Doing more exercise than EVER in my life... and GAINING weight! NOT IMPRESSED!

[ShinyHappySchmooo]

I joined a gym at end of July and have been exercising 3 - 4 times a week every week since then, either an hour's workout in the gym (my personal programme) or one of the exsercise classes.

I have not quite got into the diet part of the "new me" yet.. all the excercise makes me so hungry!!! I do have quite an appetite and although I eat a balance-ish diet, I'm still eating too much junk and too much in the evenings.. but I am NOT eating any more than I was before I joined the gym.

So WTF have GAINED a couple of pounds??!

I know I need to do the diet too (am not massively overweight but need to lose a stone and half.. can do so when I put my mind to it) but I expected to have dropped a few just from the exercise!

What's going on?

Muscle weighs more than fat? (it does, but just asking if that could be the reason). Try measuring yourself from time to time - your shape may be changing, even though you're not losing weight.

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Yes, it's prob muscle. Try measuring bits of yourself (thighs, waist, upper arms etc) regularly and recording the results - you'll probably see the inches falling away over time - as JackieNo says, muscle weighs more than fat.

I know how you feel. I recently took up running and did the run for life 5k and will be doing the 5k this weekend at hyde park.

In fact I think I am probably doing 2 5k a week now as part of my regular training and 1 shorter run of around 3/4k and yet I am still not loosing weight - AAARRRGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You do have to be realistic about how many calories you are ingesting, and how many you are expending. For example, I reckon I use up about 400 calories in an hour-long session at the gym. If you eat a packet of crisps and a Mars bar in the evening, that's the gym work down the drain (or at least cancelled out).

Yeah.. I knew the muscle-weighs-more-than-fat- thing.. but I still look like a fat blob.. not more toned even though my stamina is increasing in the gym all the time.

I watch the calories burning on those machines (they tell you!).. so why do they still seem to do be on my arse?? Are the machines lying??!

They (the weight-loss police) reckon you need a 500-calorie deficit every day in order to lose a pound a week.

God, I am a calorie bore (slaps own face)

x posts PW. Oh God how depressing. That's probably it then.

I will ingest only low cal/low fat substances from here on in. Or, actually, return to Slimming World diet (can't actually go.. gym membership is already cripling us financially!)

Surely you don't cancel it right out though, when you have a Mars bar and a packet of crisps? I mean you do calorie wise.. but you have still benefited from the exercise in all the other (non weight loss) ways surely..

Have you had your thyroid checked? I had similar problem and mine was found to be underactive

Oh no, you don't cancel it out completely - you'll still be getting more toned, and the good news is that muscle BURNS more calories than fat as well, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll be able to eat without putting on weight. I also remember reading somewhere that on the days you do vigorous exercise, your metabolic rate remains elevated for the rest of the day (so you'll be burning more calories than you normally would).

Something I read at my gym that has really helped me to stay motivated is: 'You didn't get out of shape over three months, so don't expect to get your body back within three months either.'

No haven't had thyroid checked. Wouldn't I have other symptoms? ( as DS2 has congential hypothyroidism but I don't know much about adults presenting with it!)

It says on the wall of my gym to eat breakfast.. which I am now doing.. so even more calories!

I'm a personal trainer, well I used to be b4 ds arrived 5 months ago. Of course u r still reaping all other benefits from exercise so keep it up. Make sure you are doing weights as part of exercise prog, best way is to do weights between cardio so still burning fat whilst doing weights but also toning, free weights are most benefitial.

3,500 calories = one pound of fat

that's to lose or to gain

There are various symptons but my main ones were - not being able to regulate body temp very easily/getting tired more quickly than usual and the putting on of weight even though I was exercising a lot and not eating any more than usual.

God.. wish I could burn 3,500 calories per gym session!!

Bezi I do... 15 mins threadmill (mostly jogging), 10 mins on ski machine.. 12 mins on the bike and then all the weight machines, legs and upper body, following by sit ups and crunches.

Should I be doing that in a different order?

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schmoo i have lost 10kilos since june.

1. work out what your downfall food is (for me is cheese) and never eat it again.
2. double your exercise and really work at it.
3. quadruple your veg/fruit intake.
4. lessen but do not abandon other calorific but essential thing (me=wine)

I know Dior.. although with Slimming World you don't actually need to calorie count.

I am having trouble getting into that diet frame of mind. Last year i was in it.. lost some.. than was severely stressed and lost lots more from not eating due to anxiety! This year am not an chronically stressed.. anti D's helping with anxiety although coming off them now so don't think they should be affecting weight.. but can't get back to that weight loss place in my head! And I feel a right fat cow.. but get so hungry at the moment!

I would say that eating a lot more fruit and veg is a more surefire way of controlling your calorie intake than eating diet/low-fat food. If you aim for, say, ten portions of fruit and veg a day, you'll fill yourself up with good, nutritious stuff and have less inclination to eat rubbish. Diet food just leaves you feeling deprived.

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fishie.. thanks but isn't that a bit drastic?? Never have chocolate again? [falls into dead faint]

Double my new exercise regime? Fuck me, I'll be dead in a week!!

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I will strive for 10 fruits and vegs. Trouble is, we are not well off and they are expensive. I can't be emptying the fruit bowl and depriving the kids