I just started Exercising… Why Am I Gaining Weight?
Filed in: Bodybuilding Tips, Weight Loss, Fitness Facts, Personal Training - February 21st, 2008 |
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.
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
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February 21st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
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..
February 23rd, 2008 at 3:47 am
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!
February 26th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
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!
March 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pm
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!!
March 26th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
lolz mc. I wonder wat’s wrong. it must be someting u eat kot. Dun give up babe
March 26th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
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 :)
March 27th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
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?
March 28th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
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.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
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?
April 10th, 2008 at 6:37 am
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.
May 17th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
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!
May 17th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
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.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
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!
May 31st, 2008 at 3:31 am
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~