat more than 1200 cals per day. I just forget to input every little thing. No worries, I'm doing it the healthy way.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat.

    LOL, I'm not sure a 21 year old male on steroids could pull that off

    It's actually not that uncommon for a person new to weight lifting or resistance training to have an initial gain of muscle but it's not the norm and don't expect it to happen again.
    I lift 6-7 days a week for the past 3 weeks. I'm eating at a slight surplus and may have gain 1 lb of muslce. Yes I'm older but I also know what I'm doing. At least I think I do...LOL
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat.

    LOL, I'm not sure a 21 year old male on steroids could pull that off

    Uhm. Ok so perhaps a little bit of an exaggeration, but he's right. I realize you're in your first month, or you implied so, but A) how do you know you're not completely over eating if you're not finishing logging? B) devices used to test things like BF% are highly unreliable. C) As a woman in general, that much muscle gain even as a noob in a month is left to probably the genetic elite.
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat.

    LOL, I'm not sure a 21 year old male on steroids could pull that off

    It's actually not that uncommon for a person new to weight lifting or resistance training to have an initial gain of muscle but it's not the norm and don't expect it to happen again.
    I lift 6-7 days a week for the past 3 weeks. I'm eating at a slight surplus and may have gain 1 lb of muslce. Yes I'm older but I also know what I'm doing. At least I think I do...LOL

    Yeah, I honestly REALLY didn't expect that rapid muscle gain. I've been working my butt off with my trainer twice a week, as well as on my own. I've only been working for about a month and a half and my body wasn't used to being pushed that hard with weights. That's why I gained that much muscle that fast. And no, I don't expect this to happen again.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    Okay, here's the thing, I haven't been losing. The scale is going up and that freaks me out. But I've been eating well...not over doing it! And I go to the gym 4-5 days a week for 30-60 minutes. I have a trainer and I work with her twice a week with strength training and I do AT LEAST half an hour of cardio every day. My trainer took measurements and all that jazz and I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat. Lost an all over 3 inches on my body so far (Okay for a month hopefully), but the scale will NOT go down. And I'm working my booty off! I'm soooooo frustrated and bummed about this. I know I'm losing around the waistline but why is the scale being such a jerk!? Ugh. I need help guys :/

    My trainers wife went from 99 lbs to 115lbs. She was a size 6 at 99 and now is a size 0. She's all muscle and does 1 arm bent over row with 75lb dumbells. She's a beast when lifting but smooth and sexy when teaching. (she teaches my wife's 5:15 am bootcamp class)
  • JennLifts
    JennLifts Posts: 1,913 Member
    I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat.

    LOL, I'm not sure a 21 year old male on steroids could pull that off

    It's actually not that uncommon for a person new to weight lifting or resistance training to have an initial gain of muscle but it's not the norm and don't expect it to happen again.
    I lift 6-7 days a week for the past 3 weeks. I'm eating at a slight surplus and may have gain 1 lb of muslce. Yes I'm older but I also know what I'm doing. At least I think I do...LOL
    And you have more testosterone, and you're eating at a surplus.
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    I gained 5 pounds of muscle this month and lost 2.5 pounds of fat.

    LOL, I'm not sure a 21 year old male on steroids could pull that off

    Uhm. Ok so perhaps a little bit of an exaggeration, but he's right. I realize you're in your first month, or you implied so, but A) how do you know you're not completely over eating if you're not finishing logging? B) devices used to test things like BF% are highly unreliable. C) As a woman in general, that much muscle gain even as a noob in a month is left to probably the genetic elite.

    My trainer said I gained 5 pounds but when I looked at my chart, it was 4.5. So yeah, half a pound. But like I said, my body isn't used to the intense strength training I've been doing so it went up fast. I also have a lot of protein in my diet. I don't always enter in all my calories on this site (and it's app) but I track it all in a journal. So I know that I'm not going over my limit. Also, if I was going over my limit then I wouldn't be losing inches around my waist.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I have a magic wand, and I can take away the muscle, put back the fat, and the scale will go down. Should I wave it?
  • ncates00
    ncates00 Posts: 51
    If you're losing fat and gaining muscle, why do you care what the scale says? It's about body composition, not body weight. Perhaps you are weighing too often. Weigh once a week at the same time-early in the morning. I weigh every Sunday morning before breakfast. My girlfriend is experiencing the same thing. She works hard. She eats very clean and counts everything and hasn't lost much. However, she has certainly toned up and gained muscle mass. Stop worrying about the darn scale!
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    not sure about the 5pounds of muscle, but drink plenty water, some suggest watching sodium intake, get plenty rest fruits/veggies you should see losses, and also take 1 rest day
  • cacrat
    cacrat Posts: 336 Member
    Ride the newbie gains wave as long as you can.
  • JustAnotherCollegeGirl
    JustAnotherCollegeGirl Posts: 41 Member
    Ride the newbie gains wave as long as you can.

    Haha, thanks...it's frustrating when people don't believe the 4-5 pound muscle gain. It's been 6 weeks so yeah, if I have as much protein as I do and I strength&cardio train as much as I do then I will gain muscle. I know it will slow down soon enough.
  • xcrushx28
    xcrushx28 Posts: 182 Member
    Ride the newbie gains wave as long as you can.

    Haha, thanks...it's frustrating when people don't believe the 4-5 pound muscle gain. It's been 6 weeks so yeah, if I have as much protein as I do and I strength&cardio train as much as I do then I will gain muscle. I know it will slow down soon enough.

    Well its not that we don't believe your trainer thinks that, but we are quite skeptical. Gains like that a very uncommon. Whenever you post in a public forum just be prepared for all sorts of answers.

    Jen brought up some good points about making sure you are accurate with your diary. If you are not weighing everything out via a food scale and then accurately imputing it in MFP, then it's going to be extremely difficult to really know if you are eating too much or to little etc.

    The bio impedance BF monitors that personal trainers frequently use have a wide window of error. Mostly based on fluctuating fluid levels. It can also be less accurate if taken after a workout.
  • Niki130
    Niki130 Posts: 85
    If you're losing fat and gaining muscle, why do you care what the scale says? It's about body composition, not body weight. Perhaps you are weighing too often. Weigh once a week at the same time-early in the morning. I weigh every Sunday morning before breakfast. My girlfriend is experiencing the same thing. She works hard. She eats very clean and counts everything and hasn't lost much. However, she has certainly toned up and gained muscle mass. Stop worrying about the darn scale!
    Amen!
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