I started exercising with a friend about 4 weeks ago. We have been going several times a week...spin class on Monday...zumba on tuesday & wednesday...cardio & weights on thursday...and sometimes zumba on saturday!
I have gained almost 4 pounds since we started and I don't understand why!!! I was maintaining my weight just fine when i wasn't exercising...and Im not eating that differently now!
Any advice???
First, stop worrying.
ReplyIf you really have not changed your eating (or, BTW, drinking) habits and have gained four pounds it's a combination of fluid balance and replacing fat with muscle; muscle weighs more than fat. Be careful to NOT drink anything but water during, before, and after your workouts. Just keep doing what you are doing, avoiding energy drinks, even if they're healthy fruit juices) and measure your strategic spots. You may very well discover you lose inches before weight! Since "Jess" can be a fella or a gal, I don't know whether to say, it's possibly related to the hormone swing (again, fluid balance). If you're a fella, no 'excuse' there but I stand by everything above. :-) Just keep doing what you know you should and it will have positive results.
If you're eating more because you're feeling hungry after exercising, then you're going to gain weight. "Not that differently" doesn't mean the same - and exercise doesn't burn off THAT many calories.
Additionally, strenuous exercise can cause you to retain fluid in your muscles which might translate to a few extra pounds. Eventually that part of it will level out.
ReplyHi Jess,
I think alot of people aren't gonna want to hear this, but excercise does not promote weight loss. I am a middle aged woman who has been walking for 6-8 miles 4+ times per week, writing every bite in a food journal, and have eaten dozens of grams of fiber, at 1200 calories per day to no avail.
The ONLY thing that has worked for me has been Medifast. I DON'T work for the company, I carry advanced degrees in education and have been teaching for many years. I don't like medifast, the soy based foods makes me want to hurl, but it worked. The bottom line is this, you need to eat about 900-1000 calories per day, no sugar, low refined carbs and eat frequently. I lost about 4 lbs. per week, (no exageration), and did not feel very hungry.
I think the shakes and bars are great if you eat about 4 or 5 of them per day with a nice dinner of lean protein and plenty of leafy greens or cooked vegetables. It really worked for me.
When I tried to exercise on the program, I became dizzy and felt malnurished, which I was.
After you take the wieght off, it would be wise to exercise in order to get into shape, cuz that's what exercise does, it changes the way your body looks.
I am basing this on my own experience with weight loss in the past 15+ years. I challenge anyone to tell me otherwise.
ReplyMy dad tried medifast and he too saw some incredible results. All said and done he lost around 50 pounds in a relatively short period of time. But he gained it all back right after.
Like the name suggests, medifast is a starvation diet. Yes it does involve regulating glycemic index with its emphasis on small periodic consumption of high protein foods, but behind all of that is its core principle of incredibly low daily caloric intake. This is a recipe for disaster for anyone who wants to KEEP weight off (which is every dieter.)
To say that exercise isn't an effective weight loss method is almost completely wrong. Jess seems to be doing everything right and my message to her is to keep trying and not to lose determination. Exercise with weight lifting and a sensible diet WILL lead to weight loss.
ReplyActually, that is false. I know that "you" think that exercise doesn't burn calories and therefore fat but the "exercise" that you refer to is barely exercise at all. The body needs to be challenged and it sounds as if you are taking a very casual approach to exercise. When the body is really challenged it is often not comfortable or leisure in nature. When you cause microtrauma to the muscles (not a leisure walk) with resistance training, the body must use calories to repair the muscle. There is no getting around it. If you eat 2000 calories a day and burn an extra fifty calories (a very low estimate) per day because of the exercise it will put you at a caloric deficit which, if not replaced by consuming more calories, will lead to weight loss. Do the math, it doesn't lie. May I assume that you agree that you cannot argue proven scientific fact? If you do not agree I assume that you also disbelieve evolution. This matter is way more complicated than I have room or time right now to discuss but you should be ashamed that you propagate the belief that there is no hope if you are over weight. How many people have you poisoned against healthy exercise by what you wrote? I have been a professional trainer for two decades.
ReplyCathy, you should begin writing down everything you eat and drink daily and make an appointment to see a Registered Dietitian. You may actually be eating too few calories for what your body needs. I know it sounds backward...but too low of a calorie level can slow down your metabolism. Try seeing a licensed, registered dietitian for help.
ReplyI agree that MediFast works, but it is really a calorie restrictive diet that gives you strict structure. What I cannot agree with is that exercise does not result in weight loss - it absolutely does. Calories expended versus calories consumed - that is what weight loss or gain depends on. I will say that you can certainly see much greater weight loss with diet than exercise in the immediate term, but a combination of the two will result in greater loss than either alone.
To the original poster, do not give up after a week - think about how good the exercise is making you feel - and if you don't feel it yet, you will. Keep it up and remember you didn't gain the weight in a week. Stick to a plan and you will get where you want to go.
ReplyHi. I just wanted to tell you my experience with losing weight. I had four children. Two which are in their twenties now, The others are 7 and 4. I was 192. I did not know what to do. I had a program that i bought a few years back. The commercial came on television of the same program. It is from beachbody.com it is called slim in 6 I am in the last phase of this workout. I have lost 40 pounds since Last August. I am now still 33 pounds over weight. I am 41 years old. I workout for 1 hour a day. I stretch 15 minutes prior to working out. I am toning, reshaping my body. This program works. You do have to eat healthy though. Drink water all throughout the day. Exercise like this is what is helping me. SO to anyone out there that is struggling to lose weight. You have to burn it up! I do not work for beachbody but it is changing my life. I feel so much better about myself. You are not going to get thin with a pill, with not eating at all which is a big no no. or with any other programs that claim you can lose weight without exercise. With this exercise you can tone and reshape your body and even get RID of cellulite. You have to work hard to get it. but once you do you will be so proud of yourself. Good Luck to all.
ReplyTo Cathy, I have to strongly disagree with you when you said exercise doesnt promote weight loss. Not only does it help raise your metabolism, but it builds muscle, increased endorphins (helps stabilize moods), and has immeasurable cardiovascular benefits.
The starvation diet of 1000 or less calories probably put your body into starvation mode, and you dont have enough enery to even THINK about exercise at this level. Women should not go below 1200 calories - and this is making sure those 1200 calories include all the food groups and supplementing with a multivitamin.
To JESS: about the question of gaining weight. If you were not toned and muscular before you began the exercise regimen, you could be building muscle, which weighs more than fat. Look up "fit or fat" on the internet - good info. You might gain a few in the beginning, but muscle burns more calories throughout the day, eventually raising your metabolism. Just keep at it!
And Good luck.
ReplyI have had similar results with exercise as has Cathy, though I've not reached the same conclusion. As soon as I start an exercise program, within 2 weeks I am gaining weight. Two weeks is not enough time to build measurable muscle weight, so the water balance explanation seems likely.
Last year I sustained a rotator cuff injury—whilst doing the mildest of exercises (Curves). I had to stop the program for several months because of the pain. Interestingly enough, I never gained back any weight during this "idle" time. But I lost fitness. I am now out of breath just walking up a hill.
Needless to say, I am mortified at my current state. PLUS I have finally begun to regain the weight. It's amazing how long it takes for our body to respond to anything, whether positive or negative.
The other bummer is that after so long a time out of the program, I have lost the habit. I have convinced myself that "I don't have time" to exercise, whereas I found the time before! Go figure.
Moral of the story: Once you start a good habit, don't stop.
Replyhey everyone glad to read your comment and it makes feel very motivated. keep up the good work and donot give up. i do agree sometimes change is good and i also am facing a similar situation. i used to weigh 230lbs and i am a little over 5'9 1/2. i workout and i have been for about 4yrs now. i had got down to 170 to 175. i have been running about 4mi a day because running is the quickest way to loose weight and its better than being indoors on treadmill. sometimes depending on the time i have available i will run 2 - 3mi. or 6mi. but most of time its 4mi. everyday during the week. every winter i tend to pick up weight and this winter i having more of a problem of getting my weight back down under 180. now it flunctuates from 185 to 190. i do understand during the winter it is cold in the south so i donot run as hard as i would during the summer and plus you sweat more than the summer. my mom tells me i should change my diet during the winter and then when the summer comes around i can go back to just eating what i want. some people say that you cannot eat what you want and expect to loose weight but apparently i have been with no problem. i really think i am gaining weight because of the change in weather and not being able to excerise as hard as i would like as during the summer. i kind of like to run because i feel that whatever i eat i can run it off and plus it keeps the metabolism up. i hoping that this summer as gets hotter and i continue to run that my weight will reduce back if not i am going to be very disappointed. people say i should change up my workout routine, which i do. i do taebo often on days that its either raining, cold or if i am tired i will do my taebo. primarily i always thought that running or jogging would be the most effective and quickest way to take off weight and keep it off. also it makes your calves look AWESOME in heels. open for some advice.
ReplyHi all - I'm also very frustrated, and as, despite running between 8 and 10 miles everyday (up to 15 at the weekends), and doing kettlebell workouts, I've actually gained 14 pounds since last year. I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I've gone up 2 dress sizes..what can I do? Thanks
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