frustrating weight gain with insanity

MJ7910
MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
so, my first week of insanity i dropped from 127 to 125... the second week i am back up to 128. i am ending my 3rd week today and i'm a little nervous because as of today i am at 129. so i'm wondering if you can do 3 weeks of this program and still experience no weight loss or a weight gain. at this point, shouldn't weight be coming off? i looked at all the numbers. i am eating 1700-1800 a day and my bmr is about 1250. so you'd think i'd lose weight or at least maintain... i am 5'4" by the way... 24% body fat... so i don't get why i am not maintaining or losing. do i need to give it more time than 3 weeks? you'd think i'd have gotten back to 125 at least, not be maintainig. and no TOM coming up so i don't even have that to blame it on. oh, i am NETting about 1400-1600 calories a day supposedly. i know my burns are lower because i weigh less. i dont' think i'd burn over 400 on even pure cardio/cardio abs days.

EDIT to add: I have read chalene johnson's spiel about how you gain weight at first and taht woudl be fine if it was still the first 2 weeks. but i'm in week 3 almost in week 4. you'd think some things woudl be happening now.
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Replies

  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    if you are gaining weight with insanity something is greatly wrong with your diet. insanity is mainly cardiovascular exercise so caloric burn should be very high and definately should not result in any type of weight gain unless you are in a caloric surplus. if i could see your diet log i could probably find the problem.
  • DanyelRae
    DanyelRae Posts: 3
    I do Insanity as well and I think the nutrition book they give you and say to eat 1700-1800 is high. Your body weight seems like you should eat 1200-1400 a day. Or if you've heard of zig/zag calories where you have a set total for the week and you for example, eat 1400 one day and 1600 the next, keeping your body guessing, that may help you too! In the end, it's all about calories in/calories out. But you should be looking and feeling pretty good with Insanity! :)
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    if you are gaining weight with insanity something is greatly wrong with your diet. insanity is mainly cardiovascular exercise so caloric burn should be very high and definately should not result in any type of weight gain unless you are in a caloric surplus. if i could see your diet log i could probably find the problem.

    i am following the nutrition guide exactly as it says so i don't think i have a caloric surplus. i did the equations in the book and i'm going with that.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    i did the equations and it said 1700-1900... so no, i dont' think 1200 is the answer for me.
  • melissajean2000
    melissajean2000 Posts: 6
    I am now in my second month of insanity. I know what you mean about not losing weight with insanity at first. I was not losing any weight, but I did lose inches in the first month. I also started feeling very strong and just generally better. When I started into the second month, the weight started falling off. I am in the middle of my third week of the second month, and I am now down 14 pounds and numerous inches. I think you should just keep going like you are, and you will start to see dramatic results. I hope you are at least feeling the benefits such as stronger toning up! Good luck!
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    I am now in my second month of insanity. I know what you mean about not losing weight with insanity at first. I was not losing any weight, but I did lose inches in the first month. I also started feeling very strong and just generally better. When I started into the second month, the weight started falling off. I am in the middle of my third week of the second month, and I am now down 14 pounds and numerous inches. I think you should just keep going like you are, and you will start to see dramatic results. I hope you are at least feeling the benefits such as stronger toning up! Good luck!

    i do feel stronger, just wish it didn't mean a weight gain!
  • tenunderfour
    tenunderfour Posts: 429 Member
    Ignore the scale! It could be inflammation and/or water weight from all of the pounding and jumping. Just keep at it.
  • Chemgirl585
    Chemgirl585 Posts: 1
    I am also getting very frustrated! Im on my rest week and I've gained another lb! I really hope the 2nd month changes this increase. I feel like I look a little more firmer but gaining 4-5lbs while working out this hard 6 days a week is not what I was expecting. My caloric intake is the same as yours...are you following the elite nutrition guide suggestions for the meals or doing your own thing?
  • Jcao1214
    Jcao1214 Posts: 19 Member
    I'm netting about 1600-1700 calories and have gained 2 pounds also in my first month of Insanity. BUT I've lost 6 inches so far! So I think the weight gain is probably some water retention from the inflammation from the strenous cardio. I just started month 2, so I'm hoping some of the weight drops off this month. Heck if I lose another couple of inches and don't lose any weight I'd still be thrilled.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    I am also getting very frustrated! Im on my rest week and I've gained another lb! I really hope the 2nd month changes this increase. I feel like I look a little more firmer but gaining 4-5lbs while working out this hard 6 days a week is not what I was expecting. My caloric intake is the same as yours...are you following the elite nutrition guide suggestions for the meals or doing your own thing?

    i pretty much follow it. but i dont' always get the amount of protein that he says and usually have a little more carbs. but i think it's ok... calories are calories, just try to maximize protein as much as i can is what i'm doing.
  • Aannaeyalia
    Aannaeyalia Posts: 1
    remember muscle weighs more than fat. so the more muscle tone you get that replaces the fat the more you will weigh. Also my personal trainer told me you never look at your weight. it is the inches you look at. if you aren't losing lbs don't worry. Muscle tone is more important the weight anyways.
  • dmcw19
    dmcw19 Posts: 129
    I think for so many posts with unexplained gain, it is because you are changing your body's routine in a big way. I think we are so impatient with our bodies and they are just trying to keep up with demands. Insanity is an extreme workout and your body probably needs time to adjust. Who knows how it is keeping the weight on, but if you know you are doing things right then I am sure it will work out.
  • jessica_johnson2011
    jessica_johnson2011 Posts: 61 Member
    bump
  • soliquori
    soliquori Posts: 1
    I think this is a great explanation of the fat/muscle paradox. http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=8311&sc=128

    In simple words: a size 8 person and a size 12 person could weight the same if the first is extremely muscular and the second has a lot of fat in their body: a pound of muscle weighs the same than a pound of fat, but they look very different!
  • columbus27
    columbus27 Posts: 178 Member
    Are your meals public? When are you doing the workout? Are you eating after the workout?
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
    Are your meals public? When are you doing the workout? Are you eating after the workout?

    i only open my diary to friends but i'm following the guidelines pretty well for the most part (just not today). i do the workout at night because it's the only time i have during the day since i am very busy with work and children. and i don't eat afterward except my protein shake. i eat dinner about 2 hours prior.
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    Have you lost any inches?
  • Adesta1
    Adesta1 Posts: 2 Member
    I finish 4 weeks of Insanity tomorrow. I lost 3 lbs in the 1st week and a half - going from 164.5 to 161.5 at 5' 6". During the 2nd week and a half, my weight went up to 166!!! This is my 4th week and my weight is back to 162.5. Please do not despair, just continue the workout and your eating and the weight will come off. I tell myself that even if I don't get into the 150's, I would still have done myself a lot of good doing this program. Keep your head up and dig deeper.
  • blndrenee
    blndrenee Posts: 3
    Measure yourself so you will know if you are losing inches! building muscle and inflammation will make you gain weight. Don't give up
  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
    I would drop it down to 1500 calories and make sure you are logging EVERYTHING.
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
    I am sorry to read that you are frustrated with Insanity. I remember reading about other people gaining while doing this also :( I hope it is just water weight, etc. and the weight starts flying off :)
  • cressievargo
    cressievargo Posts: 392 Member
    I would drop it down to 1500 calories and make sure you are logging EVERYTHING.

    Dropping calories with that intense of a workout might cause initial weight loss but odds are your energy level will suffer.

    Do the measurements, ditch the scale, and maybe do some calorie zig-zagging. It's quite possible, too, that you aren't eating enough with that intense of a workout.
  • J0ET
    J0ET Posts: 33 Member
    Not all calories are equal. If you're sacrificing protein for carbs, you'll retain more water. Also, women's hormones do tend to work against them once a month or so, maybe drink a bit more water.
  • jlyaptengco
    jlyaptengco Posts: 1
    Hey there! It's relieving to hear that some people are having the same issues at me. I started insanity Monday and weighed in at 157.8 last friday. I weighed in this morning (we're doing a weight lost challenge at work) and i'm exactly the same. NO CHANGE! this is really frustrating because i eat no more than 1500 cals every day. I'm very discouraged. One thing i've noticed is that It's a lot easier for me to get up in the mornings at 6:30 for work. i don't really feel like pressing snooze 5 times. I'm going to keep at it although right now I fell like crap not seeing any weight loss on the scale.
  • s8r8h55
    s8r8h55 Posts: 1
    I have the same issue! just finished week 3 and so far I have gained 2-3 pounds..
    it is very frustrating , but I did loose inches so I told myself it must be because im gaining muscles or something.. ( gotta find some positive somewhere ! )
    but im glad to see im not the only one in this position, I was starting to think something is wrong with me ! will see what next week brings !
  • cutmd
    cutmd Posts: 1,168 Member
    A lot of women gain water, etc the first month of insanity. It actually does require a fair amount of strength for the routines. I mainly lost the second month and even then it was like 4 lbs total. But I had defined abs for the first time in my life. I think of insanity as more body recomposition than weight loss. Wearing a HRM I found I burned about 300/exercise month one and 400 month 2, if tht helps fr anyone guesstimating.

    If you are gaining but losing inches/body fat celebrate, drink water, and be patient! If you are gaining body fat then seriously re-evaluate the accuracy of your calorie counting

    Good luck, it's a great program and i wouldn't give up
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I lost very little weight after completing the entire Insanity program. Maybe 4-5 pounds total. But the results were terrrfic. Forget about the scale. Check the mirror. Check the tape. My waistline shrank noticeably. My muscularity with my shirt off change noticeably. People noticed a pretty good amount of change.

    Bottom line, when you're involved in any time of resistance training, the scale will flat out LIE to you. Take measurements of the body parts that matter to you, take photos, and then compare over time. If you lose a lot of fat, but gain a little muscle, the scale may not change. But you'll look sooooooooooo much better.

    Good luck with month 2!
  • SaintCaedmon
    SaintCaedmon Posts: 1
    A note for those hypothesizing that you are gaining muscle. I have read that You can only gain a quarter of a pound of muscle per week, and that is a best case scenario. So at most you would have gained 1 lb. of muscle weight. Have you considred that you might be skinny enough? I believe you said 127-125? Your body may be trying to tell you something.
  • JennieB19
    JennieB19 Posts: 7 Member
    The book told me 2,500.... Pretty sure that's not right. The Team Beach Body site told me 1,300.
  • TyFit08
    TyFit08 Posts: 799 Member
    I did two rounds of Insanity and lost about 5lbs. Nothing major inches wise, but I was a lot stronger. The first round I ate more to compensate for the intensity of the workout. The second time I cut my calories and still no major results. I think the workout is just too hard for those results. I found it very discouraging. I know some people have had great success and I do love the workouts, but I got better results doing Insanity three times a week and weights two to three times a week. .

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