Upset and needing advice and encouragement!

Options
SoulSistaSarah
SoulSistaSarah Posts: 12
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been swimming my butt off the past month. The past couple of weeks, I have went every day for 90 minutes per day non stop swimming. This morning, I did 120 minutes non stop swimming. My issue is this: I weighed myself for my month marker to log how much I lost in a month. Scale was at 282.5. This morning it was time for my regular weigh in, and I was stoked to see if I lost more, and about cried because the scale read 285.0! I'm not taking in too much sodium, my carbs are well under my limits (no, I don't do low carb) and my diet is perfect. The only thing that I can figure is that it is muscle gain? Am I just trying to pacify myself? I mean, I definitely notice a change in my muscles! Everything is toning up nicely, but not bulking or anything of course lol. I'm just really frustrated. I'm not in the mindset of quitting, I couldn't imagine doing that! But I'm frustrated with my weight increase. Can anybody help me out? Offer some insight? Am I swimming too long and it is having a strange effect on me? Should I just be patient, Nd the weight will start coming off again? If it is muscle gain, how long will my weight stay up? Should I expect even more of an increase. Thanks for any insight you all can offer and for reading my rant this morning!?
«1

Replies

  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    Options
    Have you lost inches? For some people, the inches come off before the pounds. Also, how much are you eating? You may need to take a look at how many cals, and possibly adjust upward, given the amount of time you are spending swimming. Good luck...please don't give up!
  • thomassd1969
    thomassd1969 Posts: 564 Member
    Options
    Did you by chance take your body measurements before you started swimming? You could very well be building muscle. Hang in there. Also open your diary because you can get more help that way
  • maryruiz2685
    maryruiz2685 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    Maybe your diet isn't as perfect as you think. You should make it visible so others can really offer more insight and perhaps find something that could be going wrong there. Also, with as much swimming as you do, your body may just be so used to it it is not having as much of a positive effect as you would expect. I'm not saying to stop, but your body does respond to change. what else do you do for exercise? I am almost certain that with a new regime your body will change. Muscle might definitely be a factor here but when you have weight to lose, you can't possibly stay the same weight forever if you're doing the right things. the scale can absolutely become your worst enemy. It's good that you don't weigh yourself often. It's not the most accurate indicator of your weightloss journey. For example, two different ppl could both weigh in at 140 and can be in great shape while the other is completely out of shape, you know? Hang in there and stay focused. It doesn't happen overnight. Take it day by day and set small goals. Looking at the big picture can be scary sometimes. You're doing the best thing for yourself right now. It just takes a little time to get it all right. :smile:
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
    Options
    Are your muscles sore? if so, you are retaining water as your muscles repair themselves. I would suggest to introduce some strength training into your routine.

    I agree, to get measurements and track them. That is a better indication of fat loss then the scale. I could not see your diary, so I am not sure if your choices are hurting your efforts. Processed foods tend to be extremely high in sodium, thus water retention.

    When I started to lose weight, I fell for a lot of the lean cruisines, smart ones. low cal, low fat, its got to be good for you. But I never felt good after eating them. Keep the diet clean, continue to do the swimming, and introduce some strength training. The journey will be long , but oh so worth it!
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Options
    I don't want to break your spirit but I highly doubt you are building muscle by swimming...

    It really comes down to your diet. You can exercise all you want, which is great by the way, but if your diet isn't spot on you won't lose the weight. You should reevaluate your calorie intake, get a kitchen scale, prepare all of your foods yourself, and give it a good month to see some changes.

    Good luck!
  • Blessedmommy_2x
    Blessedmommy_2x Posts: 419 Member
    Options
    Are you eating back your exercise cals that you burn? Because I wonder if you are overestimating your cals burned, eating them back and then not losing because of it. Just curious.

    Also are you taking measurements? Tracking Body fat percentage? The scale isn't the only way to track your progress ... Try adding some other workouts to the routine - HEY I posted a challenge today that shouldn't be too difficult, maybe give it a try. If you need to you can modify it some :-)

    ***Oh I remember you saying a day or so ago you were struggling consuming your cals. That may also be a part of it, make sure you are getting all your calories in for the day... Too little is just as bad as too much when it comes to losing weight- BOTH cause the scale to act up.
  • VickyLittle86
    VickyLittle86 Posts: 1
    Options
    I started swimming last year because it was a fun way of exercise that I could commit to. I was the same, I gained about 5 lbs and didn't lose anything for the first couple of months. I did breastroke/front crawl for about an hour, 3 times a week. It's just the muscle building up because of the resistance in the water, so you're likely to gain weight. It's possibly one of the best ways to exercise in my opinion. Stick at it though! After a couple months I noticed the weight started to come off and I lost a stone in the third month. That was with a 1400 cal a day allowance. But everyone's different. Hope you start to see results soon.x
  • SoulSistaSarah
    SoulSistaSarah Posts: 12
    Options
    I take in 1400 calories a day. My sodium intake doesn't go above 2400 and my carbs are typically about 160 a day. I eat about 30-35 grams of fiber a day and I get about 90-100 grams of protein per day. I eat very healthy, no processed foods. Whole grains, lean meats, veggies and very small amounts of fruit to keep my sugar intake down. That also never goes up to the allotment MFP says I can have at 1400 calories a day. MFP said to maintain my weight currently, I would have to eat almost 2800 calories! I'm half that lol. I don't make my food log public for everyone. Nothing personal lol. I do measure myself. Haven't done it this week yet. No muscle soreness. Actually the opposite. My body feels amazing and my muscles feel stronger than ever. I have a ton of energy and I couldn't imagine feeling like I used to.
  • SoulSistaSarah
    SoulSistaSarah Posts: 12
    Options
    No way to eating extra calories! I take in 1400 a day and that is it! I always have a negative calorie intake when my day is done.
  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    Could be muscles but really only if you were jumping into exercise for the very first time ("noob gains"). Those mucles might even just be retaining water, since when you're stressing them out they tend to hold on to water for repair purposes.

    Could be youre not eating enough (I can't see your diary...) I know that's counter intuitive, but with huge burns like that it's important to fuel your body properly. Even if that's just a "spike day" once a week. Do a forum search for plateau busting, you'll see tons of people having success when they bump their calories (again I don't know what you're eating so I apologize if this is something you already know).

    Could be youre not calculating your burns and your calories properly. could be underestimating food and overestimating burns, or any combo of that.

    Could be your diet is under all your macros, but it's "crap." Try eating "real" food, nothing processed, and see if that helps push things along. Not to say you cant lose weight eating whatever at a deficit, but I've found that quality DOES matter.

    Good luck <3 I know you work hard!!


    Edit - JUST saw your second post. Really, eat your exercise calories, at least half of them. Search the forums for people who do so, or have busted through plateaus by EATING MORE. It's not a joke. You don't have to eat all of them, but make sure your net calories are at least 1200ish so you're not starving. Your body will freak out and not cooperate.
  • jenkparks
    jenkparks Posts: 2
    Options
    Don't worry, you're buliding muscle. Add an intense cardio routine to change it so that you can lose weight. I am doing turbo fire and I'm seing results already. Be blessed!
  • sarafil
    sarafil Posts: 506 Member
    Options
    Why don't you open your diary so people can help? Also, try and get your body fat measured by a professional at a gym and see where you are at....and then try using that as a guide, rather than the scale. Also take your measurements.
  • DalexD
    DalexD Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    No way to eating extra calories! I take in 1400 a day and that is it! I always have a negative calorie intake when my day is done.

    That'll harm your body in the long run... It would probably be best not to give this advice to other people.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,710 Member
    Options
    Because your weight is so high, you are probably one of the rare people who actually do build muscle on a calorie deficit. Since the gain is slight, I would probably attribute it to that. However, I will also be the first to tell you that there is no need to swim for more than 60 minutes at a time, unless you're refueling for longer bouts. People have this vision that swimmers are lean because of the long hours they spend in the pool. What they don't see is that many swimmers eat well over 5,000-8,000 calories a day too.
    If you're swimming that long without any kind of protein refueling, then eventually you'll start to lose lean muscle tissue along with fat and you can lower your metabolic rate which will take you much longer to lose the weight you want. IMO, you should use the other 60 minutes to strength train to help retain what muscle you already have.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    Options
    No way to eating extra calories! I take in 1400 a day and that is it! I always have a negative calorie intake when my day is done.

    Well then continue on the way you are going, because it sounds like you are set in your ways. You are not going to find anyone here to support that.

    The fact is that you are not eating enough food to fuel your swimming so your body is holding on to every single bit of fat it can. And it's not healthy.
  • DalexD
    DalexD Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    No way to eating extra calories! I take in 1400 a day and that is it! I always have a negative calorie intake when my day is done.

    Well then continue on the way you are going, because it sounds like you are set in your ways. You are not going to find anyone here to support that.

    The fact is that you are not eating enough food to fuel your swimming so your body is holding on to every single bit of fat it can. And it's not healthy.

    Agreed.
  • SoulSistaSarah
    SoulSistaSarah Posts: 12
    Options
    Because your weight is so high, you are probably one of the rare people who actually do build muscle on a calorie deficit. Since the gain is slight, I would probably attribute it to that. However, I will also be the first to tell you that there is no need to swim for more than 60 minutes at a time, unless you're refueling for longer bouts. People have this vision that swimmers are lean because of the long hours they spend in the pool. What they don't see is that many swimmers eat well over 5,000-8,000 calories a day too.
    If you're swimming that long without any kind of protein refueling, then eventually you'll start to lose lean muscle tissue along with fat and you can lower your metabolic rate which will take you much longer to lose the weight you want. IMO, you should use the other 60 minutes to strength train to help retain what muscle you already have.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition



    How many calories should I be taking in per day then? I'm getting mixed messages from MFP I guess. I'm told there to eat 1400 calories a day. Why eat all the calories back I just lost swimming? Seems counterproductive.
  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
    Options
    Educate yourself. I mean that honestly, not in a mean way.

    Your metabolism is more complex than just burning off or cutting calories... if it was that easy, everyone could be skinny.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/squishycow7/view/so-many-links-so-little-time-233614

    I have a lot of links in that post that should explain things to you. Read #3 and #5 especially.
  • SoulSistaSarah
    SoulSistaSarah Posts: 12
    Options
    Why do you feel I am set in my ways? That's not it at all. I didn't say anything to support that idea. I just answered a question.
  • DalexD
    DalexD Posts: 236 Member
    Options
    How many calories should I be taking in per day then? I'm getting mixed messages from MFP I guess. I'm told there to eat 1400 calories a day. Why eat all the calories back I just lost swimming? Seems counterproductive.

    Because you're already eating at a deficit, MFP calculates that for you already. Your body NEEDS energy; ever tried to run a car without fuel? It's the same thing.

Categories