Have put on weight when desperately trying to lose it!

[EllaMozarella]

Hi folks
Am feeling so disappointed 😕
I have spent January trying so hard to lose weight!
I have:
-Given up alcohol (last 4 weeks)
-Started running again (up to 5k twice a week)
-Been going to the gym (Cardio and weight classes) twice a week
-Eating fewer carbs
-Sleeping 7-8 hrs per night

Ive put on 3kg! What else can I do?
I am peri-menopausal
Am a bit stressed as about to be made redundant (if these are relevant factors)

Count your calories. It isn't that easy or fast, especially for women, to build muscle, it won't be that in such a short space of time.

People greatly overestimate how calorific alcohol is. I always gain weight when I stop drinking because it is filling. Also, I read somewhere that the calorie counts on it are inflated because of the way the body metabolises it. I don't know how true that is, but it certainly checks out for me.

I see this repeatedly on here where of anyone exercises people assume weight gain is muscle and water. It is not. Not after a month. The op isn’t doing enough. Not even close.

op, cutting down doesn’t make you lose weight nor does exercise, it’s a calorie deficit, you need to eat less than uou burn off and you’re currently consuming more.

two things immediately spring to mind. Nuts and cheese. These are both hugely calorific and could be tipping uou into weight gain.

have you added protein products to your diet?
they contain a shitload of calories...

what's your salt intake like? that makes you mr body hold on to water.

Calories. You will not put on 3 kilos of muscle in a few weeks. I got one of those AI apps where you take a photo of everything you eat and it estimates the Calories. I was quite shocked how those little things all add up and also, how little I could really eat to lose weight. Good news is that now I have lost the weight, maintenance allows me to eat more reasonably.

I'm afraid I haven't got any helpful insights for OP but I must strongly disagree with this from pp

"It's only been a month op and 3kg isn't a lot at all ..."

3kg or nearly half a stone weight gain in one month is massive! Something is definitely up, it can't be explained away by a blip.

I also disagree with it , and raised an eyebrow at that post. But chose to all out all the misinformation that it would be half a stone of pure muscle. Which is literally insane.

We don't know OP's starting weight, which is important context. Hormone fluctuations can also make a difference. That's why weighing regularly and taking measurements is important - we don't know if this is a blip or an upward trend.

I'm also always suspicious of the average domestic weighing scales.

But yes, 3kg is likely to be significant if its true.

Yeah what I said was completely insane, given that just a few week's worth of not eating correctly can add weight whilst at the same time applying benefit to your body through consistent exercise. You can raise the other eyebrow as well, I've been training for years and managed to completely alter my body composition and am well aware of the ups and downs your body can go through.

Gain nearly half a stone in a month you are definitely eating too much. I don’t know if you are short i.e. 5 foot something but those are my weight loss group need to eat about 1000 cal a day to lose weight.

For the people who keep trotting out incorrect information:

Muscle does not weigh more than fat. 1kg of muscle weighs the same as 1kg of fat. It is denser and takes up less space, yes

It is a physical impossibility to grow 3kg of muscle in a month. Would take more like a year

OP unfortunately you are probably taking in too many calories so as others have said, track absolutely everything for a week to see where you are. Also have you worked out your TDEE, do you know what you need to eat to be in a calorie deficit?