Working very hard yet gaining weight. It doesn't make sense!

[catsaregod]

I have been hovering around 11 stone for a few months now.

I work really hard in the gym and generally watch what I eat but I do enjoy going out for dinner, but even with the odd indulgence I still look slim. I recently came back from holiday then spent a week with friends and I'm that 2 weeks I barely exercised and must have ate wayyy in excess of 3000 cals a day and came back and still my numbers on the scale had not budged.

About 10 days ago I started a last min slim down for a beach holiday. Not expecting miracles but maybe a 5 loss pounds in three weeks.

My diet hasn't been perfect due to prior commitments of meals and drinks out. But I have kept my choices smart and ate less prior and following to try cancel out.

But on an average including my meals out I have been eating around 1800 cals a day.

It's difficult for me to drop much lower as I'm so active, I walk 4/5 miles most days (this not including daily steps you accumulate just by walking around your office or flat) and my job is active, and i put my body through a lot of stress in my workouts , so I feel very weak and faint quick if I don't eat enough.

I have really upped my intensity of exercise. Lifting heavy, really pushing myself and going 5 days a week working every muscle group. Making my diet as high protein as possible.

10 days into my 'diet' I feel bulky and flabby and am 5 pounds up on the scale.

I don't get it?!

Even if I have made a couple of diet errors I'm still eating below my maintainence (which I know from months of maintaining 11 stone) it has been upper end of 2000 cals to lower end of 3000

I'm constantly sore at the moment from how hard I'm working in the gym. I have read some theories that this could be water weight from my body healing.

But 5 pounds gain is very discouraging

Has this happened to you lot before when you have upped the intensity of your workouts or is there a chance that I've accidently gained 5 pounds!

I'm just praying for a big woosh soon but worried I'm deluding myself.

Wah

[philgriffiths]

You want a simple solution? Stop the diet mistake and over indulgences. It's pretty obvious that inspite of you trying to keep everything else meticulously under control, this one area is a blindspot and weak point in your plan.

It was a three week mini cut. If you can't cut out the errors for three weeks in order to see progress in the short term then you clearly just don't care enough about it.

[catsaregod]

The errors are two events, one engagement celebration and my leaving do at work. I think if I was to not attend these because I'm on a diet it would look quite silly.

The point I'm making is that I went 2 weeks nearly eating out every day and drinking every day and did not gain 1 pound.

I go 10 days working out like crazy. Watching what I eat and having two smallish indulgences (choosing from lighter healthier options on a menu and one glass of red wine) which still would not take me over an average intake of over 2000 cals a day and yet I gain 5 pounds.

The logic is missing.

My question was more if anyone had experienced something similar with sudden increased intensity of exercise. I feel very bloated and swollen.

I don't need the it's "calories in vs calories out" statements. I have lost a he'll of a lot of weight by calorie counting in the last year and half I know how it works. And I know that I have been maintaining 11 stone on about 2700 - 3000 calories a day for about 4 months. I drop to 1800 ish on average and increase the weights and reps of my work outs and gain 5 pounds.

[BrightonBomber]

I agree with the first response, you're being inconsistent and so are self sabotaging yourself. You might not think those couple of indulgences could of offset yor good days but you're likely vastly under estimating how much you are consuming on those indulgent days, especially if you are consuming alcohol.

I much like you have periods when I socialise go to the odd event like a wedding and then have to try and cut to compensate for my indulgences. But I've before tried to track what I consumed on these so called cheat days. One time went to a BBQ that one day I easily did 7000 cals, I could of eaten more and drunk more, I thought I was being restrained lol. But the next day when I went over what I could remember what I ate and drank I consumed far, far more than I expected and it's likely you too are consuming way, way more than the 3000 plus calories you think you are.

Even if you don't think you are then that means you're not consuming the 1800 cals you think you are on those good days. Remember nutritional labels can be legally 20% off, apps like Myfitnesspal are horribly inaccurate, all the tools we use to track calories and activity are just guesses, use one app you'll be consuming 1800 cals, use another and enter the same thing you'll get 2500 cals. You have to adjust your diet based off of results, none of the tools we use to track are actually accurate.

[screwnuts]

Sorry, but you ARE deluding yourself.

You can't outwork a bad diet. You're eating too much. Get your diet in check. Weight and track everything you eat. If you eat out, look up the menu online beforehand and pick something that fits within your calorie/macro targets. If you must drink alcohol, drink something with minimal calories, like a Jack and Diet Coke, or a glass of dry red wine.

[catsaregod]

I'm 10 stone 10 today so other day was a fluke PT said it was water weight from upping the weights.

Thanks for the responses though...(except being called deluded)

I know it's easy to mis calculate meals out and drinks and I know I wouldn't have done it exactl, it would be deluded to think I could micro manage that . But I know my body and i just didn't see how I could gain 5 pounds based of what I have consumed!

Although I probably could have done more than a 2 pound loss in 10 days but I'm able to commit fully to my last min cut as I have no big plans now till my hols.

[BlvckDiamond]

1) Stop yo-yo dieting. that really messes up your hormones and metabolism.
2) if you want to lose weight/fat you need to be in a constant caloric deficit state. and practice portion control.
3) fuel your body with nutrients rich whole foods
4) train consistently
5) be patient with the process

weight loss/fat loss is simple not easy. sacrifices will have to be made. it all comes down to how bad you want it. good luck on your fitness journey!

I have been hovering around 11 stone for a few months now.

I work really hard in the gym and generally watch what I eat but I do enjoy going out for dinner, but even with the odd indulgence I still look slim. I recently came back from holiday then spent a week with friends and I'm that 2 weeks I barely exercised and must have ate wayyy in excess of 3000 cals a day and came back and still my numbers on the scale had not budged.

About 10 days ago I started a last min slim down for a beach holiday. Not expecting miracles but maybe a 5 loss pounds in three weeks.

My diet hasn't been perfect due to prior commitments of meals and drinks out. But I have kept my choices smart and ate less prior and following to try cancel out.

But on an average including my meals out I have been eating around 1800 cals a day.

It's difficult for me to drop much lower as I'm so active, I walk 4/5 miles most days (this not including daily steps you accumulate just by walking around your office or flat) and my job is active, and i put my body through a lot of stress in my workouts , so I feel very weak and faint quick if I don't eat enough.

I have really upped my intensity of exercise. Lifting heavy, really pushing myself and going 5 days a week working every muscle group. Making my diet as high protein as possible.

10 days into my 'diet' I feel bulky and flabby and am 5 pounds up on the scale.

I don't get it?!

Even if I have made a couple of diet errors I'm still eating below my maintainence (which I know from months of maintaining 11 stone) it has been upper end of 2000 cals to lower end of 3000

I'm constantly sore at the moment from how hard I'm working in the gym. I have read some theories that this could be water weight from my body healing.

But 5 pounds gain is very discouraging

Has this happened to you lot before when you have upped the intensity of your workouts or is there a chance that I've accidently gained 5 pounds!

I'm just praying for a big woosh soon but worried I'm deluding myself.

Wah