Quit the booze, joined the gym, put on 0.5 pounds in a month!

[baxterboi]

My body is being unreasonable I think!

I was a HEAVY drinker since my late teens. At it's worst I was on two bottles of wine per night. About 6 weeks ago, I quit. Something clicked, I hated myself, my life, I felt sick and tired all the time. I weighed myself the day I quit.

At the beginning of May I joined a gym. I have been going 4 times per week for about 45 minutes of working out (mainly cardio and some lightish weights).

I got the My Fitness Pal app and it said for steady weight loss for my height I should eat 1390 calories a day.

I've stuck to the diet, no booze and gym rigidly.

I didn't weigh myself for the first few weeks because I get so disheartened if the results don't show. I weighed myself this morning for the first time since starting.

I've gained 0.5 pounds. I cried in the bathroom and for the first time in about 4 weeks I thought "I'm drinking tonight".

I'm at a loss. I know 6 weeks isn't long but I have felt hungry, I've drunk lots of water and I've been more active than I have since I was a kid.

AIBU to have expected some results?

The wine alone was costing me between 500 and 1000 calories a day depending on how heavy a night it was. I don't understand it.

Please please no one come on here and say “Op it’ll be muscle weight gain”

It is odd OP but give it another few weeks and if still gaining perhaps pop to docs as may be a problem with thyroid.

That's what my Mum said! haha - I'm fairly certain I havent added any muscle!

Why can’t it be muscle?

No wonder you are disappointed! The benefits to your health must be huge even if the scales aren't moving, yet.

The only thing I can think of is perhaps you are having large portions and calorie intake is higher than you think.

Well done for sticking to it for so long and please don't give up!

@throughthickandthin

I thought because I have only been working out since beginning of May, that it would take longer to build muscle up I guess

It must be your diet then, weight loss if 80% diet and 20% exercise. Write down everything you are eating, or if you are on MFP go back in and see if you are having too many carbs or something? Like you said you're saving 1000 calories on the wine per day but maybe you are eating more than you were before?

well done on getting into the gym though, just tweak your diet and the weight will start coming off :)

Could it be that you aren’t eating enough? That calorie budget seems very low to me, especially if you’re working out a lot. I have definitely heard that i you’re too restrictive with calories it’s actually counterproductive. Not an expert though, by any means!

Ps: WELL DONE on quitting the booze! Really well done. My mum died in her fifties due to her alcoholism. Stopping drinking is brilliant, regardless of the weight .

A few weeks of 45 minute cardio sessions is not going to result in muscle gain.

The only thing I can think of is perhaps you are having large portions and calorie intake is higher than you think.

This crossed my mind too!

I'm putting the scales on the kitchen counter from this evening and will weight everything from now on. I weighed 60g of pasta last week and was quite surprised it looked quite small!

Are you consuming 1300 calories plus whatever you’re burning off? Or is it only 1300 calories a day and a punishing gym routine on top?

I’d maybe up my food intake and give it more time. Your body needs to adjust!

Ah ok, have no idea but it seems a plausible reason! Maybe it’ll take time for your body to adjust.

Good luck, and don’t get disheartened. That’s a massive lifestyle change, and a brilliant one.

Are you eating back your exercise calories?

If so, stop, Fitness Pal wildly overestimates calories used on exercise.

I also need to drop calories to a minimum of 1200 to lose weight even when going to the gym every day, no idea why!

What are you eating and drinking?

Thank you everyone.

My body is certainly happier in lots of ways since not drinking. Sleep and confidence and general mood are a lot better.

How do you feel though? How do your clothes fit? Do you feel better?

No, it most certainly isn't muscle.

I know when I start the gym I often retain water for a while for some reason. Have you been weighing your food? It is very easy to underestimate your calories if you aren't.

Where are you in your cycle? I can gain a few pounds the week before my period and during. It all goes after my period ends.

You aren't eating back the calories you think you burned whilst exercising are you?

My post took so long to send I have cross posted with lots of people

@elzbells

Thank you for saying that!

MFP gave me over a 1000 extra "exercise" calories one day last week when i had done a lot of walking for work and a gym session, I did use about 300 cal of that because I was very hungry and felt a tad dizzy but I will certainly try and not use them going forward.

I did think they seemed generous! I have my fitbit linked as well so it gives me extra calories just for walking down the street for 10 minutes!

Have you been weighing your food? My portion control was shocking before I did this and my judgment of how many cals were in a meal was also terrible as I was earnestly logging about half of what I was eating.

I can imagine the exercise and quitting the booze has also kickstarted your appetite so you may be having more than you think.

Do you mind sharing how heavy you are and a few days worth of meals. That may help see where the issues are.

As a PP said it may be worth getting your thyroid checked and if you are insulin resistant as that will impact.

Again, your health will be way way better without the alcohol and with the exercise. That is a major achievement even without movement on the scales. You could also take measurements to see if you lose inches as I bet you have.

Until this morning I did feel better, I haven't felt a difference really in my clothes yet but hoping that will come fairly soon.

With regards to cycle I just finished my period on Sunday which was partly why I chose today to weigh myself for the first time!

Thanks again for all the replies.

I'm going to weigh all food and not eat any exercise calories and see how I go for the next couple of weeks!

IMO most people that say I’m dieting and going to the gym but gaining weight are normally eating more than they think, so yes start weighing your food ( just for a while until you get use to portion sizes by eye)

It won’t be muscle gain for a 45 minute workout a few times a week, not yet anyway but you will get loads of posters saying it is as it’s a mumsnet favourite!

It’s important to also remember that despite the little weight gain you do still feel better in yourself which is great.

Did you take any measurements before you started? Are you weighing on same scale?

Huge congratulations on giving up alcohol - you should be really proud of yourself.

@purplestarincashmeresky

I am big. Which is why I thought I would see results.

I'm 17st 12 pounds. I am 5 ft 6 tall. MFP gave me a calorie limit of 1390 to steadily lose weight.

I'll copy a couple of days of my meals here so you can see:-

Breakfast:-
1 banana - 105 cal
1 Aldi Active Fat Free Yoghurt - 65 cal

Lunch:-
Aldi broccoli and stilton soup (1/2 pot) = 107 calories
2 ginger nut biscuits - 110 calories
1 apple - 85 cal

Dinner:-
Chicken breast - I've been counting 165 calories but will be weighing from now on!
Soya sauce - 30 calories for a couple of tablespoons
Spring onions / cabbage / bean sprouts - 100 cal max
Dried fine egg noodles - 200 calories

I have two or three white coffees at work and then mainly drink sugar free squash or water.

Sorry I missued off my snacks!

Mid afternoon I'd usually have one more piece of fruit - an apple or some grapes (about a good handful)

And then in the evening I might have an options hot chocolate for that sweet craving (I think because of all the sugar I crave due to no alcohol!) but I think they're only 40 calories!