I've been working out with a personal trainer for the last few weeks. I also do some cardio and some walking. She also wanted me to change my eating habits, so I have. I don't eat any junk anymore. I just had my tenth session on Friday (I signed up for 36 with my trainer) and now I didn't expect to lose a lot of fat in ten days, but I definitely didn't expect to get fatter! I don't weigh myself because I know muscle weighs more than fat, and that's what I do with the personal trainer. However, I put on a pair of jeans that have always fit me and found that they have gotten way too tight! Then I noticed that with other pairs of pants that have only fit or have been loose. I'm not close to my time of the month either, and usually I do bloat around that time. So I can't figure out why I am getting fatter. I eat healthy meals, which are small six times a day. I do not eat before I sleep. I drink a lot of water, I eat a healthy breakfast. Also, I decided to weigh myself and I haven't lost of gained weight, so I can't figure out why I've gotten so fat! It's really bothering me, especially since for years I've starved myself off and on. It's been months since I last starved myself, and I do not want to get back into that again. I never wanted to get into that, but it happened and I've been trying to get out of it completely, which is why I have a gym membership! I want to know why I am getting fatter instead of thinner! It's a question I am going to ask my fitness trainer but I'm not going to see her for a few days.
I've gotten fatter?
- Thread starter Ashley868
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Jericho
New member
Thing is..just cause you say it is healthy breakfast and 6 small meals doesn't mean that your calorie count is under the calories you burn. There is information we don't have. Your stats, your meal plans, exercises, etc.
I'm eating between the calorie intake I'm supposed to have. My personal trainer told me I need between 1265 and 1800 a day at my weight, I was eating less then that before. She said if I didn't eat between that, my body would go into starvation mode and I wouldn't lose anything. Right now I am usually between 1200 and 1300. When I signed up for a personal trainer, they gave me a link to a website where you can make meal plans. Each week I fill out a meal plan for each day and it tells me how much calories I take in that day. I have not gone past my required amount.
Plus, I've never gained this much so rapidly in the last few years. Before I started excercising so much, I stayed at the same weight, or gained a few pounds. Since the summer, my pants size has pretty much stayed the same. The only time they are tight is around my time of the month. Now I feel like I am bloated all the time, and this has only been three weeks! How is it possible to feel as if I have gained about 10 or 15 pounds of fat in three weeks? Especially when the scale says I haven't? I use the digital scale at the gym.
Plus, I've never gained this much so rapidly in the last few years. Before I started excercising so much, I stayed at the same weight, or gained a few pounds. Since the summer, my pants size has pretty much stayed the same. The only time they are tight is around my time of the month. Now I feel like I am bloated all the time, and this has only been three weeks! How is it possible to feel as if I have gained about 10 or 15 pounds of fat in three weeks? Especially when the scale says I haven't? I use the digital scale at the gym.
KaraCooks
New member
It's impossible for you to have gained 10 lbs of fat in 3 weeks unless you're eating upwards of 6000 calories a day. It simply doesn't work that way.
A few thoughts for you:
1 - A range of calories between 1200 and 1800 is ludicrous. That's too broad a range. Without knowing what you weigh, I can't make a recommendation, but the best thing for you to do is multiply your current weight by 10 and that will give you the number of calories you should eat to lose weight.
1a - Are you absolutely positively 100% SURE about the weights and measures you're using? And about the serving sizes? Most people are very very very bad at eyeballing serving sizes and knowing what a single serving really is. For example, a serving of cereal is often 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup - that's a cup measure, not a coffee cup or a cereal bowl. A serving of milk is 8oz not a glass full or a bowl full. A serving of meat is a piece 3-4 oz in size (about the size of the palm of your hand and 1" thick. Be very sure that you're measuring and weighing your food accurately. It's very possible to be eating 500 to 1000 calories more than you think you are just by "eyeballing" your food.
1b - A lot of times people who have just started working out find themselves being more hungry than they've ever been before and eat more than they think they're eating - either by misjudging servings (see above) or by snacking unconsciously and forgetting to write it down or consider it. A bite here and a bite there can add up quickly to several hundred calories a day. Make sure that you're not unconsciously eating and sabotaging yourself.
2 - You cannot gain muscle that fast, so stop being afraid of the scale. Weighing yourself on a regular basis (weekly is good) to get a status point and see what's going on with your body is a good thing. Weigh at the EXACT SAME TIME every time you weigh - wearing the same thing, with no food or water in your stomach. So for example, I weigh daily, every morning right out of the shower, naked, before I eat or drink anything. That way the numbers are *consistent* ... which is the most important thing.
3 - Your body goes through a lot of changes when you first start working out hard. You retain fluid that helps your muscles heal and that causes swelling. As your muscles become more firm, they will push the fat out further which can make you look and feel fatter. Your body will shift the fat around some (as odd as that sounds) so you may be skinnier in your shoulders, face, chest, neck, arms, wherever, but have more bulk in your hips and thighs (this happens to me whenever I kick up my program a lot).
4 - WHAT you eat is as important as how much you eat. If you're eating a lot of packaged diet foods, they could be full of sodium. Or if you eat foods that are high in sodium naturally. Sodium causes your body to retain fluid to balance out your electrolytes; the best way to combat additional sodium (other than cutting back, of course) is drinking more water.
5 - WATER. As noted above, make sure you're getting in enough water. This helps with sodium fluid retention as well as general retention from more exercise. The American Sports Medicine Institute recommends an average of 1/2 oz of water per pound of bodyweight. So for example, I weigh 174, so I should drink 87 oz of water per day. They recommend more if you work out and sweat or spend lots of time in the heat and less if you're completely sedentary.
Any or all of those things might be influencing how your clothes are fitting. The bottom line is that if you're doing everything right, then just give your body time to adjust.
A few thoughts for you:
1 - A range of calories between 1200 and 1800 is ludicrous. That's too broad a range. Without knowing what you weigh, I can't make a recommendation, but the best thing for you to do is multiply your current weight by 10 and that will give you the number of calories you should eat to lose weight.
1a - Are you absolutely positively 100% SURE about the weights and measures you're using? And about the serving sizes? Most people are very very very bad at eyeballing serving sizes and knowing what a single serving really is. For example, a serving of cereal is often 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup - that's a cup measure, not a coffee cup or a cereal bowl. A serving of milk is 8oz not a glass full or a bowl full. A serving of meat is a piece 3-4 oz in size (about the size of the palm of your hand and 1" thick. Be very sure that you're measuring and weighing your food accurately. It's very possible to be eating 500 to 1000 calories more than you think you are just by "eyeballing" your food.
1b - A lot of times people who have just started working out find themselves being more hungry than they've ever been before and eat more than they think they're eating - either by misjudging servings (see above) or by snacking unconsciously and forgetting to write it down or consider it. A bite here and a bite there can add up quickly to several hundred calories a day. Make sure that you're not unconsciously eating and sabotaging yourself.
2 - You cannot gain muscle that fast, so stop being afraid of the scale. Weighing yourself on a regular basis (weekly is good) to get a status point and see what's going on with your body is a good thing. Weigh at the EXACT SAME TIME every time you weigh - wearing the same thing, with no food or water in your stomach. So for example, I weigh daily, every morning right out of the shower, naked, before I eat or drink anything. That way the numbers are *consistent* ... which is the most important thing.
3 - Your body goes through a lot of changes when you first start working out hard. You retain fluid that helps your muscles heal and that causes swelling. As your muscles become more firm, they will push the fat out further which can make you look and feel fatter. Your body will shift the fat around some (as odd as that sounds) so you may be skinnier in your shoulders, face, chest, neck, arms, wherever, but have more bulk in your hips and thighs (this happens to me whenever I kick up my program a lot).
4 - WHAT you eat is as important as how much you eat. If you're eating a lot of packaged diet foods, they could be full of sodium. Or if you eat foods that are high in sodium naturally. Sodium causes your body to retain fluid to balance out your electrolytes; the best way to combat additional sodium (other than cutting back, of course) is drinking more water.
5 - WATER. As noted above, make sure you're getting in enough water. This helps with sodium fluid retention as well as general retention from more exercise. The American Sports Medicine Institute recommends an average of 1/2 oz of water per pound of bodyweight. So for example, I weigh 174, so I should drink 87 oz of water per day. They recommend more if you work out and sweat or spend lots of time in the heat and less if you're completely sedentary.
Any or all of those things might be influencing how your clothes are fitting. The bottom line is that if you're doing everything right, then just give your body time to adjust.
I'm 140 and 5'4 and that's the recommended calorie intake that my personal trainer told me I should be eating. She was the one who did my fitness assessment when I first signed up for the gym. Should I stop taking her advice then? Now I'm really confused. Also, according to the scale, it says I haven't lost or gained weight but my clothes tell me I have gotten fatter. I also only drink water, and sometimes coffee but not often. I only drink coffee if I didn't get enough sleep. I follow the calorie intake meal plan everyday, except once. I did eat a chocolate bar once last week. Was it the chocolate bar that threw me off? I did exercise that day afterwards. I only use weights with my personal trainer, I don't trust using them on my own. When I go to the gym on my own I do cardio.
Should I stop following the meal plans then?
Should I stop following the meal plans then?
KaraCooks
New member
So she's a gym trainer, then. Does she have any education in fitness and nutrition? Is she certified by any reputable organization? What is her experience? Can you get references from other clients she's trained?
I'm not meaning to be negative, but most gym trainers are pretty much worthless. Every now and then you'll run into a good one, but the vast majority of them don't know what they're doing. Most of them are hired by the gym to sell fitness packages. Ask her why she's picked that calorie level for you - ask her to explain the numbers. I'll bet she can't.
A range of over 600 calories is a flat out STUPID range. 600 calories - for a smaller woman - can make the difference between losing and gaining. And at your current weight 1800 is the number of calories you'd eat to MAINTAIN your weight, not lose. At your current weight, a reasonable range to lose would be around 1300-1400 a day.
I think you might be better off building your own meal plans basing around a 1300 calorie diet. I'd suggest registering for a free account on or and starting to log your food. This will let you see how many calories you're eating and how your nutrition levels are breaking down. Once you know that, you'll be able to see more clearly where you can make adjustments, cut back, change your nutrition, etc.
I do stick around a 1300 calorie, I never go above because 1800 seems to much for me. She did go to college though for her job. When we work out together, we talk a lot about our lives and I;ve asked her why she wanted to be a personal trainer. She went for a three year course at our local college. I was fine this morning when I got up, my clothes felt fine but then I went to the gym for some cardio today and noticed my clothes were too tight again. I exercise everyday so I'm wondering if it is the workouts that are doing it? I might start keeping track of my size before and after a work out.
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Jeanette401
New member
You do retain extra water right after a workout - maybe that has something to do with it?
When you work your muscles they do get bigger straight after- its called pumping or something and guys like to do it before a big date or if they are going out to show off. Its because partly as the above postyer says, you do retain water in your muscles, and partly as when you get hot your body and muscles swell up with the blood going through them at a higher rate then normal. When you cool down over a few hours, things reduce and get smaller in size, hence the next day you feel smaller again.
Another idea (although I think you'd be posting something else if it were this) is muscle building and delayed onset muscle soreness. When you work your muscles out, you make micro tears and its the rebuilding that gives you stronger muscles. When you've just finished working out your muscles are swollen as they are sore and rebuilding. Then are swollen as they have micro tears in them. I think though if this were happening to you every day, you'd be asking for a stronger pain relief or asking hor to walk without the waddling look!
Hope you find the answer? what did your trainer say?
Another idea (although I think you'd be posting something else if it were this) is muscle building and delayed onset muscle soreness. When you work your muscles out, you make micro tears and its the rebuilding that gives you stronger muscles. When you've just finished working out your muscles are swollen as they are sore and rebuilding. Then are swollen as they have micro tears in them. I think though if this were happening to you every day, you'd be asking for a stronger pain relief or asking hor to walk without the waddling look!
Hope you find the answer? what did your trainer say?
Jericho
New member
There is no scientific data that says that drinking filtered water over tap water does anything different for weight loss.
I don't know where you got your data. Maybe you believe it. Maybe you are trying to sell filters, I don't know. Do you have medical data showing what you said is true?
NPR Article:
April 3, 2008
Five Myths About Drinking Water
by Allison Aubrey
Is bottled water better for you than tap? Or should you choose vitamin-enriched water over sparkling? Experts say, skip it all. None of these products are likely to make you any healthier. Below, we look at five major myths about the benefits of drinking water.
But first, how do you know if you're drinking enough water? Experts say there's an easy way to judge. If you're not thirsty, you're fluid intake is likely "just right."
Myth No. 1: Drink Eight Glasses Each Day
Scientists say there's no clear health benefit to chugging or even sipping water all day. So where does the standard advice of drinking eight glasses each day come from? "Nobody really knows," says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney expert at the University of Pennsylvania.
Myth No. 2: Drinking Lots of Water Helps Clear Out Toxins
The kidneys filter toxins from our bloodstreams. Then the toxins clear through the urine. The question is, does drinking extra water each day improve the function of the kidneys?
"No," says Goldfarb. "In fact, drinking large amounts of water surprisingly tends to reduce the kidney's ability to function as a filter. It's a subtle decline, but definite."
Myth No. 3: Lots of Water Equals Healthier Skin
The body is already 60 percent water. So, if you take a 200-pound man, he's 120 pounds of water.
Adding a few extra glasses of water each day has limited effect. "It's such a tiny part of what's in the body," says Goldfarb. "It's very unlikely that one's getting any benefit." His full editorial is published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
One study published in 2007 on the cosmetic benefit of drinking water suggests that 500 ml of water increases capillary blood flow in the skin. "But it's unclear whether these changes are clinically significant," says Goldfarb.
Myth No. 4: Drinking Extra Water Leads to Weight Loss
A more accurate statement may be: Drinking water is a helpful tool for dieters.
"Water is a great strategy for dieters because it has no calories," says Madeline Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh. "So you can keep your mouth busy without food and get the sense of satisfaction."
But water is not magical, she adds. Other zero-calorie options such as diet sodas are fine, too.
Myth No. 5: It's Easy to Get Dehydrated During a Workout
Dehydration sets in when a person has lost 2 percent of his or her body weight. So for a 200-pound man, this means losing 4 pounds of water.
Marathon runners, bikers and hikers all need to recognize the signs of dehydration. "It is also obvious that individuals in hot, dry climates have increased need for water," says Goldfarb.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink 16 ounces of fluids a couple of hours before starting sports practice.
But for a stroll in the park, no water bottle is necessary. Goldfarb's advice: Just drink when you're thirsty.
I don't know where you got your data. Maybe you believe it. Maybe you are trying to sell filters, I don't know. Do you have medical data showing what you said is true?
NPR Article:
April 3, 2008
Five Myths About Drinking Water
by Allison Aubrey
Is bottled water better for you than tap? Or should you choose vitamin-enriched water over sparkling? Experts say, skip it all. None of these products are likely to make you any healthier. Below, we look at five major myths about the benefits of drinking water.
But first, how do you know if you're drinking enough water? Experts say there's an easy way to judge. If you're not thirsty, you're fluid intake is likely "just right."
Myth No. 1: Drink Eight Glasses Each Day
Scientists say there's no clear health benefit to chugging or even sipping water all day. So where does the standard advice of drinking eight glasses each day come from? "Nobody really knows," says Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a kidney expert at the University of Pennsylvania.
Myth No. 2: Drinking Lots of Water Helps Clear Out Toxins
The kidneys filter toxins from our bloodstreams. Then the toxins clear through the urine. The question is, does drinking extra water each day improve the function of the kidneys?
"No," says Goldfarb. "In fact, drinking large amounts of water surprisingly tends to reduce the kidney's ability to function as a filter. It's a subtle decline, but definite."
Myth No. 3: Lots of Water Equals Healthier Skin
The body is already 60 percent water. So, if you take a 200-pound man, he's 120 pounds of water.
Adding a few extra glasses of water each day has limited effect. "It's such a tiny part of what's in the body," says Goldfarb. "It's very unlikely that one's getting any benefit." His full editorial is published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
One study published in 2007 on the cosmetic benefit of drinking water suggests that 500 ml of water increases capillary blood flow in the skin. "But it's unclear whether these changes are clinically significant," says Goldfarb.
Myth No. 4: Drinking Extra Water Leads to Weight Loss
A more accurate statement may be: Drinking water is a helpful tool for dieters.
"Water is a great strategy for dieters because it has no calories," says Madeline Fernstrom of the University of Pittsburgh. "So you can keep your mouth busy without food and get the sense of satisfaction."
But water is not magical, she adds. Other zero-calorie options such as diet sodas are fine, too.
Myth No. 5: It's Easy to Get Dehydrated During a Workout
Dehydration sets in when a person has lost 2 percent of his or her body weight. So for a 200-pound man, this means losing 4 pounds of water.
Marathon runners, bikers and hikers all need to recognize the signs of dehydration. "It is also obvious that individuals in hot, dry climates have increased need for water," says Goldfarb.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes drink 16 ounces of fluids a couple of hours before starting sports practice.
But for a stroll in the park, no water bottle is necessary. Goldfarb's advice: Just drink when you're thirsty.
Andy2
New member
I read that the artifical sweeteners in diet cola have a very similiar effect as regular sugars on the pancreas in that they both stimulate an insulin response, which could lead to unwarranted hunger.
Its one of the reasons I kicked cola back in december. I dont need any help staying hungry
.whiskeytangofox
New member
Jericho
It's interesting that the examples are all male. I retain water like crazy at my TOM and lots of women do, drinking water relieves bloating and even fatigue. Why is water retention not mentioned at all?
It's interesting that the examples are all male. I retain water like crazy at my TOM and lots of women do, drinking water relieves bloating and even fatigue. Why is water retention not mentioned at all?
Jericho
New member
Hmm interesting. Best I could find from the Mayo Clinic was that water retention is a classic symptom of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). What causes PMS — and its unwelcome symptoms — is unclear, but hormonal changes seem to play a major role.
(PS: the original post my statement was about is gone. It was saying you need to buy water filter (link provided) cause the toxins in tap or regular filtered water hinders your weight loss)
(PS: the original post my statement was about is gone. It was saying you need to buy water filter (link provided) cause the toxins in tap or regular filtered water hinders your weight loss)
whiskeytangofox
New member
No probs, was just curious.
There are so many crazy spammers on this forum, I'm not sure why they waste their time.
There are so many crazy spammers on this forum, I'm not sure why they waste their time.
espressowhip
New member
Thank you for posting this!!
espressowhip
New member
Doing good things
You should follow her advice. She's giving you long term goals that will work if you are patient. 1500 calories is fine. Everything you are doing is fine! There is a range of calories based on your level of activity. Yes, it's a big range, but it's more due to your activity level than anything to do with your current weight/height/age.
Most likely the gain has to do with water. Our bodies gain and loose water like crazy. Up to an 8 pounds a day fluctuation!
I would look at the meals you are eating. They are different than what you normally eat...do they have more salt? Maybe you are drinking too much water...see the water myths posted above. Don't dehydrate, but be aware of water.
Also, sorry to tell you, but thanks to those lovely hormones, women's bodies change with age, and maybe what is happening now. Maybe your body is going through a water-retention phase. Could be as simple as that.
The other thing, despite how your jeans fit, you are doing a lot to change your body and are hyper-aware of changes. This tightness in your jeans could have happened before and you brushed it off - but now because of your efforts you are more critical of the change.
Don't worry - you are doing good things and even if your body is holding on to water today, it will be gone by tomorrow or next week. Everything you and your trainer are doing is a recipe for success. Try not to be so self-critical along the way and you'll be much happier!
You should follow her advice. She's giving you long term goals that will work if you are patient. 1500 calories is fine. Everything you are doing is fine! There is a range of calories based on your level of activity. Yes, it's a big range, but it's more due to your activity level than anything to do with your current weight/height/age.
Most likely the gain has to do with water. Our bodies gain and loose water like crazy. Up to an 8 pounds a day fluctuation!
I would look at the meals you are eating. They are different than what you normally eat...do they have more salt? Maybe you are drinking too much water...see the water myths posted above. Don't dehydrate, but be aware of water.
Also, sorry to tell you, but thanks to those lovely hormones, women's bodies change with age, and maybe what is happening now. Maybe your body is going through a water-retention phase. Could be as simple as that.
The other thing, despite how your jeans fit, you are doing a lot to change your body and are hyper-aware of changes. This tightness in your jeans could have happened before and you brushed it off - but now because of your efforts you are more critical of the change.
Don't worry - you are doing good things and even if your body is holding on to water today, it will be gone by tomorrow or next week. Everything you and your trainer are doing is a recipe for success. Try not to be so self-critical along the way and you'll be much happier!