I can only gain weight!

I’ve been working out consistently for the past 2-3 months (at least 4 times a week), and all I have done is gain weight. I am 5’8-5’9 and currently hanging between 130-135 lbs. When I started I was 125lbs.

It seems that since I started working out my legs have just gotten bigger. My muscles in my arms have started to develop more, and I am noticing my abs/waist area slimming down. It’s just discouraging when I get on the scale and I weigh more. I know muscle weighs more than fat, but it seems like the fat is just sticking around in certain areas.

I do a mix of resistance training (usually 2 days/ week) with cardio (usually 2-3 days/week). I am wondering if I just need to get more cardio in, or need to work on my diet some more. I know I am lacking in protein, and plan to start drinking powder more consistently. Is there anything else I can do to be more lean?

Thanks!

Welcome Jessiz!

The answer to you question is very simple: if you gain weight you eat too much! You should start to log every food you eat in the DB database.

I had the same problem a few years ago. I tried to lose weight, but actually I had no idea about my daily calorie intake. Of course it didn’t work.

And if you build muscles you can’t be too low on protein. Before you look for supplements, look for fresh food and if possible prepare the meals by yourself with complex carbs (oatmeal, potatos, full grain noodles, e.g.), a lot of fresh veggies and lean meat.
Almost 100% of processed foods – frozen meals, protein bars, fast food, e.g. – contain ingredients (sugar, transfat, e.g.) which are bad for your body while lacking the important stuff (complex carbs, omega3 fat, fiber, e.g.) for your health.

Hi Jessiz,

I hear you saying two things.
1. My weight is going up.
2. I’m developing muscles, my arms are getting more definition and my waist /abs are slimming down.

If nr 2 is really the case than you are doing the right things. Problem with the scale is that it only gives you the total amount of all of your lean mass, water, fat etc etc… Based on the scale only you could easily panic (read my personal blog of the last couple of days :) ). If you use more measurements like body fat, tape measurements and the way your clothes fit. You have a far better insight in what is happening with your body..
Based on what you write you do 2 days a week of bodypump and 2 a 3 days a week cardio sound like enough exercise. More if definitly not always better.

To have a better knowlegde you should consider to log everything you do.

@jesslz, Wedzir is right. It sounds like you are doing everything right, so don’t panic!

Remember that muscle is denser, and therefore weighs more, than fat. This means if you gain muscle you could end up weighing more even though you are dropping fat. That’s why the scale is NOT the best metric to track. In fact, many people ignore it altogether for just this reason

If your waist size is going down, then your body fat is going down. Keep it up!

I’m not surprised you’ve gained weight. Change your diet. It sucks. Stop blowing up you carbs.

Specifically…

Don’t drink sugary soda.
Don’t drink Gatorade.
Don’t eat pop tarts.
Don’t eat potato chips.

Stop blowing up you carbs.

Eat more protein. Eat lots more protein.

Carbs….Protein…..That’s largely irrelevant. If you’re gaining weight it’s because you’re eating too many calories. When weight training you do need some protein, but as a woman you don’t need that much. Get at least 90grams of protein and 30 grams of fat. Where the rest of the calories come from is irrelevant.

If you’re unhappy with the weight on the scale then eat less. I assure you that you can lose weight. If I locked you in a room and didn’t feed you for a month you’d definitely lose weight.

Hi Jess,

I know this is 9 days past your post, but I thought I’d add a few cents to the discussion. There are so many opinions regarding diet, I’m sure all of this can get confusing. I felt compelled to share a bit, because I’m sure gaining the weight doesn’t make sense according to conventional wisdom.

My first question to you is what weight do you have in your mind that you want to be? 5’9" at 125-135 is pretty skinny. At 125 you are below weight and at 135 you are at the lowest end of the weight scale for your height. I’m not sure you really want to be so concerned with weight. Body comp might be a better measure.

What you’re doing exercise wise seems to be giving you muscle in some pretty nice places. If you look good, and feel good there really is no reason to be so focused on weight.

On a side note, MUSCLE DOES NOT WEIGH MORE THAN FAT. This is a common misconception.
See link: http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_ar…

Regarding the weight gain, this sometimes happens initially when folks start working out because we eat more. Physical activity produces more calorie consumption. It’s just how we work. Our bodies are smart and they self regulate. If you eat too few calories to accomodate activity, in many folks, the body will hold on to digested macronutrients and store them as fat. You’re putting yourself in famine mode. Most folks will just try to beat the the weight off of themselves with more exercise and eventually lose the added pounds, but with a nice little price to pay = gaining it back when they stop exercising plus some.

There’s so much more to weight loss than just eating more or less calories. Especially if you want to keep it off long term. You can eat less and exercise more now, drop your metabolic set point, and have to eat even less while putting on weight after this whole little experiment is done.

If you are still interested in losing weight, ThatsG is correct in suggesting you cut out the excess carb consumption. It drives up insulin, and insulin regulation is the deciding factor as to w/n we actually lose/gain weight.

Ease up on the carbs, moderate protein, good fat, no processed foods (crappy protein bars included). This should help.

Another side note: Excess cardio is a recipe for disaster as well. See link: http://ezinearticles.com/?Your-Cardio-Workout-C…

Again, weightloss isn’t as simple as calories in calories out. Another great resource is the following book by Gary Taubes called Good Calories Bad Calories. It’s a big read, but a wonderful guide on how the body physiologically loses weight.
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Calories-Bad-Controv…

Believe me, I’ve been through the ringer with this whole weight loss excercise thing. I’ve read many a book, i’ve gone to a nutritionist, I’ve consulted an endocrinologist, I’ve spent many an hour on the treadmill. In the process of “dieting” I managed to damage my metabolism. In the process of getting fit, I’ve managed to damage my adrenals. It has taken me two years to heal, and it wasn’t by eating less calories and killing myself in the gym.

Right now I eat anywhere from 1200-1800 calories a day. Most of them in good fat. I do CrossFit 3x a week. No more than that or I’ll start gaining weight. If I go below 1200 calories I start holding on to weight. If I eat more than 1800 cals I start to gain weight. I’ve finally figured my body out. As you can see, it isn’t as simple as it all sounds. We are all different in our physiology based on history, lifestyle, and a little genetics.

I wish you the best as you figure your fitness and eating plan out! :)

wjohns,

I think that Weight Watchers article is silly and I’ll explain why.

That is not what anybody means when they say that muscle weighs more than fat. When the people here say that muscle weighs more than fat, they mean that muscle has a greater mass density than fat. I think most people understand it exactly right, too. It would actually be less clear to most people if we said it the latter way which has the more precise word choice.