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?

SHS - take your measurements not your weight. Usually with exercise you will gain pounds but lose inches.....
Seriously when I started put 4lb on but lost about 8 inches in about 3 weeks

I know, schmoo, it is expensive. I struggle with it, and our income isn't low by any means - God knows how people on really restricted incomes manage.

There are some cheap fuits/veg (frozen peas, apples, carrots off the top of my head), but of course they tend to be the boring ones. I buy a lot of reduced stuff and eat it on the day.

Go to your local market at closing time - you will get shedloads of fruit and veg for about 3 quid

Thank you This thread is full of good advice.

And I am coming to the Christmas meet up now.. so something to get slimmer for!!

i eat loads of veg cooked and eaten cold - steamed carrots with herbs, green beans with onions, braised leeks. cucumber and tomato with lemon juice and vinegar is v nice too.

say goodbye to biscuits cakes and pastry things as everyday foods though. ooh and drink at least 2 litres of water a day.

i will not make you do double exercise YET. but if you aren't a bit smaller by end of month perhaps rethink the regime?

I have been working out 4 times a week at the Gym, cut out alcohol, cakes, chocolate etc and still haven't lost an ounce. In fact i have gained 1 lb. So disheartening.

I have the same problem. I joined in July and didn't lose anything for the first month and lost 1 pound the second month. Oh joy, at a rate of half a pund a month I'm going to get very depressed. But, then yesterday I mysteriously lost a pound in one day rather unexpectedly. Oh well, I'll take what I can get.

Am also starting tennis on Sunday. Haven'tplayed in years. Should be interesting.

ShinyHappySchmooo, how about vegetables. Carrots, cabbage and many other vegies are very cheat, so are bunanas and you can get 2 bags of apples for the price of one in some supormarkets.

This may sound idiotic, but I think that dieting is a way of life. There are times in life when you can be fitter and slimmer than other times. Enjoy your fit, healthy body. A few kilos here or there won't make any difference and it sounds as though you are making some real progress with your fitness.

It's hard work to change our body image and to accept it. You sound as though you are already pretty fantastic, and I bet you have more important things to do.

I hope I don't sound too heavy. Appetite is quite complicated and I don't think diets deal very well with it. I have put on a stone and a half, and frankly nobody much notices. I don't mind any more either

if you don't mind putting on some weight it's surely no problem. I put on weight during my pregnancy and stayed that way for a long time so i was trying to find all the excuses you can imagine for not to bend, walking upstairs in my house was a struggle and i realized that i was in trouble. i recently lost 2 kg - not a lot, nobody will even notice but I feel i actually want to bend and i wasnt to go upstairs even if I don't need anything there. I feel happier and I don't want to gain my 2 kg back so I'm also looking for some inspiration to eat but not to gain weight.

Hi - I'm a Personal Trainer/Fitness Instructor and set up the exercise buddies thread.

Re calories. It's not just the calories you have in a day. You could have several mars mars and packets of crisps which equate to 2000kcal. It's tyhe nutrients and most important the fat content in what you eat. Portion sizes are also really important and the quanties of each food group you consume. I could go on... and on....

As far as muscles is concerned I agreem it may well be muscle. Please remember muscles does not turn into fat and fat does not turn into muscle. Gaining muscle WILL increase your metabolic rate and does weight more than fat. Sorry I disagree about having muscles like arnie.....

Btw you should only aim to loose 1-2 pounds a week anyway (unless you are grossly overweight)!!!

Where is this exercise buddies thread?

Sorry, I can't do links. Go on www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1378/342044?stamp=070914113714

All you di is type "before the link and "" after the link

And you can see the expert that I am!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/1378/342044?stamp=070914113714

Thank you, eleusis, I've just used your advice and posted a link first time in my life!