Why am I GAINING inches on my waist?! Been working out & eating right.. TIPS?

[FitlifeSV]

Hi,
I am a female, 17 years old . about 5 '3 and around 120 pounds (my weight keeps changing, its been going up since i started working out. Used to weigh 115)
I've always worked out but lately I have been doing more intense workouts.
I finished the 60 day Insanity challenge, which is really intense cardio.
Now I do intense cardio 3 days a week, and abs & weight lifting the other three days a week with one rest day. (I alternate)
I have been trying hard to incorporate WEIGHTS so that I can burn fat and build muscle.
MY GOAL IS TO BURN FATTTT! And lose inches off my waist..

But I've actually gained TWO INCHES on my waist It's really discouraging. I want my waist to get smaller... I also gained weight, like about 10 poundssss , i know I am building muscle, I don't mind my weight but WHYYY am i gaining INCHES?! MY GOAL is to look and be TIGHTER!
any tips on losing inches in the waist?

P.S: I eat approximately 1500 calories a day, more or less. I'm aiming for 1,800 but I don't really know how much i should consume
P.P.S: I DRINK AT LEAST 8 CUPS OF WATER A DAY, and I get enough sleep.

HELP

[kimm4]

Losing fat = calorie deficit and lifting weights
Build muscle = calorie surplus and lifting weights.

When you gain weight, you gain inches.

1500 calories would be cutting numbers. If you've gained 10 lbs, it's because you're eating over your maintenance calories.

[FitlifeSV]

Losing fat = calorie deficit and lifting weights
Build muscle = calorie surplus and lifting weights.

When you gain weight, you gain inches.

1500 calories would be cutting numbers. If you've gained 10 lbs, it's because you're eating over your maintenance calories.

so you're saying that 1,500 calories might be TOO MUCH? hhm,, i don't know :/ i was afraid that it was too little. I started off eating only 1,300 calories a day because calculators say that my body burn 1,380 calories AT REST, and because i am very active and burn a lot of calories in my workouts, it said that I should be taking in almost 2,000 calories.

[discdoggie]

so you're saying that 1,500 calories might be TOO MUCH? hhm,, i don't know :/ i was afraid that it was too little. I started off eating only 1,300 calories a day because calculators say that my body burn 1,380 calories AT REST, and because i am very active and burn a lot of calories in my workouts, it said that I should be taking in almost 2,000 calories.

No, she's saying you're taking in more than you think---a lot more than 1500 calories. To be more
Accurate, food should be weighed to the gram. Everything except water

[FitlifeSV]

No, she's saying you're taking in more than you think---a lot more than 1500 calories. To be more
Accurate, food should be weighed to the gram. Everything except water

ohhh, okay , I see. i'll deff try to watch out more carefully for my calorie intake then, but i'm not exactly sure how much I SHOULD really be taking in.. what do you recommend? I'm not trying to lose "weight", but I want to burn fat and get a tighter, leaner looking body & stomach.. and to stop gaining inches on my waist! LOL

[Vicque]

ohhh, okay , I see. i'll deff try to watch out more carefully for my calorie intake then, but i'm not exactly sure how much I SHOULD really be taking in.. what do you recommend? I'm not trying to lose "weight", but I want to burn fat and get a tighter, leaner looking body & stomach.. and to stop gaining inches on my waist! LOL

If you just want to change your body composition, maybe try calculating what your maintenance caloric intake should be and then aim for that number. The best way to be accurate about calorie counting is to weigh everything you put in your mouth on a food scale. Not only do people often forget to include the calories from miscellaneous things they eat, you know that extra handful of whatever as you're walking out the door or licking the spoon from the peanut butter jar (BIG weakness for me), they also rely on the packaging or underestimate the quantity of what they're eating. Since I love peanut butter, the best example I can give you is that the jar says 2 tablespoons is approx 32g which = 190 calories. In reality 32g is much closer to 1 tablespoon than it is to 2. So if I actually did eat 2 tablespoons, I'd be consuming double the calories which is bad news bears!

[kimm4]

so you're saying that 1,500 calories might be TOO MUCH? hhm,, i don't know :/ i was afraid that it was too little. I started off eating only 1,300 calories a day because calculators say that my body burn 1,380 calories AT REST, and because i am very active and burn a lot of calories in my workouts, it said that I should be taking in almost 2,000 calories.

No, I said 1500 calories would be numbers used for losing fat. If you've gained weight, it's because you're eating too much. If you're looking to recomp set your calories around 1900-2000. This should be somewhere around your maintenance. Give it a good 4-5 weeks and adjust if needed.

Unless you track calories, you really have no idea how much you're eating.

[ChickDiesel]

so you're saying that 1,500 calories might be TOO MUCH? hhm,, i don't know :/ i was afraid that it was too little. I started off eating only 1,300 calories a day because calculators say that my body burn 1,380 calories AT REST, and because i am very active and burn a lot of calories in my workouts, it said that I should be taking in almost 2,000 calories.

At 17 years old 1500 calories is definietly not too much! Its actually too little considering your body is not yet finished developing and especially not since you've added intense cardio! You have to account for the calirie expendenture as well as your intake when tracking to gain or lose. In your case the unexolained inches can also be due to deterioration of muscle tissue causing there to be less tonicity of the associated area leaving it flabby and squishy. Plain and simple, you make yourself fat by undereatimg and over exercising below calirie requirements.
Try switching your diet and letting it adjust to the maintenance again.

[liuzhoudragon]

water weight?
constapation?
sodium bloat?
carb bloat?
cortisal bloat? often overlooked.


potential reasons ^
your calories sound too low. like obviously too low. Sorry to sound like an old man but you are 17 aka a growing girl, feed your body the calories it needs to grow healtly.

[FitlifeSV]

Thank you everyone for your responses! I appreciate it.
I don't believe that I am over eating, I have been worried that I am eating to little, that's why I am trying to eat around 1,800 calories. Sometimes I do take an extra spoonful or so, but calculations tell me that I can take in around 2,000 calories a day to maintain my weight.. Plus I workout, and some workouts burn about 300-500 calories so I really don't think I'm consuming TOO much.. I will try to work on consuming enough so that i'm not under eating.. However, even when I eat only 1,500 calories a day (I keep track), i don't feel like I am undereating because I am definitely NOT starving or hungry. But I will try to eat at least 1,800 calories-- hopefully that will help.

thank you guys!

[yalie]

Have you been working your obliques a lot during your workouts? Weighted oblique exercises can cause your waist to get thicker.

[Teddy1231]

Losing fat = calorie deficit and lifting weights
Build muscle = calorie surplus and lifting weights.

When you gain weight, you gain inches.

1500 calories would be cutting numbers. If you've gained 10 lbs, it's because you're eating over your maintenance calories.

+1 1500 calories is a cutting number

[FitlifeSV]

Have you been working your obliques a lot during your workouts? Weighted oblique exercises can cause your waist to get thicker.

yes, i have been! I've been doing many oblique and ab workouts.. is my waist getting thicker because of muscle? i want to workout my obliques but I don't want my waist to get thicker.. LOL ugh!

[Pinkmuffins]

If you just want to change your body composition, maybe try calculating what your maintenance caloric intake should be and then aim for that number. The best way to be accurate about calorie counting is to weigh everything you put in your mouth on a food scale. Not only do people often forget to include the calories from miscellaneous things they eat, you know that extra handful of whatever as you're walking out the door or licking the spoon from the peanut butter jar (BIG weakness for me), they also rely on the packaging or underestimate the quantity of what they're eating. Since I love peanut butter, the best example I can give you is that the jar says 2 tablespoons is approx 32g which = 190 calories. In reality 32g is much closer to 1 tablespoon than it is to 2. So if I actually did eat 2 tablespoons, I'd be consuming double the calories which is bad news bears!

wow I did not realize 1 tablespoon is more like 32 g as opposed to the two tablespoons it says for the serving. Do they make food scales that measures things to the gram as opposed to the ounce?

[IrishLassie78]

wow I did not realize 1 tablespoon is more like 32 g as opposed to the two tablespoons it says for the serving. Do they make food scales that measures things to the gram as opposed to the ounce?

Yep. You can find them just about everywhere, Walmart, Target, possibly your local grocery store... I got mine on Amazon for less than $20.

[kickasskittykat]

I'm guessing if your eating right the reason for your thickened waist could well be muscle built under it..

The insanity programme im guessing is quite high on core work ( I've only done the asylum but have an idea ) and if you've been focusing on your abs extra its quiet likely you've just become more solid..

What about other measurements? Weight training changes your body I find I'm bit thicker in middle.. Simple solution get your legs and shoulders wider so visually you have a small waist..

I don't think you should take your calories any lower that's for sure your not eating enough as it is if you are training hard 6 days a week. Xx