Exercise! - Exercise with NO scale results!

I have been worknig out EVERYDAY for like 3 weeks. My body is getting so freaking attractive. But the scale is saying I weigh MORE than what I started. Is there any truth to this muscle weighs more than fat thing? The scale fluctuates from 155 to 158! and sometimes 160! I dont know what to do. And I dont have bowl movements everyday, more like 1 a week! I know thats alot of info. But Im wondering if that makes a difference? My stomach looks bloated and my legs are beautiful. I am so leaning towards "final inches" (type of smart lipo). What should I do? Im losing my motivation.

Try uping your fiber intake. Get things moving..:carrot:
I had to up my fiber and water intake and it seems to be working! :hug:

Good Morning,

A pound is a pound it does not matter if it is fat or muscle, the only difference is muscle will talke up less space on your body. There are a few questions that you need to ask yourself that may help you get the scale to move. Am I drinking enough Water, and what is my diet consisting of these days. Sometimes we think since we are staying within our caloric or if you are doing ww points range than we should be loosing weight. That is not always true it is just as important as what you are eating as how much.

Exercise alone doesn't work in a vacuum, so we need some info to help.

*What diet plan are you on?

*How many calories do you eat?

*What exercises are you doing at the gym?

About the bowel movement thing, I would up your water and fiber intake STAT!

That's the lovely thing about us women. Our bodies naturally gain weight periodically. The muscle weighs more than fat is definitely true. But besides that we have our periods, and cravings, and all kinds of other crappy things working against us... :P Guys are lucky in that aspect...

I drink LOTS of water. I currently breastfeed my 10 almost 11 month old! But the FIBER thing may help. I dont eat chips, candy, or drink juice. I eat organic meat, eggs, and milk. I love prunes, yogurt (activia) and cereal. But I bloat when I eat cereal! Im so freakin lost.

You say you've been working out everyday for three weeks - how was your workout schedule before that? Significantly less?

From my experience, I don't lose weight the first couple of weeks of ramping up my exercise significantly (like from nothing to every day). Who knows why - I'd think it's because my body retains more water to repair the sore muscles. Or maybe the body thinks all this unusual running around means it's an emergency and holds on to its resources? :D Anyways, after a couple of weeks of this pattern, my body suddenly drops a big chunk of weight. That's what happened the last three times I took up exercising again after a longer not-so-active period.

Hang in there! It's great that you are seeing results - the scale will follow in time. :)

Are you subconsiously eating more because you think you can? This is a trap I tend to fall in. Ohhh I can eat a bigger portion because I'm gonna run later! As for getting things moving, have you tried drinking coffee after a meal? And obviously adding fiber should help.

Raw fruits and veggies, apples, peaches, apricots, nectarines, celery, squash, carrots, cabbage, sweet potatoes, yams, cauliflower, broccoli, those things will help get you moving. I didn't see any mention of them in your food.

Are you subconsiously eating more because you think you can? This is a trap I tend to fall in. Ohhh I can eat a bigger portion because I'm gonna run later! As for getting things moving, have you tried drinking coffee after a meal? And obviously adding fiber should help.

Yes, the is above is how I didn't lose weight and just maintained for a year!

Plus, three weeks isn't really that much to see a huge difference in the scale.

And you might have to adjust your calorie intake. Maybe without working out, you needed _____ amount of calories to lose weight, and that worked for you.

But now with the increase in working out, you may need a different amount of calories. Start carefully monitoring this.

~CGH~

Also, exercise just doesn't burn as many calories as we tend to think it does.

Are you subconsiously eating more because you think you can? This is a trap I tend to fall in. Ohhh I can eat a bigger portion because I'm gonna run later!
Yes, the is above is how I didn't lose weight and just maintained for a year!Yep, I'm also finally breaking out and losing weight again after months of losing maybe 1 pound a month! Once I bought a bodybugg and realized that my trainer was right and I was operating "at maintenance" - hardly a deficit going on. I honestly thought I was burning more calories that I was in a 24 hour period. Now that I know the truth, the weight's coming off again. I don't regret these past few months though. I've improved my fitness level immensely and obviously lost inches. But pounds are what I'm after!

Also, exercise just doesn't burn as many calories as we tend to think it does.:yes: I was VERY uneducated in how hard it is to burn calories! I didn't believe the cardio machines at the gym, but I hardly would have guessed that they were nearly 100% inflated for me.:?:

Eves-My exercises are GILAD and Cathe Friedrich. I also do hip hop dancing with my kids. My kids are VERY slim but their energy keeps me going.

SM177-I do this all the time. I eat more and think if I workout harder later it will be gone.

Shcirerf- I didnt think I had to go down my whole grocery list. I gave the the ones I ate that day. But I love carrots and I eat celery too. Since I had my 4th child I dont lose weight as fast.

After my 3 kids I lost the weight within 6 months without exercising. I ate like a pig with the last one. I went all the way up to 190 or so. I am down to 155-156 and sometimes 157 (depending on the day). I dont know how to lose weight. I have never had to try this hard. Im considering final inches. from the waist down I am nice. My abdominal's are a force to be reckoned with! lol. Its like their saying "heck no we wont go!" lol.

If you are looking better then who cares what the scale says!!

If you are looking better then who cares what the scale says!!

That was nice to say. The scale is actually moving now. Since I increased my fiber.

I say go more by the clothing fit and the visible results, too. It never fails, every time I change my exercise I hold four-six pounds of water weight for two, three, sometimes four weeks and it makes me crazy! Even little bitty changes result in two pounds! I used to beat my head into the wall over it! Don't worry, it will settle out.

Though, I do agree with a couple of points - the cardio monitors on the equipment are inaccurate, for me sometimes by 100% or more - my HRM said I burned 205 calories this week in an hour on my exercise bike, the bike monitor said 632... I would suggest buying a heart rate monitor - mine is a Polar F60 I think, and I love it. Also, if you exercise more you might need to eat a little more, protein, that kind of thing. I never did the 'eat back exercise calories' thing, but I did add in 100-150 calories per day of protein.

Good luck!

I'm like you! When I am close or right where I should be it seems like it's hard to lose. Like others said, fiber helps. I also find that a little more protein will too.

I currently breastfeed my 10 almost 11 month old!

Even though your baby is getting so old your body is probably still trying hold on to a few pounds.

OHHH boy do I hear this one!

I've been working out 5 days a week, twice a week with a personal trainer. I've been counting calories, and that !@#$$%^ scale refuses to move! At least as fast as I would like it too!

In the past, I would have given up by now.However, I realize that it's a slow, steady road, and some weeks will be better than others! The small victories will turn into BIG ones later! The fat just won't let go, but I'm not giving in to it this time!

Stick with it!

I think Im going to try some rounds of colonics. Maybe that will jump start my weight loss My pants are a 7 and Im more muscular in the legs. Its just that while Im breastfeeding I dont seem to be losing weight. 155 is a constant on the scale. Im starting to get upset about it.

Really, ditch the scale altogether!! Your clothing/the mirror should be telling you much more than the scale.
You can try to track yourself with a tape measure, or a body composition analyzer if you have one (at the gym, etc.).

Personally I like body composition analyzers because they tell you how much fat you've lost. Weight in itself doens't really matter/

I drink LOTS of water. I currently breastfeed my 10 almost 11 month old! But the FIBER thing may help. I dont eat chips, candy, or drink juice. I eat organic meat, eggs, and milk. I love prunes, yogurt (activia) and cereal. But I bloat when I eat cereal! Im so freakin lost.

I kind of think the breastfeeding has to do with your weight gain. Your body needs more calories to support the production of milk and be able to dispose of that milk. It may hold onto ever calorie it can get. If you're not eating enough, your body thinks there is a fammine. Which means, oh NO! I'm starving.......... SAVE SAVE SAVE. SAVE ALL THE CALORIES!!!!!!!!! Producing milk takes a lot of energy. And when the girls are full, this could be the result of a few lbs weight gain.

THANX! IM supposed to stop breastfeeding him but its hard. We are so attached to eachother. Noticed I said we. I cant stand for him to cry and its breaks my heart. But he dehydrates me and I was just in the hospital because he feeds too much. Every hour or sometimes more. Hes feeding right now! How do I wean him before Its too hard to stop?

THANX! IM supposed to stop breastfeeding him but its hard. We are so attached to eachother. Noticed I said we. I cant stand for him to cry and its breaks my heart. But he dehydrates me and I was just in the hospital because he feeds too much. Every hour or sometimes more. Hes feeding right now! How do I wean him before Its too hard to stop?

Why are you supposed to stop?

Sounds like you might need more fluids. Every time you sit down to nurse drink a glass of water.

Instead of stopping, start working on going a few extra minutes in between feeds. For him it could be making him wait 2 minutes or ten depending on the situation. Distract, distract, distract. I see NO reason to stop unless there is some sort of medical reason.