how do you lose weight without building muscle at the gym?

I had the same thing happen..I gained 14 lbs of muscle since February. I love muscle and I build it really easy but I had to reevaluate what my ultimate goals were. Well seems to me that I want lean and toned. Since decreasing my gym time very dramatically (almost altogether) and eating reasonable calories combined with clean food (diary is public) I am loosing again. I have just been doing my at home videos and plan on going to the gym for a big cardio session only once a week.

Good luck with all your goals!!!!

sorry but you more than likely did not gain 6 pounds of muscle in that time.. your newbie gains will be 1-2 pounds AT MOST and then it will cap offf..

it takes male bodybuilders approximately 2 years of hard work with heavy weights, specialized diets where they eat well over their maintenance , as well as supplements to gain 6 pounds of muscle in 2 years, so the odds of you gaining 6 pounds of muscle in 4 months (or 14 pounds in 2 months) is pretty much impossible unless you're taking a crap load of steroids.

if you were gaining weight (and you're certain that it wasnt water retention) then it happened because you were eating more than you maintenance, not because of your exercise

but to answer your question if you eat at a deficit then you wont gain muscle and can still work out with weights.

I had the same thing happen..I gained 14 lbs of muscle since February. I love muscle and I build it really easy but I had to reevaluate what my ultimate goals were. Well seems to me that I want lean and toned. Since decreasing my gym time very dramatically (almost altogether) and eating reasonable calories combined with clean food (diary is public) I am loosing again. I have just been doing my at home videos and plan on going to the gym for a big cardio session only once a week.

Good luck with all your goals!!!!

If you really did that then every professional bodybuilder would want to be on your regimen.


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

I had the same thing happen..I gained 14 lbs of muscle since February. I love muscle and I build it really easy but I had to reevaluate what my ultimate goals were. Well seems to me that I want lean and toned. Since decreasing my gym time very dramatically (almost altogether) and eating reasonable calories combined with clean food (diary is public) I am loosing again. I have just been doing my at home videos and plan on going to the gym for a big cardio session only once a week.

Good luck with all your goals!!!!

If you really did that then every professional bodybuilder would want to be on your regimen.


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

I'd be happy to share... Kidding.

Who knows...It wasn't "fat" that's for sure. "fat" as in I was not becoming "fatty looking" or gaining sizes in clothes...I just started feeling "bulky" bloated and not like myself. (and I know bulky is a trigger word for debate...but it is how I felt...personally) Just trying to answer her question. I found that by reducing my gym time I started loosing...when I was going daily and burning tons and tons of calories I was gaining.

When the demand for glycogen and water (for muscle repair) is reduced, then weight will go down. That's a given since the combination of glycogen and water being stored in muscle and liver can easily add up to 4-9lbs of weight depending on the size of the individual. Glycogen and water are stored in muscle and liver with the body's anticipation of "working" out if you've just completed a hard session.


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

I had the same thing happen..I gained 14 lbs of muscle since February. I love muscle and I build it really easy but I had to reevaluate what my ultimate goals were. Well seems to me that I want lean and toned. Since decreasing my gym time very dramatically (almost altogether) and eating reasonable calories combined with clean food (diary is public) I am loosing again. I have just been doing my at home videos and plan on going to the gym for a big cardio session only once a week.

Good luck with all your goals!!!!

If you really did that then every professional bodybuilder would want to be on your regimen.


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

I'm not disputing the theory that a person can only gain a few lbs in a month, but I want to share my experience because I believe that I gained far more than that.

When I was 21 years old, I was a former fit person. I went to a boarding school with a dance program and I loved to dance so I took as much as I could. I regularly danced 20 hours a week.

By the time I was 21, I had lost most of that fitness. I rarely worked out even though I was still thin. I signed up for a wilderness leadership course, which was a month long program where we would travel 125 miles carrying packs across the mountains. The recommendation was that a person was supposed to prepare for the course for at least six months beforehand, but I didn't do that. I worked out a few times, but I was honestly unprepared for how strenuous the program was and I paid for it.

It was a part of the program that we were weighed at the beginning and the end of the program and that on the last day we put on the clothes we had taken off on the first day, so there was that kind of measure of how differently our clothes fit and whether we had gained or lost weight.

At the beginning of the program I weighed 104 lbs and my pants fit me. I would say that they were probably even a little tight in the waist. I carried an ~80 lb pack, so that would be ~80% of my weight. We hiked at least 8 hours a day, ~3,000 vertical feet per day, and rock climbed on our off days. The accumulated vertical feet was ~75,000, so you could say that would be approximately equivalent of taking 120,000 stair steps while carrying 80 lbs, except that would be a little easier since stairs are easier terrain. I ate like a pig. In fact, most of the other people taking the course had the manners not to complain outright, but I got the side-eye and some significant looks over how much I ate. One rude person told me I was going to get fat. I couldn't help it. I was hungry. I also felt no guilt. I knew I was a thin person and I didn't feel that their fat-shaming was appropriate. I felt sick that some of the other women who looked perfect and gorgeous to me complained about needing to lose weight. I thought that they were crazy.

I was sore almost continuously. I was miserable. I was in pain from head to toe. I was the very definition of overtraining, but I had to keep going, so I did. Eventually, my body stopped hurting so much, so I was definitely becoming stronger and gaining endurance.

At the end of the course, I weighed 118 lbs. Almost everyone else lost weight or stayed almost the same weight. When I put my clothes on, my pants were noticeably looser. I had gained 14 lbs and my body was as solid as a rock. I loved how I looked. I could twitch my big toe toe and a calf muscle would twitch in response. I loved that my legs were that muscular. I had become extremely fit in a very short time period, but I had put at least 200 hrs of extremely painful hard work into it!

So, did I really gain as much muscle mass as I believe I did? It certainly seemed like it could not have been fat, given how extremely thin I was to begin with and how much smaller my waist was at the end. It doesn't seem plausible that I only gained 2 lbs of muscle mass. After all, I carry all my excess weight around my waist. It's where my fat cells like to party.

I had the same thing happen..I gained 14 lbs of muscle since February. I love muscle and I build it really easy but I had to reevaluate what my ultimate goals were. Well seems to me that I want lean and toned. Since decreasing my gym time very dramatically (almost altogether) and eating reasonable calories combined with clean food (diary is public) I am loosing again. I have just been doing my at home videos and plan on going to the gym for a big cardio session only once a week.

Good luck with all your goals!!!!

If you really did that then every professional bodybuilder would want to be on your regimen.


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

I'm not disputing the theory that a person can only gain a few lbs in a month, but I want to share my experience because I believe that I gained far more than that.

When I was 21 years old, I was a former fit person. I went to a boarding school with a dance program and I loved to dance so I took as much as I could. I regularly danced 20 hours a week.

By the time I was 21, I had lost most of that fitness. I rarely worked out even though I was still thin. I signed up for a wilderness leadership course, which was a month long program where we would travel 125 miles carrying packs across the mountains. The recommendation was that a person was supposed to prepare for the course for at least six months beforehand, but I didn't do that. I worked out a few times, but I was honestly unprepared for how strenuous the program was and I paid for it.

It was a part of the program that we were weighed at the beginning and the end of the program and that on the last day we put on the clothes we had taken off on the first day, so there was that kind of measure of how differently our clothes fit and whether we had gained or lost weight.

At the beginning of the program I weighed 104 lbs and my pants fit me. I would say that they were probably even a little tight in the waist. I carried an ~80 lb pack, so that would be ~80% of my weight. We hiked at least 8 hours a day, ~3,000 vertical feet per day, and rock climbed on our off days. The accumulated vertical feet was ~75,000, so you could say that would be approximately equivalent of taking 75,000 stair steps while wearing a 80 lb pack. I ate like a pig. In fact, most of the other people taking the course had the manners not to complain outright, but I got the side-eye and some significant looks over how much I ate. One rude person told me I was going to get fat. I couldn't help it. I was hungry. I also felt no guilt. I knew I was a thin person and I didn't feel that their fat-shaming was appropriate. I felt sick that some of the other women who looked perfect and gorgeous to me complained about needing to lose weight. I thought that they were crazy.

I was sore almost continuously. I was miserable. I was in pain from head to toe. I was the very definition of overtraining, but I had to keep going, so I did. Eventually, my body stopped hurting so much, so I was definitely becoming stronger and gaining endurance.

At the end of the course, I weighed 118 lbs. Almost everyone else lost weight or stayed almost the same weight. When I put my clothes on, my pants were noticeably looser. I had gained 14 lbs and my body was as solid as a rock. I loved how I looked. I could twitch my big toe toe and a calf muscle would twitch in response. I loved that my legs were that muscular. I had become extremely fit in a very short time period, but I had put at least 200 hrs of extremely painful hard work into it!

So, did I really gain as much muscle mass as I believe I did? It certainly seemed like it could not have been fat, given how extremely thin I was to begin with and how much smaller my waist was at the end. It doesn't seem plausible that I only gained 2 lbs of muscle mass. After all, I carry all my excess weight around my waist. It's where my fat cells like to party.

Some people are genetically pre-disposed to gaining/loosing fast, but the vast majority of people will not gain 14 pounds of muscle doing anything (without increased cals and "extra" help - like HGH) let alone humping all over the mountain ranges
Bone density can also increase under loads and stress. So even though the scale will move up, it doesn't always mean muscle mass increase. Increased density in bone will increase weight with no noticeable increase in volume. Then if you're sore and stiff etc, your body will retain water. Muscle can also be gained but, it it is unlikely that the day or week after going from zero to high volume workout and seeing a big spike on the scale can be attributed to 100% muscle gain. I'd bet that a week or so after weighing in at 118 pounds, assuming you didn't gain extra weight from other sources (like eating more), that the scale went back down.
There are times, after a really strenuous workout - like I just moved 10000+ pounds from ground to over head (this is cumulative) or a bunch of really heavy back squats and high volume push-ups and bench press. I will definitely see an increase in weight and some of my muscles are noticeably increased in volume (the pump but it lasts for a day or so). This will go away. The scale may move 6-7 pounds but it will go back with adequate rest and recovery.

sorry but you more than likely did not gain 6 pounds of muscle in that time.. your newbie gains will be 1-2 pounds AT MOST and then it will cap offf..

This. Females can't build much muscle unless they have abnormally high levels of testosterone in their body or are on some sort of crazy body building plan. You may get stronger, but you won't get much actual muscle mass.

I had the same thing happen..I gained 14 lbs of muscle since February. I love muscle and I build it really easy but I had to reevaluate what my ultimate goals were. Well seems to me that I want lean and toned. Since decreasing my gym time very dramatically (almost altogether) and eating reasonable calories combined with clean food (diary is public) I am loosing again. I have just been doing my at home videos and plan on going to the gym for a big cardio session only once a week.

Good luck with all your goals!!!!

If you really did that then every professional bodybuilder would want to be on your regimen.


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

I'm not disputing the theory that a person can only gain a few lbs in a month, but I want to share my experience because I believe that I gained far more than that.

When I was 21 years old, I was a former fit person. I went to a boarding school with a dance program and I loved to dance so I took as much as I could. I regularly danced 20 hours a week.

By the time I was 21, I had lost most of that fitness. I rarely worked out even though I was still thin. I signed up for a wilderness leadership course, which was a month long program where we would travel 125 miles carrying packs across the mountains. The recommendation was that a person was supposed to prepare for the course for at least six months beforehand, but I didn't do that. I worked out a few times, but I was honestly unprepared for how strenuous the program was and I paid for it.

It was a part of the program that we were weighed at the beginning and the end of the program and that on the last day we put on the clothes we had taken off on the first day, so there was that kind of measure of how differently our clothes fit and whether we had gained or lost weight.

At the beginning of the program I weighed 104 lbs and my pants fit me. I would say that they were probably even a little tight in the waist. I carried an ~80 lb pack, so that would be ~80% of my weight. We hiked at least 8 hours a day, ~3,000 vertical feet per day, and rock climbed on our off days. The accumulated vertical feet was ~75,000, so you could say that would be approximately equivalent of taking 120,000 stair steps while carrying 80 lbs. I ate like a pig. In fact, most of the other people taking the course had the manners not to complain outright, but I got the side-eye and some significant looks over how much I ate. One rude person told me I was going to get fat. I couldn't help it. I was hungry. I also felt no guilt. I knew I was a thin person and I didn't feel that their fat-shaming was appropriate. I felt sick that some of the other women who looked perfect and gorgeous to me complained about needing to lose weight. I thought that they were crazy.

I was sore almost continuously. I was miserable. I was in pain from head to toe. I was the very definition of overtraining, but I had to keep going, so I did. Eventually, my body stopped hurting so much, so I was definitely becoming stronger and gaining endurance.

At the end of the course, I weighed 118 lbs. Almost everyone else lost weight or stayed almost the same weight. When I put my clothes on, my pants were noticeably looser. I had gained 14 lbs and my body was as solid as a rock. I loved how I looked. I could twitch my big toe toe and a calf muscle would twitch in response. I loved that my legs were that muscular. I had become extremely fit in a very short time period, but I had put at least 200 hrs of extremely painful hard work into it!

So, did I really gain as much muscle mass as I believe I did? It certainly seemed like it could not have been fat, given how extremely thin I was to begin with and how much smaller my waist was at the end. It doesn't seem plausible that I only gained 2 lbs of muscle mass. After all, I carry all my excess weight around my waist. It's where my fat cells like to party.

Some people are genetically pre-disposed to gaining/loosing fast, but the vast majority of people will not gain 14 pounds of muscle doing anything (without increased cals and "extra" help - like HGH) let alone humping all over the mountain ranges
Bone density can also increase under loads and stress. So even though the scale will move up, it doesn't always mean muscle mass increase. Increased density in bone will increase weight with no noticeable increase in volume. Then if you're sore and stiff etc, your body will retain water. Muscle can also be gained but, it it is unlikely that the day or week after going from zero to high volume workout and seeing a big spike on the scale can be attributed to 100% muscle gain. I'd bet that a week or so after weighing in at 118 pounds, assuming you didn't gain extra weight from other sources (like eating more), that the scale went back down.
There are times, after a really strenuous workout - like I just moved 10000+ pounds from ground to over head (this is cumulative) or a bunch of really heavy back squats and high volume push-ups and bench press. I will definitely see an increase in weight and some of my muscles are noticeably increased in volume (the pump but it lasts for a day or so). This will go away. The scale may move 6-7 pounds but it will go back with adequate rest and recovery.

The weight didn't drop off me and my muscles didn't deflate a week later. I stayed really buff for a very long time. I loved it. I loved showing off my legs especially. It was great!

Like I said, I did eat a lot more than anyone else, so I did have a significant increase in calories, and most of the other people didn't gain that weight, but they ate less than me and most of the other people started off being a lot more fit than I was. They were all athletes at the time. I started off as the weakest of the bunch and from my experience working out when I've had a period of inactivity, initial gains happen the fastest.

In your example, did you work out fairly strenuously about 25 hours a week?

As I said, some people are genetically predisposed to gaining and bone density can increase. So you may be the exception to the rule.
No, my workout example was for one workout only.
Do you think that if you were to repeat what you did, from where you are now, that you'll gain another 14 pounds ?
How much do you weigh now ?

I had not considered bone density, but I doubt that could account for much weight. Perhaps I'm underestimating the difference in weight between dense bones and soft ones? I will have to research this for sure.

I weigh 106.5 lbs now and I've been sedentary because I had a baby and then I broke my patella and had to go through physical therapy to reach the point I'm at now, so I am currently very unfit. I am also almost 16 years older! I doubt my body would respond the way that it did when I was 21 years old.

I wouldn't repeat it as an experiment anyway. In addition to not having the time and not wanting to go through the daily excruciating pain I went through, I also got achilles tendonitis in both ankles and I was on crutches for weeks afterwards. Not only that, without the motivation of completing the wilderness leadership course and getting four credits, I don't think I could will myself on my own to do it. It was just too hard! I should have listened to my body and stopped, but I'm a tough little thing when properly motivated. It's the dancer in me.

I'm another one went through a period of apparently gaining muscle (years ago, now). I think I gained about 8lb, maybe more, after starting exercising intensely. I'm pretty sure it was muscle as the muscles were really obvious! My legs got bigger (couldn't wear my knee boots any more as my calves got too big) and the muscles were defined. I felt that my legs looked like (male) footballer's legs! I'm not aware that I had any testosterone imbalance at the time. It looks like it can happen to some of us.

I had the same thing happen..I gained 14 lbs of muscle since February. I love muscle and I build it really easy but I had to reevaluate what my ultimate goals were. Well seems to me that I want lean and toned. Since decreasing my gym time very dramatically (almost altogether) and eating reasonable calories combined with clean food (diary is public) I am loosing again. I have just been doing my at home videos and plan on going to the gym for a big cardio session only once a week.

Good luck with all your goals!!!!

If you really did that then every professional bodybuilder would want to be on your regimen.


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

I'm not disputing the theory that a person can only gain a few lbs in a month, but I want to share my experience because I believe that I gained far more than that.

When I was 21 years old, I was a former fit person. I went to a boarding school with a dance program and I loved to dance so I took as much as I could. I regularly danced 20 hours a week.

By the time I was 21, I had lost most of that fitness. I rarely worked out even though I was still thin. I signed up for a wilderness leadership course, which was a month long program where we would travel 125 miles carrying packs across the mountains. The recommendation was that a person was supposed to prepare for the course for at least six months beforehand, but I didn't do that. I worked out a few times, but I was honestly unprepared for how strenuous the program was and I paid for it.

It was a part of the program that we were weighed at the beginning and the end of the program and that on the last day we put on the clothes we had taken off on the first day, so there was that kind of measure of how differently our clothes fit and whether we had gained or lost weight.

At the beginning of the program I weighed 104 lbs and my pants fit me. I would say that they were probably even a little tight in the waist. I carried an ~80 lb pack, so that would be ~80% of my weight. We hiked at least 8 hours a day, ~3,000 vertical feet per day, and rock climbed on our off days. The accumulated vertical feet was ~75,000, so you could say that would be approximately equivalent of taking 120,000 stair steps while carrying 80 lbs. I ate like a pig. In fact, most of the other people taking the course had the manners not to complain outright, but I got the side-eye and some significant looks over how much I ate. One rude person told me I was going to get fat. I couldn't help it. I was hungry. I also felt no guilt. I knew I was a thin person and I didn't feel that their fat-shaming was appropriate. I felt sick that some of the other women who looked perfect and gorgeous to me complained about needing to lose weight. I thought that they were crazy.

I was sore almost continuously. I was miserable. I was in pain from head to toe. I was the very definition of overtraining, but I had to keep going, so I did. Eventually, my body stopped hurting so much, so I was definitely becoming stronger and gaining endurance.

At the end of the course, I weighed 118 lbs. Almost everyone else lost weight or stayed almost the same weight. When I put my clothes on, my pants were noticeably looser. I had gained 14 lbs and my body was as solid as a rock. I loved how I looked. I could twitch my big toe toe and a calf muscle would twitch in response. I loved that my legs were that muscular. I had become extremely fit in a very short time period, but I had put at least 200 hrs of extremely painful hard work into it!

So, did I really gain as much muscle mass as I believe I did? It certainly seemed like it could not have been fat, given how extremely thin I was to begin with and how much smaller my waist was at the end. It doesn't seem plausible that I only gained 2 lbs of muscle mass. After all, I carry all my excess weight around my waist. It's where my fat cells like to party.

Some people are genetically pre-disposed to gaining/loosing fast, but the vast majority of people will not gain 14 pounds of muscle doing anything (without increased cals and "extra" help - like HGH) let alone humping all over the mountain ranges
Bone density can also increase under loads and stress. So even though the scale will move up, it doesn't always mean muscle mass increase. Increased density in bone will increase weight with no noticeable increase in volume. Then if you're sore and stiff etc, your body will retain water. Muscle can also be gained but, it it is unlikely that the day or week after going from zero to high volume workout and seeing a big spike on the scale can be attributed to 100% muscle gain. I'd bet that a week or so after weighing in at 118 pounds, assuming you didn't gain extra weight from other sources (like eating more), that the scale went back down.
There are times, after a really strenuous workout - like I just moved 10000+ pounds from ground to over head (this is cumulative) or a bunch of really heavy back squats and high volume push-ups and bench press. I will definitely see an increase in weight and some of my muscles are noticeably increased in volume (the pump but it lasts for a day or so). This will go away. The scale may move 6-7 pounds but it will go back with adequate rest and recovery.

The weight didn't drop off me and my muscles didn't deflate a week later. I stayed really buff for a very long time. I loved it. I loved showing off my legs especially. It was great!

Like I said, I did eat a lot more than anyone else, so I did have a significant increase in calories, and most of the other people didn't gain that weight, but they ate less than me and most of the other people started off being a lot more fit than I was. They were all athletes at the time. I started off as the weakest of the bunch and from my experience working out when I've had a period of inactivity, initial gains happen the fastest.

In your example, did you work out fairly strenuously about 25 hours a week?

As I said, some people are genetically predisposed to gaining and bone density can increase. So you may be the exception to the rule.
No, my workout example was for one workout only.
Do you think that if you were to repeat what you did, from where you are now, that you'll gain another 14 pounds ?
How much do you weigh now ?

I weigh 106.5 lbs now and I've been sedentary because I had a baby and then I broke my patella and had to go through physical therapy to reach the point I'm at now, so I am currently very unfit. I am also almost 16 years older!

I wouldn't repeat it as an experiment anyway. In addition to not having the time and not wanting to go through the daily excruciating pain I went through, I also got achilles tendonitis in both ankles and I was on crutches for weeks afterwards. Not only that, without the motivation of completing the wilderness leadership course and getting four credits, I don't think I could will myself on my own to do it. It was just too hard! I should have listened to my body and stopped, but I'm a tough little thing when properly motivated. It's the dancer in me.

I had not considered bone density, but I doubt that could account for much weight. Perhaps I'm underestimating the difference in weight between dense bones and soft ones? I will have to research this for sure.

Oh nuts. The good 'ole days:) I wish it were more recent. I dare say that back then the scale did go back down unless you have a super-dooper memory and actually weighed yourself again. I'm not saying that the scale didn't go up and that muscle wasn't built, but that amount is just abnormal.
For me, after the scale comes back down I look better than before anyway because any inflammation is gone and my vascularity and leanness shows up better - which means everything looks better. Now whether i gained anything substantial from one workout is a different story. But the result over time is the same. I do damage (as-in workout etc) and the scale goes up. After a while, the scale comes back down. In the long run muscle is built and I get leaner. Assuming my cal intake is appropriate. Sometimes, the scale is up for a week or two too - just because of what i happen to be doing. But just as fast as it went up, it can come back down too. The long-term trend is consistent though. Small gains/losses with spikes up and down all over the place.
It's kind of like I weigh way less after walking 36 holes of competitive golf in one day, under the hot sun - like we do for the usga public links championship or us open sectionals. I may weight 10 pounds less that when I started ..... but it's only temporary and doesn't mean I lost 10# of fat or muscle right? But if I did that for two weeks straight, everyday, then it is likely I will lose that 10#. (but would probably burn out well before then).