Dear Shredheads - Help, I'm Gaining Weight!

Twice in the last few days we've had a couple of people tell us they aren't losing weight, even though they're doing the 30 Day Shred.  @artsykari tweeted:

"I'm not losing w/ shred, but can't go below 1200 cals per day.  I think I've been on a plateau...and gaining muscle." and "I lost 15 lbs. steadily over 2 months and then kind of stalled out w/ about 10 more to go.  I know I'm putting on muscle tho."

Tammy emailed a similar problem - she had an enthusiasm-sapping 7 pound weight gain in two weeks.  This was especially difficult because she recently lost 90 pounds.  (Way to go on the loss, by the way - very nice!)

Both were on 1200 calorie/day diets and were understandably frustrated.  What could be going on?

When people start working out and gain weight, they sometimes assume that it's because muscle weighs more than fat.  That's technically not true - a pound is a pound no matter what.  But muscle IS more dense than fat so it's smaller, which is why you can lose inches without losing weight.

But to gain several pounds of muscle in a week or two - professional bodybuilders would love to have that kind of success.  And it just isn't likely to happen that quickly using 3/5/8 pounds.  Plateaus or small gains, perhaps, but not major gains.

So that leaves a non-muscle weight gain.  Blargh.  Some common causes of unexpected weight gains (or plateaus) during a weight loss and exercise program can be:

• Medication
• That time of the month
• Water retention
• Eating too much
• Eating too little
• Your body is used to its routine

Medication
Medication (starting, continuing, or stopping) can wreak havoc with your weight.  Talk to your doctor about weight side effects of any medicines you're on.  And not everything will happen just when you're starting/stopping the medication...some side effects take time to manifest.

That time of the month
Um, well, I'm only qualified on this one as an outside observer.  But it's real.  And it's water, so it'll go away if you stick with it.

Water retention
High weight gain in short periods is often due to water retention (see "That time of the month"). This can come from exercise changes, so if you see a weight gain when you start working out, try drinking a lot of extra water to help flush things out.

You may also need to adjust what you're eating and drinking.  Try cutting back on the sodium and caffeine.

Eating too much
This one pretty much speaks for itself.  Make sure you're being honest about what and how much you're eating.  Some junk is fine in moderation, but make sure most of what you're eating is healthy.

Eating too little
This is a weird one.  We're often told that we'll lose weight by eating less, and that's true...to a point.  But there's a certain amount of food that your body requires, and if you eat less than that your body may begin holding onto the weight, or even gain - you may have heard this called "starvation mode."  When someone has been losing for a while and then begins exercising, they may initially see great losses.  But very often, if they don't modify their diet, they may stop losing even as they work harder.

This happened to me this last time of losing weight.  I began working out to help lose the last bit, but after a while I hit a plateau, and working out harder didn't help.  Adding a little extra food (and I mean a little) on workout days helped kickstart my losses again.

Your body is used to its routine
Just like your muscles get used to doing the same things day after day, your body will get used to doing the same thing day after day.  So our body sometimes needs a swift kick in the pants.  Try eating a little extra on some days.  Try working out at a different time of day, or doing a different kind of exercise.  Maybe you should take a day off (though it's probably not a good idea to combine this with eating more on the same day!).

Tools You Can Use
You can get an idea of how many calories you need to maintain your weight by using this Metabolism Calculator, and a really rough guess of how many calories exercise burns can be found at the CDC's website here (pdf file).  If you're looking for more detailed information, please see your doctor, nutritionist, or other expert.

If you've run into this problem and found a solution, let me know in the comments!  I certainly don't claim to be an expert on EVERYTHING.  Well, maybe I claim to be, but it's entirely possible I'm not.

- Bill

Comments

[Tammy]

Loved this article Bill! It's true after gaining 7 lbs I was discouraged BUT within 2 weeks that 7 lbs has come off PLUS another 7. Mine boiled down to water weight because of not drinking enough water. I upped my water intake and kept plugging away and now I am almost at the 100 lb. lost mark! SO...if you are gaining or not losing, just keep it up! I kept telling myself there is no way a person can workout this hard and eat this good and NOT lose. I am totally loving my more toned body and how I feel from shredding every day! Keep bustin it Shredheads, it's worth it!

~Tammy

[Hellcat13]

Timely - I'm up a few pounds this week after dedicating myself to the October challenge plus all my regular activities. I got mildly discouraged then resolved to forget about it until my body balances out again.

I know there's no way I gained 4 fat-pounds in a week, so I'm assuming it's water (I have been feeling icky) and that eventually I'll get back to my maintenance level. (And since yesterday I'm already back down 2lbs, so obviously there's something to that).

[Kerry]

Tammy, that's my mantra too- "there is no way a person can workout this hard and eat this good and NOT lose!"