I've been working out every day on my Elliptical since July. I've done pretty good, lost about 23-25 lbs. Pretty much I've been losing 2-4lbs per week.
I've kept the calories at about 1500 per day, which seems to be right. A lot of the calorie formulas on here seem to say I need 1800-1900 to lose, but I don't want to gain more!
The only other thing is that I started upping the exercise, and started Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred on an every other day basis.
Should I keep plugging along, see what happens next week? Was the 1.5 pound a fluctuation or possibly muscle bulk? What do you all think?
I am about a week and a half away from TOM so I am not thinking it is related to that...
It's not muscle bulk, women can usually gain about 5-8lbs of lean mass per year 1.5lb muscle in a week is not physically possible for males, even with the use of growth hormones.
What you are experiencing is water retention in your muscle. Strength training tears muscle fibres and they retain water. It's all an illusion on the scale - you have not gained any weight and be consistent with your training and things will keep moving.
That being said, I agree that you are not eating enough. You will probably hit a pretty rough plateau and start to struggle. I eat 1500-1600 and I'm still losing, and I am much shorter/lighter than you.
I personally don't think you need to up your calories. There are so many things that go into weight that it could be a million different reasons why you gained.
I hope that you're not setting unrealistic expectations for yourself by assuming that you're going to lose weight every week. Our bodies just don't work that way.
Stay consistent and on track and the weight will come off.
I definitely don't expect to lose every week. However, I don't like the gain. I have had a few weigh-ins where I stay the same, which is fine with me. I just feel that I must be eating too much to gain.
I also didn't know that too few calories results in a gain sometimes. I'm going to try a slight increase in calories and see how that works, and otherwise, keep doing what I am doing.
I've kept the calories at about 1500 per day, which seems to be right. A lot of the calorie formulas on here seem to say I need 1800-1900 to lose, but I don't want to gain more!
If 1500 seems right and you are doing well eating that amount, then I say stick with it. Really a 1.5 gain in a week isn't something I would worry about. If you were to gain an additional 1.5 by next week, then something isn't right. But our weight fluctuates so much based on time of day, what you've eaten, if you've gone to the bathroom, how much water you did or didn't drinking, what you are (or aren't!) wearing, TOM, etc.
See what upping your calories does for 3 weeks without being scared. If you weigh daily, you'll notice immediately if it's not working.
On that note, if you weigh only once a week, the gain could be water and nothing to fear.
Did you mean if someone raises calories they'll know right away if it's not working? Would someone gain weight right away if raising calories isn't the answer for them?
just wondering, maybe I misunderstood. For me, that's the scary thing of raising calories, what if 3 weeks go by and I don't lose or even gain.
Did you mean if someone raises calories they'll know right away if it's not working? Would someone gain weight right away if raising calories isn't the answer for them?
just wondering, maybe I misunderstood. For me, that's the scary thing of raising calories, what if 3 weeks go by and I don't lose or even gain.
I've noticed that when I raise my calories I have an initial gain, and then I start dropping again. So I won't weigh myself for 2 weeks after I've raised, and then I'll weigh for a couple of days in a row to try and get a good picture on what the increase has done.
Very doubtful it's muscle bulk, TOM maybe. I don't know much about Shred, so I really cant comment on whether or not it warrents more cals. I personally, however, am another one that has to add cals to lose weight as the exercise increases. You just have to experiment with what works for you. I've also always known that I needed more cals though because I was irritable, starving and not losing (but I wasn't gaining either).
when you up your calories, the initial gain is going to be the actual weight of the food in your body, and also the increase in glycogen stores and water in your body.
i dont know whether you should up your cals or not. that is a personal decision. but i do know that 1.5 pounds is NOTHING to freak about. I frequently get overnight fluctuations of 4-8 POUNDS. i am a *most* everyday weigher
12 days before TOM, i gained 3 pounds and the scale didn't move until about 4 days after TOM started, then it dropped 7 pounds. I think everyones system is different and weight gain around that time varies greatly from person to person........
1.5lb gain this week...WHY???
1.5lb muscle in a week is not physically possible for males, even with the use of growth hormones.
