Working out to lose weight... but gaining instead?

[Frosty3799]

I am 5'9" and was 180 lbs. ... I decided I wanted to lose ~15 or so pounds, just to look/feel better. This was 2 weeks ago.

I am now running (1-2 miles), doing push-ups/crunches every night, and eating better, but instead of losing weight, I gained, and am now up to 186 lbs.

There isnt like a visible difference of the weight changing over to muscle, but is that what is happening?

Also, are there any metabolism pills or something I could take to help lose the weight?

Thanks for the help.

Josh

 

[zbalat]

What are you eating when you say "eating better"? What are you eating and how often do you eat? How large are the portions and what time do you have your last meal?

Muscle does weigh more than fat but if you are just doing situps and push ups there is no way that you gained 6lbs of muscle in 2 weeks. My guess is your diet is to blame. Please post your eating habits.

 

[Spoooon]

You could be drinking more water because of your exercise regimen, adding some water weight. That plus building some muscle, plus you might be eating more.

 

[UberDave]

eat more salads and fruits

 

[richardycc]

because muscles weight more than fat.

rich

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Don't workout to "lose weight." Workout to have better health. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue. If you work out, you're going to build muscle. "Losing weight" just to get the numbers down isn't healthy.

nik

 

[bmd]

Originally posted by: richardycc
because muscles weight more than fat.

rich

You don't gain 6lbs of muscle in 2 weeks of push ups and crunches.

 

[yobarman]

gaining or losing weight while working out is 75% diet. Are you eating lots of carbs and not enough protien? well then...whats a matter with you.

read this fatty

 

[NikPreviousAcct]

Originally posted by: bmd

Originally posted by: richardycc
because muscles weight more than fat.

rich

You don't gain 6lbs of muscle in 2 weeks of push ups and crunches.

You might I could have during my Freshman year, but I didn't pay attention. I beefed up SO MUCH that year.

nik

 

[xyion]

if you are in poor shape it is possible to gain muscle mass rapidly simply because muscles are finally being used. When i first started working out I gained lots of strenght quick because i was barely using the muscle potential my body had (it IS different for different people).

That said, make sure you eat healthy ALL the time. If you want to post your diet for comments feel free to do so.

if you want to lose weight then cut off a leg. If you want to lower your body fat then work out

 

[Lucky]

if you are in poor shape it is possible to gain muscle mass rapidly simply because muscles are finally being used.

That's me!!! I've sat on my ass for the last 5 years for the most part, and about two weeks ago started a weight loss, exercise, and strength training routine. I've already doubled my max bench press!

 

[JellyBaby]

Feeling OK? If you're, ah, retaining water, that might be the reason.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Ignore weight. Reduce fat percentage. Get measured, and go by that.

 

[SludgeFactory]

Originally posted by: Frosty3799
I am 5'9" and was 180 lbs. ... I decided I wanted to lose ~15 or so pounds, just to look/feel better. This was 2 weeks ago.

I am now running (1-2 miles), doing push-ups/crunches every night, and eating better, but instead of losing weight, I gained, and am now up to 186 lbs.

There isnt like a visible difference of the weight changing over to muscle, but is that what is happening?

Also, are there any metabolism pills or something I could take to help lose the weight?

Thanks for the help.

Josh

First, you need to be weighing yourself at the same time of day everytime. Your weight can swing by several pounds over the course of a day. You'll get the most consistent readings by doing it in the morning on an empty stomach and empty bladder. I doubt that you truly gained a solid 6 lbs in 2 weeks, that's a lot of weight to gain, whether it be muscle, fat, or some combination of the two.

If you're not paying attention to the calories you're consuming, that's probably the problem. Even though you're eating better food, you may have increased your caloric intake because your exercising made you hungrier. At the end of the day, calories are all that matters. If you've been eating a lot of carbs, you could be holding some extra water.

Body fat is a better indicator of your fitness progress than weight anyway. You can have it tested professionally, you can buy your own calipers and do it, you can keep track of your waist size, or you can just do the mirror test.

Skip the pills.

 

[AU Tiger]

Go to Men's Health website and checkout the forums, especially the Belly Off forum. Lots of good information there.

 

[Frosty3799]

Thanks for the input everyone, I have been following a bloodtype diet from the book 'Eat Right 4 Your Bloodtype'.

It worked well for my uncle, so I got my blood type tested and started following the book's layout.

I wouldnt say that I eat more now... but the fact i only have 2 meals/ day might be part of the problem. (around 1 PM and then 7 or 8 PM)... though I didnt change from eating 2 meals a day from before I started the diet.

Well, I was pretty much sitting around for about 9 months, so as others have said, it MAY have been all muscle build up cause I havent been using it.

Anyone else ever hear of/use this book?