I started exercising & stopped losing???

[NYgirl01 0]

:Dancing_wub: I am not sure what to make of this. I was losing pretty steadily then about 4-5 weeks ago I started the gym. I know I am losing inches, but the weight has stopped. My best friend is a fitness guru and gave me a lot of pointers on the treadmill and the resistance machines. I have been at a plateau - anyone else?

[Skinny_Jill 36]

There could be several reasons that the scale is not moving:

1. muscle weighs more than fat

2. Are you eating enough? Did you increase your calories when you started working out? Your body needs more when you are working out.

3. If you are working out hard and your muscles are sore your body will retain Fluid to protect your muscles.

If you are losing inches I wouldn't worry about it. The scale will start going down and I bet when it does it will be a big jump.

I started working out almost 3 weeks ago with a trainer and I lost 3 pounds right away and I haven't lost any more since. Like you, I am losing inches and I am tracking my food and eating 1200 calories a day when I work out and 1000-1200 on days that I don't.

[NYgirl01 0]

I think you may be right about the food. I am not very hungry anymore and I don't seem to eat as much to keep burning off. I need to really sit down and re-evaluate my food situation.

I do take a Water pill every other day to every couple of days. I have a horrible hormone that retains Fluid.

Thanks for the insight.

[jennypoo 0]

Im right there with you.I started working out quit a bit last week.Well got up this past monday and had gained 2lbs. how depressing is that!! Its very frustrating.

[Ceradad 10]

I am 7 1/2 mos post op. I've lost over 100 lbs since then. However, if I didn't workout as much as I do (7 mornings a week for cardio and 4 nights a week lifting) I could have lost soooooooooooo much more. At the beginning of Feb., I had a personal trainer re measure my body as opposed to when I joined last April. In that time, I had lost nearly 40" off my body.

Exercising, especially resistance training, will build muscle. And, as the old addage says "muscle weighs more than fat". It's not just the scale that is important. If you are still losing size, you are accomplishing something. Eventually, you will start to lose weight again. Just make sure you are eating correctly, and enough as ironic as that sounds, and you'll get off your plateau soon.

[ssh 1]

I'm so glad to hear others are having the same problem and that I'm not all alone in feeling the same way. I'm 5 weeks post op and I've been walking everyday since the day after surgery. Adding more and more each time. I'm up to 5 miles a day now. For 3 weeks straight the scale didn't move. I was so upset and disapointed. I've been eating all the right things and working my butt off but nothing was happening. This week I'm finally down 3 more pounds and 7 inches total. I know about the muscle weighing more than fat, but it's still hard to understand how you can lose inches but not pounds. Oh well. As long as I'm losing something, I'm happy!

[jennypoo 0]

Well the weight I gained while working out finally decided to get back off

plus another 1/2 pound. Thanks goodness..Hopefully few more will fall off before my next fill next week..