Gained after starting a new routine!

[dexter 205]

Oh my! I started doing kettle bells and am doing them 4 days a week with recovery workouts in between. I use either a 15 or 20lb KB depending on the move.

In two weeks, I've suddenly gone up 4 lbs. NO CHANGE in my diet. In my 'pms' week and usually experience maybe a 1-2lb gain but it is quickly lost. But 4lbs?? Ugh. Have had a stressful week (2 elderly dogs had to be euthanized yesterday. Been preparing for a week)..

No inches gained or lost.

Any thoughts?? Think it's temporary? Just in that flux between building muscle and losing extra fat?

Btw, I am 10 months out, down to 176 (was 172) from 285.

[baniwala 40]

I would this it's muscle and a change to your workouts. I wouldn't stress out about it. No change in your measurements means you aren't getting bigger. Just your body adjusting to the new workouts. Hang in there!

[christieouchley 55]

I actually stopped working out with weights a few weeks ago because the weight was coming off so slowly. The loss has picked up again. It is because you are building so much muscle. I am also able to contain my calories much better without using weights, and am not so exhausted all day after my workout. I am sticking strictly to cardio now and will focus on weight training a little closer to goal. I know with my common sense mind the weight training is a good thing and I should keep it up for best results in the long run. However when you have struggled with weight for so long, you really just want to see those numbers drop. I feel as long as I stay committed to cardio I am good.

[cpeycke 16]

Yeah I'd say probably muscle gain, which is GOOD!

[Ms skinniness 3,003]

Don't forget that you are building muscle and when you do weight bearing exercises you are tearing your muscles down and they are rebuilding so there is some inflammation to be expected which means Water retention too. So it's part of the process. The good news is that the more muscle mass you have, the more your going to be burning. So keep it up...... and you will most likely start decreasing in inches too.

[RJ'S/beginning 5,357]

Don't forget that muscle and fat weigh the same...Muscle is more dense then fat....which is good all around....You are still releasing toxins in the fat as you go down and Water and toxins interfere with weight loss... It will start coming off again..but at this time to give your body is taking a rest it needs and keep up the good work!

[aroundhky 1,174]

I wouldn't stess about it either. If your diet/nutrition is still in check, I'm sure you're gaining muscle and your body composition has improved. Kettle bells rock!!

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Kettle bells are pretty awesome at creating muscle. Keep it up! I would not be too concerned about weight gain after strength training. It always happens. I bet your clothes are fitting better and weight will begin to drop again soon.

[dexter 205]

Thank you all so much for your responses. Not stressing it so much now.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

Everyone has said such awesome stuff I really don't have anything to contribute, other than to reiterate the fact that muscle and fat weigh exactly the same, for some reason kicking the old myth that muscle is heavier is really difficult. Somebody up in the thread mentioned that during the muscle building phase you are tearing muscles and creating inflammation etc. and that could account for this temporary gain, I agree with that person. Also, don't forget just how individual results vary, for example the person above who said they stopped weight training because it slowed down their loss, so they stuck to cardio? I am EXACTLY the opposite, when I do cardio, my loss grinds to a halt, even though I still have at least 50 lbs to lose. But when I lift my loss continues apace, and I look better faster.