Hi DM,
I am kinda upset today.
After 2 weeks of gym and controlling my food intake; I was at my friends place getting ready to go to the gym and she had this bathroom weighing scale. So she told me to just weigh myself, and to my surprise I weighed 63.8kg – thats an increase from 62.8kg the last I weighed when I just started at Fitness First. Imagine the horror… I was so upset that I ended up not going to the gym. I did not imagine any miracles happening, but I did not expect to put on weight as I have not missed a day of gym since the first day I have joined.
I am not too sure what am I doing wrong or the weight increase is something normal. I have been going for nearly 1 1/2 hours of gym – involve loads of cardio… from treadmill to cycling..and loads of other stuffs.. I use to be unable to even jog for 5 minutes when I joined and now I am able to jog for at least 10 minutes non-stop…
I have also changed my diet.. I take oats/cereal/nestum in the morning for breakfast (which I never use to take anything for breakfast before) .. lunch consists of mixed rice (I only eat 1 quarter of the portion of what I used to take previously) and dinner will be fruits + sandwich or steam veges..
I will be talking this over with my Personal Trainer tomorrow and see what I am doing wrong. But I would really like to get some feedback from you as frankly I feel really inspired from reading your blog everyday. I have been reading all your old posts (those that I have not read)…
Thanks for taking the time to read this.. Really do appreciate it.
Uncertain
Dear Uncertain,
Let me explain what your body is currently going through:
The weight gain you have experienced is absolutely normal. It is known as the ‘initial weight gain’ which happens to many people when they begin a comprehensive exercise program which includes cardiorespiratory training, resistance training(exercising with weights), and flexibility training. This scares many people – women especially.
So why did you gain weight?
You see, the weighing scale is actually not very smart. It cannot tell the difference between muscle weight and fat weight. The scale only measures our total weight. If you strapped on a backpack to yourself and stood on the scale, does it mean that you have become fatter when the scale shows an increase in weight? No, of course not.
When you start to exercise you tend to gain lean weight (fat-free weight). So, you may not lose weight on the scale for a few weeks, or even a few months. Like I said, this is normal, and you shouldn’t worry. Fat weight is being lost, and lean weight is being added at about the same rate. You’re losing fat and gaining muscle! How incredible is that! That’s why it is not a good practice to weigh yourself every week to measure progress.
Standard height/weight charts also cannot tell us how much fat we carry. For example, the BMI (body mass index) classifies me as overweight – just a little short from being obese – but I am absolutely PRETTY sure that I am not overweight. Why does this happen? These standards/measurements are just averages that have been determined for average, healthy people. We are individuals, with different problems, and different conditions/circumstances, so our results can vary.
One reasonably accurate method to measure changes in body composition is to do a skin fold measurement test. A competent Personal Trainer can take a three-point skin fold measurement (chest, abdomen and thigh for men and triceps, supra-iliac and thigh for women) and determine your bodyfat percentage using the Jackson-Pollock methods which are generally considered to be the most reliable overall (but can be hard to obtain if one is very obese). Also, the accuracy of the skinfold method is affected by the skill of the person administering the test. Another alternative is to use the Tanita bodyfat composition scale (Fitness First would have this), which is good BUT few protocols have to be met to ensure reliability and accuracy. Speak to your trainer.
So we can conclude that for this initial period, you can ignore the weighing scale, but instead, look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself :
- How do you look?
How do your clothes fit?
Are good changes going on with your body shape or physique?
Are you generally feeling better?
I’m pretty sure you’ll say YES.
Also, it is generally a good practice to weigh yourself on the same scale you always do, and preferably even at the same time of the day as you did before. Water levels in your body can fluctuate throughout the day, depending on how well you’re hydrated and throughout the month as well depending on your hormonal fluctuations as a result of the menstrual cycle women go through.
If at all this weight gain continues for many months, and becomes excessive – THEN I would then recommend that you keep a food journal, keeping track and writing down every single thing you eat for a few days, and then pass it to your personal trainer for a review to see if there’s a possibility you could be slacking in this area.
One of the greatest benefits for having a Personal Trainer is the supplementary educational information they can provide about attaining optimal health.
WELL DONE on adhering to your exercise program so far. You deserve a pat on the back, and I’m looking forward to hearing your success story/testimonial in the near future. Or maybe even see you on one of those Fitness First ‘Real People, Real Results’ posters on the notice boards someday? ;)
Your friend and coach,
DM
About the author
Noel Chelliah, ACE-LWMC, ACE-CPT, has been recognized as one of the Top Transformation Experts in Malaysia. No stranger to being overweight, Noel has gone through a life-changing transformation himself, from fat, to fit. In 2010, Noel founded the DailyMuscle Body Transformation Camp, which today helps hundreds of individuals, and corporate organizations exercise and practice healthier habits.
ACE Senior Group Fitness Consultant Lawrence Biscontini, MA, has dubbed Noel as 'the Midas of Fitness' who touches everything and it turns to GOLD.
In his spare time, Noel serves the community with various programs that promote a healthier lifestyle, and enjoys playing with his dogs.
- More at
My name is Noel Chelliah, and together with my team, we work with Individuals and Corporate Organizations to transform their lifestyles, health and fitness permanently. We also run an outdoor exercise program for the public in Bangsar and TTDI, known as the 
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{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t even know the way I ended up here, but I assumed this put up was once good. I do not know who you are however definitely you are going to a famous blogger should you are not already. Cheers!
You really make it seem so easy along with your
presentation however I find this topic to be actually one thing
that I feel I might never understand. It sort of feels too complex and very wide for me.
I am looking ahead on your next post, I’ll try to get the hang of it!
Good Morning All
I am so happy i found this blog, it really helped me a lot with the questions i had, i was also feeling down afteri started with Curves a month ago i also notice that i have gained weight whicn was so depressing, but now iknow it muscle, i must say i do feel and look good for now and its all that matters, i will also try to stay far awy from the scale.
Happiness
Lindeni
Its only 1 month and i have starting both gymming and dieting to reduce weight. in 1st 2 week i lost 1 kG but after 2 weeks i again gained 2 KG. Could you please let me know what could be the reason for this increase in weight as i am following exercise + cardio as instructed by my trainer along with dieting as i have stopped junk food and following the proper diet.
Will it take some time for me to reduce weight.
ps-and also is there any weight loss diet and exercise program you can recommend. I don’t know if my diet is really that good. I consume lots of chicken, veggies, small amounts of whole wheat plus i use a calorie counter. But i must admit i do feel a little lost on the diet area. I’d really appreciate your input…thanx..
Hi Star,
Nope, you’re not wasting your time. A 400g increase can be just water – I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Don’t weigh yourself too often (I often suggest weighing once in 2 weeks max). Also, perhaps you can skip the shakes and opt for real food instead – if it’s not convenient to get sufficient protein via real food, then you can do the shakes. The more veggies, the better. All the best! You’re on your way to a whole new you.
Hi DM,
I’m a woman, and started out at 66.6kg, my height is 162cm and my bmi was 25.35 which is overweight according to the interpretation. I started a cardio and strength training programme, cardio and calisthenics every day and strength every other day. My weight has gone up from 66.6kg to 67kg. I know this may not seem like a lot for most people but I really just want to make sure I’m doing the right thing and not wasting my time. I consume an average of 1350 calories a day and take two low fat protein shakes a day, one after I wake up and one after my last workout in the evening. Should i keep taking the protein or is it making me gain weight? Thanks…
Well, I’ve been working out since January 1 and ‘watching’ what i eat as well, and haven’t lost a stinkin pound OR gone down any pants sizes or anything… as a matter of fact, I think I’ve gained a couple pounds… ugh…
Well done Stacy and hashma. Keep up the good work – remember, Fitness is a Lifestyle. :-)
hi!!!
well i lossed 5 kgs:D that is around 10 pounds. i started it in october 2009 i was very careful and working out 5 das a week. after loosing 2 kgs i never lost weight. i tried so hard it was not moving. but my body was showin the results. thgen in december i stopped since it was my czns wedding and i was eating(not much but was eating all the fatty food) in jan i saw my weight i was so sure i would have gained but to my suprise i was 53kgs. woot woot!!! well i think my weight is fine now. but now i have normal meals but i work out like 2-3 days a week:) DONT GIVE UP!!!!
Everyone, thank you so much for the incite.
I recently changed my workout plan to include larger amount of strength training. (3 days on 1 day off) I have been at it for a little over two weeks and bam….I go on wii fit yesterday and I gained 6 lbs. I was extrememly disappointed. I couldn’t figure it out!
Now I feel much better. I going to stop worrying about the number on the scale and focus on inches now. : ) The only thing that stinks is that I pledged to lose 15-20 lbs to the Pound for Pound Challege on the Biggest Loser. I guess I’ll just have to donate my own food!
Good luck everyone! I wish you all continued success!
Stacy
Hashma: Yes it will be a long journey – but one that is well worth the time and trouble taken. All the best to you – keep us updated!
gosh am so happy to read this post. coz today i woke up early morning to work out. so i thought i’ll check my weight in the scale but to my horror i was 1kg up. so i was crying lol i think its the water thingy. coz i drink so much of water. i think i’ll start to working out again. coz i really want to loose weight. for once in my life am really determined to loose weight. when i drink alot of water my face is clear and i dont get any pimples. gosh its gonna be a long journy.
Stacey: Focus on how you look, and the actual body composition changes that may have taken place without you realising! Try to get a reliable bodyfat reading done and see how you’re doing from there. The weighing scale is only ONE of the many ways to show change.
debbie: I would suggest you re-look into what you’re eating. I suspect you could be consuming some ‘hidden’ calories and that could be the problem. Try to see a dietitian if you can afford to.
Germangirl: Yes, you are right – the water causes the muscles to ‘swell’, hence why some people feel their clothes getting tighter, etc. Thank you for adding on to my post with your detailed explanation – I appreciate it!
Misty: 1.5lbs is such a small amount – sometimes, the amount of water held in our body too can fluctuate and cause such changes. I’d suggest you stick to a solid workout program and persist for at least 3 months before you decide to evaluate whether exercise is ‘good’ for you or not. Too many people give up too soon, I’d hate for you to be one of them too.
I am so relieved after going through this post. I started working out (walking) 2 weeks back and lost nearly 4 pounds. Then i suddenly put back 1.5 pounds and was so disappointed as i ate the same amount of food and worked out the same way. I felt like giving up. But now, i am going to continue working out atleast for an other month and check if my body feels any different.
hey guys,
i so know how you feel! 3 years ago i started exercising because i wanted to loose weight and i did a lot of cardio and it worked very well. i lost 15kg and kept them off even when i stopped exercising completely after aless than a year. i know thats bad but i’m a total either 200% or 0% person and when i didnt see the need for exercise anymore… as a matter of fact i also got a bit too skinny. anyway.
10 days ago i signed up at the gym again because my doc said i wasnt busy enough and that i should use all that spare energy i’ve got. sure enough i got right back into it again and just this week i’ve been going 4 times in 5 days and to my big surprise ( and horror!) the scales went up about 2lbs. especially as i’ve been doing tons of cardio and watched my diet even more than i already do anyway and ate super-healthily and less than usual. you can imagine that i wasnt delighted in the slightest and because i couldnt explain this change i asked my trainer at the gym and he told me the exact same thing i just read on another website. it’s not true that all that weight gain is muscle because first of all it takes weeks to months to gain actual muscle as its a really slow process and you dont gain that much muscle all at once anyway. that initial weight gain when you first start exercising is because your body is adapting and this is the explanation of whats happening( basically its water retention and will go away soon, hopefully):
It’s true that many people either gain a little weight or don’t see any change on the scale for as long as 4-6 weeks after making a significant change in their level of exercise. This is often explained as “gaining muscle while losing fat” but that isn’t quite accurate. This extra weight is usually water.
When you start doing more exercise, your body begins storing more fuel in your muscle cells, where it can be used easily and quickly to fuel your workouts. The process of converting glucose (carbohydrates) into fuel that your muscles actually store and use (glycogen) requires three molecules of water for every molecule of glucose. As your muscles are building up glycogen stores, your body has to retain extra water for this purpose. That’s what causes most of the initial weight gain or lack of weight loss. This is a good thing—not something to worry about.
However, despite what the scale says, you are actually losing fat during this time. The extra water retention will stop once your body has adjusted to its new activity level. At that point, the scale should start moving down. You’ll end up with less fat, and muscles that can handle a larger amount of work.
My problem about 2 weeks ago i started to walk daily (at a good pace) i still do most days twice a day for a total of up to 1 hour a day. I have done little with weights although i know they need to be incorporated into my routein. My question is i am gaining like gang busters, i have gained at least 5 lbs, and feel it especially around my tummy, pants tighter! This is NOT muscle, i have been having a terrible time with my addiction to sweets and carbs it is uncontrolable, i’m worried but no one has been able to give be a resonable explaination for whats going on. Any suggestions? PLEASE!
I am 46 5’7 and since I started running and weights I have went from 166 to 173! I run 3 days a week averaging 4 1/2 miles and I work out with weights twice a week. I try to drink a protein shake in the Am and watch what I eat during the day. My weight keeps going up up up and I am so frustrated. I can tell my legs are more muscular and I feel like I am more tone but I am so depressed about my weight. I weigh more than I have in over 18 years!
i am also encounterin the same problem.ever since i started exercising,my weight has also increased,but after hearing other peoples view,i just have to be patient
Hey there,
I had a quick question about excessive sweating. A friend of mine just started working out for the first time in several years. He’s a little overweight, but not excessively. It’s going well, but he’s finding that he sweats excessively throughout the day, not just during or after work outs. Even the smallest tasks are causing him to sweat through his shirt. Is this normal? He asked me, but I had no idea.
If we are encouraged not to focus on our weight/weighing and instead focus on how we feel, look, yadaa..yadaa.. then the commonly used phrase ‘Weight Loss Programme’ and the like should be scrapped. Since waistline size is considered a better measure for health and fitness, how about using the term Waist Loss Programme for example?
I have found all of this really helpful. I got myself an exercise bike nearly 4 weeks ago and have been doing on average 75 mins or 800 calories per day over 2 sessions. One before work (5:30am) and the other later (9:00pm) after kids settled. My weight is going up and up and now I am now 5lb heavier than when I started. I have been getting really stressed and upset, but what was confusing me is looking in the mirror my face looks slightly slimmer, I have lost one of my 3 chins and my tops seemed to be getting looser across the bust area. I know I need to adjust my diet, because it was way way out of control in the first place. I just felt to make one change at a time. So I will now move on to the next change – which is watching my food intake. I will start with portion size and having fruits and nuts/seeds for snacks instead of crisps, cakes and mcflurries. Don’t give up the rest of you, because I’m not going to. Be satisfied with the visual changes, because they are what make you look good not the numbers that come up on the scales.
i seriously don’t understand why people are so obsessed with their weight! If you are gaining weight, doesn’t mean that its fat, its most probably muscle (if you are exercising and maintaining a healthy diet)
Hi DM,
This post help me a lot as i also gained 1kg since i started exercised.
TQ for ur info
Hi there,
I was just researching a little and came across this website. I am stuck in a rut. I was hoping someone could help me out. I bought a treadmill last January and went gung ho on that and noticed after a while that my legs and but bulked up a lot. I also do 30 mins of cardio and I lift weights. I also have a routine with a ball that I do. I mix it up all the time and rest in between days. I was working out before 6 days a week straight. I was on the L.A Weight loss program and lost 60 pounds. I have gained 6 pounds since completeing this program. I am really frustrated because I don’t fit into my jeans or clothes the same on my bottom half. My weight won’t budge at all. It stays the same all the time. My body has changed shape totally and I don’t like it because I don’t fit into my clothes the same anymore. When I stopped L.A last December I weighed 143 and I was very thin with not a lot of muscle at all. I can see my muscle big time now. I weigh 150 now and I am 5’4. I can’t seem to bulk up my arms either no matter how hard I try. I want my upper half to match my bottom but it just doesn’t right now. My arms are the weakest on my body I would say. I have always had strong legs and not arms. I eat healthy and I keep track of what I eat and how much of what each day. I drink 8 glasses of water each day as well. I am always told to not pay attention to the number on the scale but I do and it bugs me that I can’t drop any weight and I have just bulked up. Does anyone have any suggestions to help me out? Thanks for listening!
before i start exercising i started dieting right b4 ramadhan for 2 months. I lost almost 12kg. Then I started hitting the gym for cardio+weight. I still took care of my diet. I gained 5 kg back, but my waistline goes from 36 to 33.
The hardest part is the stomach and chest, I can see that they’re some stubborn layer of part right under both parts, eventhough the oblique is starting to show. I guess 4-6 mths after u really exercise/take care of yr diet you’ll begin to see real results of muscle buildup, not water lost/fat loss.
My unofficial trainer told me that he still weighs the same as he was when he was unfit. 70kg, but all that fat is now muscle.
i will just say one thing
most world pro athletes
dont believe in weights
they rely on mirror
just look at ur body
if its good ur doing good :)
so every morning
wake up
and go Mirror mirror on the wall~
Muscle has the ability to hold some amount of water.
I agree with Kelvin, excessive sodium intake could lead to water retention. Sports drink like 100plus or Gatorade has certain amount of sodium.
And this drinks is to give us overall rehydration and it’s designed so the extra sodium significantly improves water retention and distribution, and meant for those who sweat a lot participating in endurance sports or multiple bouts of intense exercise in one day.
For effective weight loss program, we should consider 3 big factor – Diet, Exercise & Social support.
I’m quite sure you already aware about food and nutrition you take. Also consider how much and when to eat right.
I assume your workout plan is more on cardio (or probably less weight training). For exercise, try to combine weight exercise and cardio into your exercise regime.
Doing cardio alone, especially the “steady-state cardio” will improve our cardiovascular health, but it does not really gonna help you lose weight, and its just only 1:1 ratio to cardio time you spent. However, if we include the weight training, the calories we burn are not significantly as much as we do cardio, but we are entitled for the dividend – the fat loss dividend.
According to research, they found that muscle recovery after weight training session cause our metabolism to revved up for up to 48hours. So your body is still burning fat even at the resting state.
So far, I have tried a lot of workout combination, and I’d recommend you weight training, focused on your largest muscle muscle group such as legs, back and chest muscle and combine them with interval running in circuit moves. This is faster way, 2-in-1 benefits to build up muscle and burning fat.
Don’t give up!
Well said K i also do notice some people who do some light cardio or workout and later down a whole can of 100PLUS. The 100PLUS drink is actually for those who exercise vigorously for example doing HIIT or doing exercise that make you sweat like hell as to replace those sweat you lost but drinking water alone is good enough no point adding those calories when u want to loose them right. If you think 100PLUS is nice coz is salty you can make one yourselves try adding a pinch of salk into your water it will just make the same like 100PLUS except theres no sugar or other craps in it. But do remember, salt contain sodium and sodium causes water retention so try to minimize the comsumption or else you might think ” OH man i run like hell yesterday and now i weight more heavier then yesterday” but you forget that you ate something which is freaking high in sodium for example potato chips yea who dont like the taste, soy sauces well in malaysia is like totally unable to avoid this stuff in all our food see those nutritional label for the soy sauce 1000+ mg sodium for a tablespoon of soy sauce so try to reduce it or spent extra 10+ buck for those reduce sodum soy sauce or salt. This sodium is the one that make you heavy in a day and your weight is all from water. AND ITs TOTALLY IMPOSIBBLE FOR FAT TO FORM IN ONE DAY TO BE WEIGHT 1 OR 2 KG it will just be water weight. And after every cardio dont pig out like a pig even if you want try stuffing yourselve with fruits or vegi but not chips even if you eat 2 to 3 tub you will still feel hungry.
Check your food intake guys. Going to the gym doesn’t give you a license to pig out but sometimes it sure feels like it!
If you’re doing intense cardio, you can actually drive UP your desire to eat. Since you’re getting more active and burning up those calories, your body signals you to take in more food… but if you do that then there goes all your cardio work. In fact if you start eating more, you’ll GAIN weight instead of lose it.
Also… watch your 100plus intake too ok? There’s calories in there ya know! I see some people walk on the treadmill for 30 mins at light rate then chug a glass of 100plus. Guess what? You’ve just wasted your treadmill workout.
So if you’re putting on weight: CHECK YOUR DIET!
Well i could say it would be just normal, like all ppl says no one gain weight in just a day or a few, the weight tht you notice might be the water weight as u walk u release water in form of sweat and breathing. Walking it self is a good exercise. Well if you are going for less exercise or staying at home the whole weekend you can try controling your diet like reduce those crappy stuff like potato chips or other empty calories foods it make a lot of different even i myself cut those food when i’m sitting at home not going to the gym or exercise if my study time is too pack.
I have been travelling alot going to work,I must say its quiet far where I work and I noticed that I have lost so much weight due to walking alot. Can walking make you loose weight? and I have noticed that if I dont travel and Im just not doing nothing but sitting for the whole weekend i start picking up some weight …why does my weight fluctuate so much? cant it be stable?
in that case, my best bet is to look into your diet.
if you think you’re already eating right, maybe you should even resort to weighing your food intake by the grams.
do take a closer look at what you’re eating though. there’s always room for improvement in that department.
waistline? clothes fit nicer? old jeans? so sad..my pants or jeans nvr make me feel looser a bit more leh..even feel tight on arms side on my working long sleves shirts n pants since i can see the muscle getting bigger on my thighs and arms.
My frens said i look skinny..but i wanna get into smaller size jeans. but how? i am taking CLA, it helps for reduction of mid-section fats. it does increased my metabo-rate, i feel hungry easily and sweat lot on work out. but stil cant help me to get into smaller size jeans..
I used to do RPM, body combat, body pump & body balance..is there any cause of the programmes i joined?
MC, were you weighing yourself using the same scale for both occasions? sometimes scales are inaccurate so weighing yourself using different scales can even make your weight be +/-10lbs.
and also check other physical aspects rather than just the weight. any difference at your waistline? clothes fit nicer? your old jeans suddenly does you justice again? sometimes the benefits are more subtle :)
lolz mc. I wonder wat’s wrong. it must be someting u eat kot. Dun give up babe
I joined FF since Dec 2006 and i am facing the same situation as Uncertain. my height is 160cm and my weight gaining from 48kg to 53kg after i joined FF..tried to cut down but failed. I depressed and stop checking on my scale anymore and accept professional advise that was gaining in my muscle weight..but 5kg muscle?! OMG!!
Weight alone is not the best thing to look at whether you are trying to gain mass or lose mass. As mentioned, you need to focus on how you look and feel. Its also interesting that when you first get started you will notice that things don’t tend to go the way you would expect!
Naturally, if you’re doing both cardio and weight training, you still start to lose fat and put on muscle mass. The scale can play tricks on your mind sometimes, that’s why I don’t weigh myself every day. A simple way to determine whether you have gotten results are before and after pictures, maybe taken a month apart from each other. From your post, you said you’ve only started this exercise programs for two weeks. A natural rate of weight loss or gain is about 1.5 lbs a week, at most 2. That’s what I saw when I started working out in the beginning of January. I understand how frustrating it is to feel like we work out our bodies so much but it still takes so long to see results, that’s just how the body works. There can be a few reasons why your scale says you gained weight, as mentioned by DM, but don’t let that discourage you. If you keep up what you’re doing, you’re going to build a healthier body and you will see results.
Best of luck!
when i first started to work out my weight was around 80kg, waist was 37″
i manage to cut it down to 65kg in about 5 months without supplements just watch my diet and lot of weight lifting n cardio. after that i started to concertrate more on weight lifting n take some supplements like whey, creatine.. now my weight is 76kg and i still kep my waist at 31″
see that’s the different, dont rely on the scale..u work hard the result will come at the end of the day..