losing weight

warchild2005

Cathlete
I have been really working out hard and toning, but it feels like I'm actually gaining more weight?! My waist line feels a size bigger, could this be because of my crunches I've been doing? I can't seem lose any more weight? I'm so angry with what my body is not doing! I do cardio and light toning with hard ab crunches. My eating habits are good and I have a demanding physical job. I don't understand whats up with my body?
 
the same has happened to me. i would exercise alot, especially cardio and i was thin with no muscle or shape. when i started working with weights my whole shape changed. i gained weight and my clothes, especially around the hips, would not fit. i was so frustrated.
this is not a bad thing. lifting weights increases muscle mass, and muscle weighs more than fat. your whole body shape will change from a flat butt to a muscular butt. i have to focus on body fat percentage more than how much i weigh. if you lift weights you will weigh more. don't be frustrated.
esp:)
 
I too have increased my waist by about 1/2 inch. I can feel all the muscle and see it so while it may seem a little disheartening I think it's just an increase in muscle mass and that's a good thing. Sounds like you're doing a great job with all your work outs and eating. Don't be discouraged.:)
Sherry
 
Hi, Luis! Good to "see" you again!

It sounds to me like the "weight" you are gaining is healthy, lean muscle mass and that is all to the good. I remember from previous posts you had lost a lot of weight after being overweight, and kudos to you for that. However, it's important to remember that scale weight is not the be-all-and-end-all of a healthy physique, nor is ultra-thinness. If you have good eating habits and a demanding physical job, AND you're working out consistently, your body is telling YOU where it's at. Don't get too caught up in the weight-loss thing.

I also remember that you are about 17 to 18 years old. It's very important to remember that at that age your body has not finished its development into physical maturity.

My suggestion is: just keep doing what you're doing: eating healthfully, exercising HEALTHFULLY (don't go overboard on that either), and stick with your demanding physical job and you'll do just fine.

A-Jock
 
Luis,

You should print and reread Aquajock's post every day because she hit the nail on the head. At your age, you are forming habits for life and a mind set towards health and fitness must be established. Any other goal will make you subject to too many ups and downs.

Remember what you have accomplished and how good you feel!
 
Luis,

You should print and reread Aquajock's post every day because she hit the nail on the head. At your age, you are forming habits for life and a mind set towards health and fitness must be established. Any other goal will make you subject to too many ups and downs.

Remember what you have accomplished and how good you feel!
 
I agree that maybe you are heavier due to increased muscle gain. Remember that whole "muscle weighs more than fat" saying? (I wish health insurance companies would understand this! lol). It takes a while for the fat to begin to burn off. Usually, if you are doing heavy wts, you'll bulk up on the onset. Once your metabolism revs up due to the incr muscle, the fat loss will kick in. So, if you are only doing "lt wts/high reps", you may want to concentrate on strength training, in addition to your cardio. And for me, if I carbo load, I'm going to look thicker (you'll also retain water). If I go high protein, low low carb, I'm more cut. If I stay with mod protein, mod carb (mainly veggies and some fruit, hardly any starches), I am defined, but not extreme in either direction. I also tend not to plateau if I eat a moderate diet. Eating heavy carbs makes me plateau (low fat/high carb). So, diet, for me, is key to what end results I get. Are you eating 5-6 small meals per day? This helps keep your metabolism going. I think the best way to gauge wt loss results, is by seeing how your clothes fit and how your body looks, rather than weighing yourself. Not changing up your weight splits will also cause you to plateau. Try changing splits every 4 weeks or so.

If you are really working your obliques during your ab routine, you will get a thicker waistline (straighter waist to hip ration). If you want to maintain a more shapely waist, lay off the oblique work, or lessen it. Just concentrate on working traditional crunches, that focus on the upper and lower middle area. I have narrow hips, and when I do heavy oblique work, I'm pretty straight (boyish). Not working obliques, gives me more of an hourglass shape in the waist.
 
Since last year in November, I've been losing weight and gaining muscle. Then all of a sudden, in July, I caught a cold, and nursed it for a week and a half by not doing any exercises at all. I noticed I lost weight during that time. I then realized it was muscle. I couldn't believe that all the hard work I did, and I was losing it right before my eyes. But life deals out challenges in that way. You just have to pick yourself up and continue with your goal.

So, your not gaining fat, I'm sure you are gaining muscle. Eventually you will lose more fat, it's just the way our bodies work. Be patient, it will happen.

Keep up the good work,

Janie
 
I have been doing lots of crunches and lots and lots of obliques, and my waist line has increased, I used to be 27 inches and now I am 28, meaning I increased, and to tell you the truth I dont like it, I was wondering "if" I stop crunching and do more streching like the ballerinas do, stretch and strech to narrow the waist line,
what do you think? does it makes sense? this question is for the expertees here, :)
Norma


The older I get the more I love me.

http://www.geocities.com/norma123nyc/MyJourney.html
 
thanks all so much! what you guys are saying does make scense. I love getting all this great info. I am 18 and working on my AFPA certification so im getting really excited about it. thanks for your advice!!
 
Hello again, Luis! Glad we could be of some help!

Congratulations on starting to work on your AFPA certification! I remember when I prepared for and passed the ACE certification back in 1997 (you were all of 10 years old then :D ), and I knew that, in addition to enabling me to teach group fitness classes, the knowledge I gained from the study and test prep would help me become my own trainer. I think you'll have that same experience!

Keep up the good work, and let us know how you get on!

A-Jock
 

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