UGHH!!!

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casamelsmom
casamelsmom Posts: 54
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been going to the gym for 5 weeks. First 2 weeks I went 3x/week. Next 3 weeks I went 5x/week. I do between 30-60 minutes a day. So, 5 weeks of exercise = gaining 5 lbs!!! WHAT??!!?? I know I am building muscle. I know it weighs more than fat. I know I am healthier. My boss (director of physical therapy) told me all this stuff but IT STILL MAKES ME MAD!!! Help me keep going! When I was just doing the south beach diet, I lost 30 lbs! Now, I am gaining! :sad:

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  • usmcwifeb15
    usmcwifeb15 Posts: 470 Member
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    Are you eating your recommended calories a day? That can have a lot to do with it. How many calories are you burning at the gym? FYI muscle actually does not weigh more than fat.......No, muscle does not weigh more than fat. A pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat—they both weigh one pound!

    This commonly cited gym cliché is somewhat misunderstood and misused. The rationale that muscle weighs more than fat is often cited as an explanation for why a person might find that they aren’t losing weight, or are gaining weight, when they kick off an exercise regimen. The idea seems to be that if you are exercising—and theoretically losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time—the effects cancel each other out. So, in theory, you won’t see desired weight loss as measured by pounds on the scale, even though you may be improving how you look.

    You certainly can improve your appearance with exercise without always seeing a change in your body weight—by becoming firmer, more sculpted and sometimes leaner. But that doesn’t mean that you are gaining massive amounts of muscle, or losing lots of fat

    I just discovered this recently and thought I would post it for you. Just keep working at it and really watch what you eat because thats the weight gainer.
  • trillium
    trillium Posts: 16
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    Actually, what they mean when they say that muscle weighs more than fat is that when you take a piece of muscle say 6 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches and compare that to fat of the same dimensions, muscle weighs more. They aren't talking literally, they're talking in size comparison.

    I'm in school to become a personal trainer and today we learned that lower intensity cardio for a longer duration will actually burn more fat calories than higher intensity cardio for a shorter period. So if you feel you need/want to lose fat, lower the intensity of your cardio but do it for longer.

    I hear you on the gain thing though. I'm going through the same thing and it sucks. I have determined that it is because I'm not doing enough cardio and when I am, I may not be reaching my target heart rate. The same could be true for you.

    As well, what she said about eating your calories is very important. Especially your exercise ones. If you put your body into starvation mode it will become stubborn about giving up fat stores.

    Oh... one more thing I wanted to point out, with muscle gain comes higher water retention. Not in a bad way, just that the more muscles you have, the more water your body needs/uses, so some of it could be added water weight... again, not in a bad way.

    Hope this helps! :)
  • savanahspring
    savanahspring Posts: 27
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    FYI-- a pound of anything weighs as much as a pound of anything else. What "muscle weighs more than fat" means, is that muscle is more dense. If you looked at a pound of fat and a pound of muscle there would be much more fat to make up to pound than there would be muscle in the pound. Much like if you looked at a pound of feathers a pound of gold...there would be a lot more feathers. If you took the same VOLUME of fat and muscle and compared them, muscle would weigh more.

    This is why you can not lose actual weight, but still lose inches. You are replacing that bulgy fat with lean muscle
  • savanahspring
    savanahspring Posts: 27
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    Actually, what they mean when they say that muscle weighs more than fat is that when you take a piece of muscle say 6 inches by 6 inches by 2 inches and compare that to fat of the same dimensions, muscle weighs more. They aren't talking literally, they're talking in size comparison.

    oops...you posted yours while I was posting mine...didn't mean to repeat!
  • usmcwifeb15
    usmcwifeb15 Posts: 470 Member
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    FYI-- a pound of anything weighs as much as a pound of anything else. What "muscle weighs more than fat" means, is that muscle is more dense. If you looked at a pound of fat and a pound of muscle there would be much more fat to make up to pound than there would be muscle in the pound. Much like if you looked at a pound of feathers a pound of gold...there would be a lot more feathers. If you took the same VOLUME of fat and muscle and compared them, muscle would weigh more.

    This is why you can not lose actual weight, but still lose inches. You are replacing that bulgy fat with lean muscle

    Wow I think I said the same thing above but thanks for the repeat. :smile:
  • snowflakes
    snowflakes Posts: 640 Member
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    FYI-- a pound of anything weighs as much as a pound of anything else. What "muscle weighs more than fat" means, is that muscle is more dense. If you looked at a pound of fat and a pound of muscle there would be much more fat to make up to pound than there would be muscle in the pound. Much like if you looked at a pound of feathers a pound of gold...there would be a lot more feathers. If you took the same VOLUME of fat and muscle and compared them, muscle would weigh more.

    This is why you can not lose actual weight, but still lose inches. You are replacing that bulgy fat with lean muscle
    I appreciate your explanation. That is that best comparison, I'm going to remember this one!
  • vraehn
    vraehn Posts: 1,008
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    I was reading today that it is best to do 2 days on a low carb diet and one day when you eat more carbs. The reasoning is that high protein helps lose weight and builds muscle and the brain and high carbs give energy. Therefore, 2 days to build muscle and lose fat and one day to keep up energy levels. Has anyone tried this?

    I lost 10 lbs in 4 weeks and now for 10 days I stay the same. I am unable to exercise due to bone-to-bone (no joint) in my ankle.
  • casamelsmom
    casamelsmom Posts: 54
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    I was reading today that it is best to do 2 days on a low carb diet and one day when you eat more carbs. The reasoning is that high protein helps lose weight and builds muscle and the brain and high carbs give energy. Therefore, 2 days to build muscle and lose fat and one day to keep up energy levels. Has anyone tried this?

    I lost 10 lbs in 4 weeks and now for 10 days I stay the same. I am unable to exercise due to bone-to-bone (no joint) in my ankle.

    I heard that too. I did South Beach Diet phase 1 for 2 months. I did not exercise. I drank 1/2 my body weight in oz of water a day. I lost 25 lbs in 4 months. 5 more in the next month. Then, nothing. I kept it off for 3 years. Now, I am going on phase 1 and exercising and hopefully it will work.

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