HollyDay Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) So dh and I joined a gym 3 weeks ago. I work with a trainer twice a week and do cardio 3 times a week. The days I work with trainer, I do 10 min foam rolling, 10 min treadmill warm up, 10 min dynamic stretching, then I meet her for 1/2 hour followed by 15 min treadmill (she wants more, but by that point, I'm wiped out and I'm starting to get texts and calls) The days I do cardio, I do 10 min warm up followed by 30 min treadmill program the trainer established for me (and it is not easy....I'm working hard). My plantar fascia is not overly happy, so we are transitioning to eliptical for cardio which I will start tomorrow. I've met with a nutritionist who advised 1400 cal, explained how much protein, fat, and carb I should get. I'm doing that. I'm also drinking 70 oz of water they recommended. And I've gained 3 lbs in 3 weeks. And my clothes are tighter. I'm realistic enough not to expect instant results, but I honestly expected a stable scale or a little drop, not the increase. My goal for weight loss is 1 lb a week/ 4 lb a month and lose 20 lbs. NOT gain 1 lb a week. ??????????????????? I know 3 lbs are not a lot. But, I've seen how 2 lbs can become 5 then 7 then 10 and so on. That is why I now have 20lbs to lose rather than 10. On the brighter side, I feel better. I have more energy. I'm sore, but the chronic pain I've dealt with for over 2 years is better. My cravings for coffee and chocolate are gone. My appetite is less. So....someone tell me this is normal and happens. Or tell me what I can do to make it better......... Edited August 17, 2018 by HollyDay 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKim Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 It is perfectly normal. Exercise causes the muscles to retain water, thus weight gain. Also, once you are actually replacing fat with muscle, muscle is denser than fat so will weigh more for the same space it takes up. Go by how you look and feel and how your clothes fit. Not the scale. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 1 hour ago, VaKim said: It is perfectly normal. Exercise causes the muscles to retain water, thus weight gain. Also, once you are actually replacing fat with muscle, muscle is denser than fat so will weigh more for the same space it takes up. Go by how you look and feel and how your clothes fit. Not the scale. The clothes are tighter. That is what bothers me. I wouldn't mind weighing more if the clothes fit better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleynne Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 You are building muscle, which requires the muscle tissue to experience a small amount of trauma (that's what triggers the growth of new muscle). This trauma causes a localized inflammation in the affected muscle tissues which causes them to swell and retain fluid. If you keep working out your muscles will adapt and the swelling should get better. Just hang in there. Give it another 3 weeks and you see it start to get better. If you're really worried about it mention it to your trainer, I'll bet you're not the only one to have this issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alisoncooks Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 Yep, totally temporary. You're probably almost over the hump, to where you'll start seeing the results you want! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIN MOUSA Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 I'm sure I would feel frustrated and bothered by that too. I have a few questions, not that you have to answer here, but thinking them through may give you some insight. Is this eating and activity style very different from what you did previously? Both in amount and type of food and activity? Are you weighing yourself at the same time each day on the same scale? Weight fluctuates quite a bit throughout the day and week, so a small sample size will be less informative than say daily weigh-ins each morning, after using the bathroom and before eating/drinking anything. That will help you see a trend in weight. Is it possible that your menstrual cycle is contributing to this (as in weight gain from building muscle + clothes fitting tighter from bloating)? Have you mentioned this to your trainer or nutritionist? 3 weeks into a new program may be a little early to expect results, so given the other benefits you listed, I'd definitely recommend sticking with it - see what happens over the next 2 to 3 weeks. Another thought that came to mind is possibly over-exercising and needing more rest/recovery time. I like the advice offered by both of these blogs, and these may or may not be helpful to you. https://www.niashanks.com/more-exercise-is-not-always-better/ https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/blog/fat-loss/more-cardio/ And one last thing - well done you, focusing on your health and enlisting some professional support! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted August 17, 2018 Author Share Posted August 17, 2018 30 minutes ago, eagleynne said: You are building muscle, which requires the muscle tissue to experience a small amount of trauma (that's what triggers the growth of new muscle). This trauma causes a localized inflammation in the affected muscle tissues which causes them to swell and retain fluid. If you keep working out your muscles will adapt and the swelling should get better. Just hang in there. Give it another 3 weeks and you see it start to get better. If you're really worried about it mention it to your trainer, I'll bet you're not the only one to have this issue. I did mention it to my trainer 2 sessions ago. She said I shouldn't expect to see results for 8 weeks or maybe more (so another 4-5 to go). I am post menopause so that slows progress too. She reminded me that wellness is the priority, not the scales and clothes fitting (well....if I want to afford her, I can't afford to buy new clothes....) I'm just really working very hard. Harder than I ever had in fact. I guess I'm buying into the idea that I'm doing more today than I did yesterday so I'm do something positive. Doing something is better than doing nothing. And I'm doing a whole lot of something. I've never sweated this much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann.without.an.e Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 (edited) Just agreeing that gaining is perfectly normal at first. Anytime you change things up, expect a time to catch up. When I started weight lifting I gained 5 pounds and it totally freaked me out. Thankfully people told me to blow it off. After about 4-6 weeks, I dropped the 5 and some. Like, wham! Ta-da! All at once. If you exercise a lot or lift weights, you may even notice your weight loss stall at times but if you are measuring then you may notice a loss of inches. I had a period of two months where I didn't lose a single pound but I lost 2 inches in my waist. I'll take inches over pound any day! Edited August 17, 2018 by Attolia 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted August 17, 2018 Share Posted August 17, 2018 I've noticed similar problems when I started exercising, so I think that it's normal. At first I gained a few pounds, then after about a month or six weeks, the extra weight plus a few additional pounds just quickly fell off. I'm not sure what the cause is, but it may be extra water weight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 I have a friend who is a trainer - when she started training, she gained 16lbs. she also lost a dress size. (she's always been 'thin') building muscle will burn more calories even when you are at rest (leading to reduction in fat) - it's also more dense so you get smaller. (even though you 'gain' weight). the weight gain doesn't bother me - the clothes getting tighter is a problem. are you doing too much physically? that can cause you to retain water, or eat more. there is such a thing as exercising too hard - and it's possible that's going on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 Congratulations on taking care of yourself! My body can fluctuate and gain with just water retention or inflammation flare-ups. Focus on how you feel and how great you are doing. The pounds and dress sizes will come in time. Also, I have noticed that I cannot do a restricted calorie diet for too long and keep losing weight. My body seems to readjust; when I was trying to do 1200 calories a day, I did not lose a thing. I think it made my body freak out a bit. A friend said to eat more protein and veggies even if it meant more calories. I found my sweet spot around 1600 calories a day as long as I am walking/swimming etc.. I think, and I really know nothing, that you will need to get to know your body and be your own expert. One more bit of advice, don't overdo it. Take a day or two to rest from working out so hard, give your muscles time to grow. I injured myself last year because I did too much. Best of luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted August 18, 2018 Share Posted August 18, 2018 (edited) Weigh/measure your food, drink your water, and cut your carbs a bit and replace with healthy protein (I'm not saying go low-carb, but cut 'em a bit). I have not experienced my clothes getting tighter when I tried a reducing diet; pounds may increase with muscle mass if you are really lifting, but not clothes getting tighter. Edited August 18, 2018 by Reefgazer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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