Exercise and LACK of weight loss...am I the only one this happens to?

S

sue320

Cathlete
I'm 35 and for the last couple of years have been an on/off exerciser. Various injuries have contributed to this cycle. I've been back running 3 days/week for about six weeks (and riding my bike on Saturday mornings) and just last week added back in Cathe (circuit training...beginner/intermediate). My weight has gone UP by two pounds. No, I'm not eating more, if anything, my appetite has been a bit suppressed. TWO POUNDS! My measurements haven't changed (I tend to carry extra weight in my thighs and around the mid-section -- and WHAT is with that...never used to be that way -- so I measure my waist and thighs).

I wanted to drop a couple of lbs but this isn't helping. The scale is going up and so is my % body fat. I wonder if I need to change it to the athlete setting (although I don't think I'm that by any means).

ANY input would be helpful. I'm tempted to go back to not working out, lose the weight and then pick back up the workouts again (yes, I'm that vain).

Thanks for the help.
 
Hi sue320,

Based on what you posted above, it looks like you're doing a lot of cardio and not much focused/heavier weight work. I'd replace one or two days with just weight work (not circuits) and see if that shakes things up.
 
Gaining a few pounds the first month or two of exercise is fairly common. I can't explain it--PTs will tell you it's b/c you're putting on muscle but I don't buy it--muscle weighs something like .01% more than fat, which is nominal. You have to stick with it for about 12 weeks to see what your results will be.

More importantly, how's your diet? Whether you're eating the same or not, WHAT you're eating is crucial to weight loss.
 
I'm not an expert, but I've heard that the weight gain when you start to exercise can be caused by water retention. If you're doing a lot of cardio, your body realizes that, Hey, we might be going to sweat a lot for an hour or so at a time, we'd better hang on to a couple extra pints of water. Also, if your muscles are being worked, they tend to hold on to water becuase they're inflamed a little, and any inflamed body part gets swollen. I found the same thing when I did P90x, I gained 3 lbs. seemingly overnight, it stuck with me the ENTIRE 90 days, then dropped right off.
 
Diet is fairly clean...definite decrease in junk so I don't think that's the issue.

I'll continue with my plan for six weeks. If things haven't evened out by then, I'll switch to 3 days weights and 3 days cardio (running) and see where that gets me.

Still, it's unnerving.

Thanks all!
 
You got good advice from everyone! Any time I switch up the routine I might gain a couple of pounds to start with but then it drops off. The circuits don't work so well for me, I need the heavier lifting (and also cardio!) to see results. Good luck!
 
>Diet is fairly clean...definite decrease in junk so I don't
>think that's the issue.
>

Sometimes we think we're eating cleaner than we are. Do you eat any processed foods? Do you stick to whole foods? How about 'treats'(which can sometimes count up faster than we think). (the words "fairly" and "decrease" are a heads-up to me that diet could be better).

What one eats is about 80% of losing weight.
 
Just a few thoughts...

Have you considered keeping a food and exercise journal? Writing down EVERYTHING you are putting into your mouth will help you detect patterns as well as make you think twice before eating something. That way you are likely to be more conscious about your splurges. Also, I had a friend who complained she ate right (which she did) and exercised five days a week at Jazzercise but the weight didn't come off as much as she would have liked. I noticed that she moved around in class like she was on thorazine! I could have burned more calories picking up milk a the convenience store! One cannot make progress if they move in slow motion and use two pound weights!

Hang in there! I am 110% confident you will succeed :)
 
Sue, do you have alot of Cathe workouts? I really enjoyed doing her circuit workout a while back. I think you would benefit from that.
I don't think you are vain, I think you just want what you want and are willing to acheive it. I did giggle at your comment though:)

Lori:)
 
Thanks everyone. Yes, I think a food journal might be a good idea. Some days I do great and some days, not so great....I guess I'm normal.

I do have a few Cathe...I had switched to running so I sold some of my unused Cathe's....enough to switch things up.

Again, thanks so much for the insight and suggestions. If I had realized how hard my 30's were going to be I sure would have enjoyed all that junk food more in my 20's! ;-)

Sue <><
 
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