Working harder, gaining weight!

[TheMasterMind776]

Ok, so I am puzzled. Hopefully somebody has answers for me. I have been doing this diet and losing about 2 lbs a week. very slow and steady which was fine. But, I am trying to incorporate weight lifting and cardio into the mix. I was 211.0 last week. 7 days ago. Today, and for the past 3 days I am 215.5. My cardio is pretty severe. I ran for 2.5 miles on Saturday and walked/ran another 3.5 miles. I then did the stationary bike. I made sure I didn't leave the gym until it claimed I burnt 1000 calories. Most days, I will run 3 miles and walk until I burn 500 calories. Then follow with an hour of weight lifting. So now I am so confused as to why I have gained weight. I mean some can say it's muscle weight. I assume that is a possibility, but that's a lot of weight. Does anybody have any suggestions or ideas? My diet has no changed at all.

[msanjelpie]

When you start an exercise program you are working muscles you haven't worked in awhile... this causes water retention as the muscles hang on to extra water so that they can provide you with the extra workload you are demanding of them.

Keep up the good work. The muscles will release the water when they catch up to where they need to be strength wise...

[kibskix]

yep, working out a lot makes you retain water in your muscles. Also working out that much you need to make sure you eat more protein.

[Sunny_0ne]

TMM, part of it could be the excess water your muscles are holding onto (which it probably is, as that is quite a workout), and part of it could be muscle.

With the small amount of exercise I do, my calves are an inch bigger around and so are my upper arms. So that obviously weighs more than fat.

Also, all of the articles on exercise I've read say that your muscles need rest days.

Sunday is my rest day, and I have noticed I ALWAYS weigh less on Monday morning than I do on Sunday morning. I think the rest allows the muscles to release the extra water they are hanging onto.

[liv]

It is really interesting. But when you work out like this you really learn that this idea of calorie in - calorie out is just plain BS.
Anyways congratulations on working out. It will get you in great shape - improve your health and your metabolism and help you keep losing - once your body adjust to all this.

But also allow yourself rest days. In exercise restdays are more important than pushing yourself too much.

[TheMasterMind776]

Thanks guys. I do allow rest days. I do Chest and tri's on Monday, Back and bi's on Tuesday, shoulders on Wednesday, legs on Thursday. And each day I run except Sunday. Then do the whole process over again. My brother is 340lbs and by competing with him on who can lose more weight faster is the only way I can get him to lose weight. So I gave him my Atkins book and he has been doing well. He's down to about 295 now. The thing is, we do 3 week contests for a older car I have. We do it by percentage like the biggest loser. If he wins this one though he has won, (best out of three) and I am scared he will give up to easy temptations. So it is vital for me to win this way I can still offer him the car if he continues to lose the weight. Since we only have 15 more days before the end of possible our last competition, do you think I should hold off on the weight training and just concentrate on the cardio?

[ziggy]

when i whent on the diet at about 315 pounds i lost weight fast then it slowed down and then a giant stall at 250 pounds

i found out the stall was from whole wheat wraps that i started eating around 250 pounds even though they were just 10 net carbs each and very thin and today i found out thats a rung 9 food and back then i knew nothing about rungs

i stoped eating that food and very slowly whent down to 230 pounds and have been that ever since

but heres the thing back then i never whent to the GYM i just walked about 15 hours a week

but now i have been going to the gym as well as walking for over a year now and my weight has not changed at all its still 230 pounds but i have lost a TON more fat and gained a TON of muscle and i look and feel a **** of a lot better

[chinadoll]

If you are after loss, yes just do cardio until you finish the competition. Don't do wacky difficult cardio, do a comfortable fat burning pace for at least 45 mins and throw in intervals as you go. That will probably give you your best loss short term. Also reduce your salts a day or so before weigh in and drink a lot up until eight hours before you weigh in. Then I would have a couple cups of green tea to make you urinate all the water out before you step on the scale.

[TheMasterMind776]

Ziggy, 15 hours a week is impressive. good for you!! I'm so confused to how you are still at 230lbs if you were going to the gym. Your basically saying your fat was melting and at the same time your muscle weight was going up... That's great. I'm glad that worked for you. I have just been heavy for so long, I just want to see myself thing. I don't want a trade off right away. I would rather get down to about 185 and then start putting on muscle so I can see the whole transformation. I would rather be skinny then built. So I am taking Chinadoll's advice for now and just doing Cardio, at least for another month. I mean now I am 216.5. I just keep going up and up and it's really discouraging since I was 211.0 not very long ago. Chinadoll - Green Tea will really make me dehydrated?

[planetclaire]

You might be overtraining...I am guilty of that myself, I go-go-go and then my weight goes up. Make sure you have at least 1 day off a week where you do nothing except maybe walking if you feel like you need to stay active.

And I need to take my own advice, the scale keeps going up right now.