frustrating weight gain with insanity

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  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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. .
  • hungryhungryhypocrite
    hungryhungryhypocrite Posts: 13 Member
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    Come on people! If you're going from not working out more than twice a week to doing the insanity program you are probably gaining a lot of muscle strength. Stop blaming working out for not getting the results you want in only a month or less. Getting in shape takes time and effort. Keep at it or you'll never see results no matter what you do.
  • smitjama
    smitjama Posts: 1
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    Everybody is different I am on week 2 and i see a change but the scale will say different. I am 5'11 and weigh a bit over 200 the guide said i should eat around 3500 cal but i am not doing that i am eating healthier and 5 times a day but not up to 3500 cal. if you feel better and notice a change in close size then the program is working. The scale is not your friend do the workouts and look in the mirror you will notice a difference
  • msvthoke
    msvthoke Posts: 3
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    I am almost finished with my 4th week of Insanity and I was also feeling a little frustrated because I feel like I haven't lost very much weight (a few pounds) and I have been working my *kitten* off....but today I took pictures and looked back at what I looked like a mere 3 weeks ago and I think there is DEFINITELY a difference. My stomach is tighter and my clothes fit better. And I am also much stronger and can endure the workouts much better. I think looking for weight loss (especially when you only weigh a buck and a quarter) is not going to be the biggest gain for you. Honestly, you are going to build that lean muscle and get super toned! THE SCALE IS A TORTURE DEVICE - I am so serious. You don't have to lose tons of weight to see results!

    If you need inspiration, check out this link on the message board. This should inspire you to keep going:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/580019-the-scale-is-a-lying-torture-device-i-m-proof
  • msvthoke
    msvthoke Posts: 3
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    Keep pushing play!
  • megcombsmcardle
    megcombsmcardle Posts: 3 Member
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    I am having the exact same issue! I have gainned 5-6 pounds and have just completed the first month and am now on the recovery week. I dont know what I am doing wrong? Someone help! I am at the point of quitting.
  • bsharrah
    bsharrah Posts: 129 Member
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    Your weight gain has almost nothing to do with the program. It is a result of what you are eating. Adjust your diet and go from there.

    Calculate your TDEE based on your activity level including your exercising level (use multiple calculators and average the results), deduct 500 calories, and that is what you should be eating each day.

    DO NOT eat back your exercise calories - if you calculate your TDEE as described above, you already accounted for them. Lots of people will tell you to do the opposite and if you want to continue to not lose, and be frustrated, listen to them.
  • megcombsmcardle
    megcombsmcardle Posts: 3 Member
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    This sounds exactly like me the first time, I have had issues in the past maintaining enough calories a day but even on insanity I still struggled to eat 1200, I saw a little change in my body but was gaining weight, I started insanity at 107 and ended it at 111? The workouts are so much fun to me that on top of my low calorie diet, I did insanity 5 days a week, swam 500-750 meters twice a week, and was running 1-2 miles 3 days a week. And STILL GAINED? Someone please explain that?

    And my 107 start was fairly muscley to start, I have done gymnastics and cheerleading all my life and work at a gymnastics center. If any of you would like to see my profile and help me more personally just add me as a friend! Thanks all of you!
    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. .
  • healthyJenn0915
    healthyJenn0915 Posts: 185
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    It is normal to go up when staring any new program. I didn't loose a whole lot of weight when doing Insanity, but I did loose a lot of inches! When I did loose the weight most of it was in the second month. Just be patient and keep up with it. I'm sure you will see great results in the end.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,704 Member
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    So are you weighing at the same time each week? Have you been doing any other exercising? Are you sleeping less? There are a myriad of reasons that weight might be up.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • miriamg3
    miriamg3 Posts: 11 Member
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    bump

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