Gaining weight, not losing weight after 2 weeks of working out/tracking

[Annikaleia]

I've been at this for about two weeks, and it seems like I am gaining weight, rather than losing it. Before you ask let me answer the questions that are going to be asked:

1.  I'm vegitarian

2. I work a desk job-but allows me to adjust the height of my desk, so I stand for at least half of the day for movement.  I get up every half hour to check our fax machine, and I take that time to walk around the office floor before going back to my desk

3. I drink plenty of water.  (And I HATE drinking water ) I drink 48 ounces a day

4. I'm 5-5 138 lbs.  I'd like to get to 120-125.  I'm in my mid 30's. 

5. I work out 5 times a day using both cardio and strength workouts

6. I do work out for about 35-40 minutes a day, with a 15-20 minute walk at lunch

7. I track my food using the My Fitness Pal app in conjunction with my FitBit Charge

So..what gives?  Do I increase my cardio?  I'm getting really frustrated.  Any tips would be great and appreciated.  Thank you!

[MaggieLoo]

Hi!  I'm 5'5" too. You are so close to your recommended body weight - so making progress will go slow.  I'd recommend you start tracking measurements or body fat percentage.  You'll see more progress that way and the weight will come off eventually.  Who cares what the scale says though if your clothes get looser or you drop a size?  Keep up the good work! 

[SunsetRunner]

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@Annikaleia wrote:

I've been at this for about two weeks, and it seems like I am gaining weight, rather than losing it. Before you ask let me answer the questions that are going to be asked:

1.  I'm vegitarian

2. I work a desk job-but allows me to adjust the height of my desk, so I stand for at least half of the day for movement.  I get up every half hour to check our fax machine, and I take that time to walk around the office floor before going back to my desk

3. I drink plenty of water.  (And I HATE drinking water ) I drink 48 ounces a day

4. I'm 5-5 138 lbs.  I'd like to get to 120-125.  I'm in my mid 30's. 

5. I work out 5 times a day using both cardio and strength workouts

6. I do work out for about 35-40 minutes a day, with a 15-20 minute walk at lunch

7. I track my food using the My Fitness Pal app in conjunction with my FitBit Charge

So..what gives?  Do I increase my cardio?  I'm getting really frustrated.  Any tips would be great and appreciated.  Thank you!

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If your workouts are strength training type workouts, then you are likely gaining muscle, and muscle

(for the same volume) weighs about four times as much as fat. So, it's possible to look a lot skinnier

but weigh the same (or even more). To lose weight, would require increase in walking/jogging etc.

[BurdsNest]

The same thing is happening to me.  I've had my FitBit since February, and track everything on Fit as well as WW.  I'm 5'3", 56yrs young, and was betwen 126 and 128 & now I'm 131.  Can't seem to lose those few extra pds. I wear a size 4 and my clothing fits fine. I feel a small tightness in my thighs that I believe is a direct result of the running I started.    I do double classes Sun - Wed as well as run 1 -2 miles on the treadmill before the classes. I haven't changed my eating habits, and everyone keeps telling me that I'm building muscle and NOT losing fat.  I burn anywhere between 600 - 700 calories a day @ the gym, (less of course when I'm not at the gym)  WW tells me that think of it like money in the bank.......I will eventually see it on the scale after my body adjusts.  Well, it's been a month and I ain't seen nothing yet !!!     🙂

What is up????

[Heybales]

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@Annikaleia wrote:

I've been at this for about two weeks, and it seems like I am gaining weight, rather than losing it. Before you ask let me answer the questions that are going to be asked:

1.  I'm vegitarian

2. I work a desk job-but allows me to adjust the height of my desk, so I stand for at least half of the day for movement.  I get up every half hour to check our fax machine, and I take that time to walk around the office floor before going back to my desk

3. I drink plenty of water.  (And I HATE drinking water ) I drink 48 ounces a day

4. I'm 5-5 138 lbs.  I'd like to get to 120-125.  I'm in my mid 30's. 

5. I work out 5 times a day using both cardio and strength workouts

6. I do work out for about 35-40 minutes a day, with a 15-20 minute walk at lunch

7. I track my food using the My Fitness Pal app in conjunction with my FitBit Charge

So..what gives?  Do I increase my cardio?  I'm getting really frustrated.  Any tips would be great and appreciated.  Thank you!

---

Sadly, as a woman, and in a diet, and you do not say you are doing weight lifting, like progressive overload - you aren't building any muscle, at least not more than 1 lb every 8-10 weeks.

You can't build muscle as fast as some think you can lose fat.

You can get stronger though with existing muscle, so keep at that point. But the side effect of exercise is almost never weight loss, but weight gain, as most improvements have to do with water.

Do you track food accurately?

As in calories is per gram, not cups or spoonfuls. Do you weigh all you eat, even packaged stuff.

With so little to lose, you could be trying to lose too fast and creating unneeded stress along with all that exercise. Stress causes elevated cortisol levels, which retains water. Up to 20 lbs.

So don't get stressed out over this, or you could cause it to happen.

You should be at the 250 cal deficit, 1/2 lb weekly.

Log your strength training as Fitbit, as HR based won't be accurate for that and actually inflated. You need to know with best estimate what you burn daily, so it needs correction.

Weights is sets and reps 5-15, rests of 2-4 min.

Circuit training is reps 15 over, rests up to 1 min usually, several circuits.

Calisthenics is bodyweight usually, 15 over reps, and brief rests, may not be any sets or repeats, or tons of them.

Then you merely need to eat a little less than that. Your workouts will cause more changes then, so measurements as mentioned is important.

More exercise isn't the answer - you merely need to eat less than you burn.

The only thing exercise does for diet is cause you to burn more so you can eat more - and that may help you adhere better to the calorie goal, rather than it being lower if you did not exercise.

More cardio isn't the answer. Slight deficit from what you really burn is.

[Nicou]

you've been at this for only 2 weeks. How long did it take you to gain the weight in the first place?

Give it some time! Give it at least 6 weeks. You have to jump start your metabolism and that can take a while. Are you sleep deprived? Do you have trouble with your thyroid? If your answer is yes ,It could be some of the reason you're having trouble losing weight.  But because it's only been 2 weeks that you've  started this journey just give it a chance .

[feefiefoe]

From what I've read, drinking water isn't really going to help. But watery foods might because they make you feel fuller. So you might try starting your meals with some cucumber or stawberries or a salad with blueberries... going light on the dressing, or using yogurt or something light as the base. 

Otherwise, it's basically, calories in/calories burned = weight loss. So you have to target a calorie intake of at least 200 less than you burn each day to lose weight. Don't forget that alcohol and coffee (cream/sugar) also have calories. You can use Fitbit to track calorie intake too 🙂

Keep working at it, you'll get there!

[Annikaleia]

Thank you for all your insights regarding this. I just weighed myself again tonight, and I'm up ANOTHER 2 pounds. I'm well within range of everything. If something doesn't change by the end of next week, I'll look into seeing a doctor and possibly heed some of the advice given here.
Thank you.

[BurdsNest]

Annikaleia, I hear your frustration.  Really put me in a funky mood because I was working so hard and the scale was traveling north.  But give a little more time.  I'm finally seeing the results that I have been waiting for for a month now.  The scale is finally going south!  

You are doing all the right things.  Sometimes it's like a game, and unless all the right pieces are in place, it doesn' seem to work.  It's almost like the luck of the draw.

Keep doing what you're doing.  Watch salt intake and make sure you're logging .  Stay connected to the forum....you're not alone.

Sincerely,

Finally, finally, finally

[Jarlynn]

I'm relatively new to using the fitbit myself, and have issues with consistency.  However, I hadn't been extremely happy with my results when I started going to the gym regularly (4-5 times a week).  In both speaking with my personal trainer and reading some new research (at least, new to me) I found out that it can take 4 weeks, sometimes even 6 weeks, to see changes at the scale after you start working out regularly.  Hopefully you'll start seeing positive changes at the scale in a week or so.  (It was week 4 when I finally saw a loss instead of gaining or maintaining.)

[Heybales]

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@Annikaleia wrote:
Thank you for all your insights regarding this. I just weighed myself again tonight, and I'm up ANOTHER 2 pounds. I'm well within range of everything. If something doesn't change by the end of next week, I'll look into seeing a doctor and possibly heed some of the advice given here.
Thank you.

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Up 2 lbs in what time frame?

Always do the math if you think it's fat gain.

2 lbs x 3500 / days of change (say 7) = 1000 difference between eating level and burn level.

Do you think there is any way in the world you ate 1000 more than you burned each and every day?

If shorter than 7 days, it would be even bigger.

Likely not possible - that would take some outright dishonest food logging, unless you sleep walk and eat.

But the stress of this can pile the water weight on - and you are obviously stressing about it.

If the body is under stress from undereating, there's that too.

Just need to calm down likely. Have a stiff drink, that's been known to cause a water flush from the system.

As well as a carb loading day, eat up to maintenance, more carbs than normal.

[susie-q]

Heybales, sorry to jump in on this topic, but can I please just clarify with you about the cortisol adding water? I always thought /read, that raised cortisol from stress can cause fat gain, particulary around the abdominal area. (magazines, ha ha.)

So, hope I'm wrong in this and it is just water gain, not fat gain.

My question is this - If I continue at a deficit of -750 cals (35lbs to lose, I will change that down to -500cals at 20lbs to lose) BUT, if I am emotionally stressed in the meantime, if I gain weight due to raised cortisol levels, am I still really burning 1.5lbs per week of fat (and/or muscle) underneath? And when the stress goes away, the extra water weight will go away with it? Is it really as simple as that? I just keep going regardless of the scales and it will all even out at the end?

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@Heybales wrote:

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 Stress causes elevated cortisol levels, which retains water. Up to 20 lbs.

So don't get stressed out over this, or you could cause it to happen.

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[Annikaleia]

So, I have another question.  It looks like I might be eating too little.  I know I'm supposed to eat 1200 a day, but is that after I account for the 500-600 calories I burn while working out for an hour? Because I was looking at my food log, and it looks like my net calories are way too low.  I was averaging less that 500 a day.  So, I'm guessing I need to eat more?   If that's the case, I think I found the culprit. 

[SunsetRunner]

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@Annikaleia wrote:

So, I have another question.  It looks like I might be eating too little.  I know I'm supposed to eat 1200 a day, but is that after I account for the 500-600 calories I burn while working out for an hour? Because I was looking at my food log, and it looks like my net calories are way too low.  I was averaging less that 500 a day.  So, I'm guessing I need to eat more?   If that's the case, I think I found the culprit. 

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It's rather simple ...

If calories IN (food) equals calories OUT (BMR plus exercise) = stable weight (over time)

If calories IN (food) is greater than calories OUT (BMR plus exercise) = increasing weight (over time)

If calories IN (food) is less than calories OUT (BMR plus exercise) = decreasing weight (over time)

[alaska1204]

Same boat. I am just shy of 5'8 and weigh 156.9 pounds.  Fitbit says I have a daily deficit of over 1000 every single day (I eat around 1300-1400 calories a day and usually burn 2400-2500 calories per day). I eat plant based foods only and also monitor my fat to protein to carb ratio. I usually do 30-50 percent from protein, 10-40 percent from carbs, and the 10-40 percent healthy fats. My carbs come from beans and quinoa and vegetables etc. I work out for 30 minutes to an hour a day (walking, p90x3, pilates, kickboxing, etc.). I just recently cut out whey and plain greek yogurt along with artificial sweeteners in hopes that maybe this will help me start losing. I am also increasing my water intake. I am at a loss as to whatever else I can do. If it is simply calories in vs. calories out I would have been losing 2 pounds per week (and I have been tracking everything that I eat). Any ideas?

[alaska1204]

Annikaleia , so let's say you eat 1200 calories today. Instead of looking at the number of calories you burned during a workout, look at the amount of calories you burn in a day. Let's say today you burn 2200 calories. Take the 2200 calories you burned (which includes any exercise) and subtract the amount you ate (1200 calories). this would put you at a deficit of -1000. To burn a pound of fat you need to create a deficit of -3500 calories. Hope that helps 🙂

[SunsetRunner]

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@alaska1204 wrote:

Same boat. I am just shy of 5'8 and weigh 156.9 pounds.  Fitbit says I have a daily deficit of over 1000 every single day (I eat around 1300-1400 calories a day and usually burn 2400-2500 calories per day). I eat plant based foods only and also monitor my fat to protein to carb ratio. I usually do 30-50 percent from protein, 10-40 percent from carbs, and the 10-40 percent healthy fats. My carbs come from beans and quinoa and vegetables etc. I work out for 30 minutes to an hour a day (walking, p90x3, pilates, kickboxing, etc.). I just recently cut out whey and plain greek yogurt along with artificial sweeteners in hopes that maybe this will help me start losing. I am also increasing my water intake. I am at a loss as to whatever else I can do. If it is simply calories in vs. calories out I would have been losing 2 pounds per week (and I have been tracking everything that I eat). Any ideas?

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It is as simple as calories IN and calories OUT - but it also said "over time".

[alaska1204]

It has been a little over a month so I assumed it would have shown by now. I suppose I should wait another month to see if my body is just adjusting. I need to learn patience 🙂

[Heybales]

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@susie-q wrote:

Heybales, sorry to jump in on this topic, but can I please just clarify with you about the cortisol adding water? I always thought /read, that raised cortisol from stress can cause fat gain, particulary around the abdominal area. (magazines, ha ha.)

So, hope I'm wrong in this and it is just water gain, not fat gain.

My question is this - If I continue at a deficit of -750 cals (35lbs to lose, I will change that down to -500cals at 20lbs to lose) BUT, if I am emotionally stressed in the meantime, if I gain weight due to raised cortisol levels, am I still really burning 1.5lbs per week of fat (and/or muscle) underneath? And when the stress goes away, the extra water weight will go away with it? Is it really as simple as that? I just keep going regardless of the scales and it will all even out at the end?

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@Heybales wrote:

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 Stress causes elevated cortisol levels, which retains water. Up to 20 lbs.

So don't get stressed out over this, or you could cause it to happen.

---

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If you are eating in a deficit, the increased cortisol is only water weight added, though there was one study I saw that some fat was lost in some areas be deposited there. But that kind of study is hard, because you have to go long enough for fat to be lost there, to be put back there. So was it really put back there, or fat everywhere was burned but less or none there?

And it sure seems like most people lose there last anyway, so how could you really tell.

So I'm betting unless really special case, if truly eating in deficit, it's water weight gain.

The problem of course is that usually the increased cortisol is at least partly because of stress of under-eating, so the body has adapted by slowing things down. So now you really don't burn as much in maintenance.

And now it's easier for a binge day to bring in actual surplus calories - which are going on as fat. And with that increased hormone - guess where?

And yes, if the stress is from other stuff and body isn't changing the equation on you, you could keep increasing water weight while losing fat weight.

The problem is not knowing if the body has adapted because of all the stress too.

Same effect as someone starting a new intense exercise workout can maintain weight while losing inches.

Fat is obviously being burned, and muscle ain't being added that fast no matter who you are (unless doing steroids), so it's water weight.

I get it every year during the transition from winter bulk mode to spring/summer cardio cut mode. Weeks of maintained weight though the deficit has come back, but I'm kicking up the endurance cardio and gaining water weight with the increased carbs stored. But inches drop.

[Heybales]

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@Annikaleia wrote:

So, I have another question.  It looks like I might be eating too little.  I know I'm supposed to eat 1200 a day, but is that after I account for the 500-600 calories I burn while working out for an hour? Because I was looking at my food log, and it looks like my net calories are way too low.  I was averaging less that 500 a day.  So, I'm guessing I need to eat more?   If that's the case, I think I found the culprit. 

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You merely need to eat less than you burn all day.

If 1200 on a rest day is the result of say 500 less than you burn 1700 because you are short - so be it.

But as soon as you exercise say 300, you burned more than 1700, say 2000 that day.

Then 2000 - 500 = 1500 eating goal.

Or easier math - just put exercise with eating goal - 300 + 1200 = 1500 eating goal.

Same result.

And no, eating 1200 constant and body burning 300 off the top for exercise, leaving your body only 900 for everything else it needs to do is not wise. Not unless Dr supervision and tested out the wahzoo like a research study participant would do. And even there, they know they are causing the body to adapt in some negative ways, but that's the study!

If that 500 cal deficit is even reasonable for amount to lose. That may be too much really.

And there is a bunch more burn to the day than just BMR and exercise.

BMR is if you slept all day long - Basal Metabolic Rate.

But you wake up, you burn more, even if you just sat in chair resting - called RMR, Resting Metabolic Rate. Fitbit doesn't account for this.

You start moving around for daily activities - NEAT - Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. What Fitbit is trying to give decent estimate for.

You eat food and digest and process it - TEF - Thermal Effect of Feeding - about 10% of calories eaten. Fitbit doesn't account for this.

You do an actual workout - EAT - Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. What Fitbit is trying to estimate, some models or workouts may need corrections for best estimate.

So sadly not nearly as simple as BMR + exercise.

Do you have over 15 lbs to lose for that 500 cal deficit to be reasonable still?

And if you have been eating well below this for a long while now, adjust slowly upwards so your body can adjust too and adapt to faster burn.

Eat just 100 calories more daily for a week at a time, until at new eating goal amount.

Though that may not unstress body enough if you had been well under for a long time, may need to keep slowly increasing all the way up to maintenance.

And always keep the math in mind - if your body did not speed up each week immediately, so that the 100 calories was really in surplus each week - it would take 35 days to slowly gain 1 lb.

Anything else is just water weight.