Really down about weight gain after diet and exercise.

Feral_Moon

Can I just dispel the myth that muscle is heavier than fat. It's not actually. A pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as a pound of fat, in the same way a pound of feathers weigh exactly the same as a pound of lead.

But, muscle is more compact and dense than fat, hence why you should throw away the weighing scales in favour of the tape measure because one person weighing 12st who is toned and carrying very little body fat could be 2-3 dress sizes smaller than another person of exactly the same weight/height who has very little muscle mass and carrying more fat.

For example, I've always fluctuated between a 10-14 in dress size but when I was seriously working out, I was over a stone heavier at size 10 than I had been when I was size 14.

MandM90

I don't think anyone here thinks a pound of one thing weighs more than a pound of something else. They might have missed out the word volume but I think we all get the jist

teddysmum

MandM90 wrote: »

I don't think anyone here thinks a pound of one thing weighs more than a pound of something else. They might have missed out the word volume but I think we all get the jist

Exactly. Words are sometimes left out when you edit .


I learned about mass, weight ,density etc, having studied maths and physics for a number of years.

amiaspden

Have you checked how many calories you actually need to be eating, to maintain your current weight, and then eaten below that number?

https://tdeecalculator.net/

It could be that previously you were eating enough to make you actually put on weight, maybe at a very slow rate, and the adjustments you made are just enough to make to stop gaining, but not to lose any. For me, the calculator says that eating 1700 calories a day will maintain my current weight (I put myself down as moderately active, and I walk 4 miles a day and work out for an hour most days).

uk_american

Agreeing with what everyone has been saying re cycles etc. I also use myfitness pal, quite useful.

As a further point, I've found at age 40 that it takes me a week on a diet change to see a change on the scales. Then it will start to shift quickly. I'd recommend once/week weight check. With concentrated effort I've found I'll go down a pound/wk.

As others have mentioned, measurements can be useful. I lost an inch on waist/hips. Scale stayed the same but I felt and looked better!

I bought a Lidl scale for body fat. Only 12 quid but does the job.

Kanichen

As thebodycoach would say - step away from that sad step! (Scales). Weight is a fickle number and doesn't reflex bone density, muscle mass etc. You want a good tape measure and progress photos so you can see the changes visually.

Swimming is undoubtedly brilliant exercise so don't give it up, but if fat loss is your aim then unless you are sprinting your lengths its unlikely to help much. The best way to burn fat is HIIT - High intensity Interval Training). You work yourself to your absolute max for 30 seconds and then rest for 30 seconds. Carry that on for 16-20 mins 4/5 times a week and that should be all you need. The exercise can be anything you like, running on the spot, star jumps, burpees, swimming sprints. There are thousands of youtube videos if you like something to follow or something more dancy/aerobicsy. Doing HIIT will put you in fat burning mode for up to 18 hours afterwards.

Another thing to consider is weights. Muscle burns more energy than fat, so a leaner more muscular body will burn more calories. So if you can add some weights to your workout to build muscle mass that's great too.

Sugar is another evil. Your body doesn't need it and its everywhere, including things like fruit and carrots. Cut out as much as you can - natural sweetener in tea etc, diet sodas, limit fruit and sugary veg to 1-2 times a week.

Finally, not all calories are created equal. Macros are a better thing to follow as they tell you precisely the amount of each food group you should be consuming a day. Another thing to consider is carbohydrates are your bodies fuel. If you aren't driving your car anywhere, you don't put petrol in it. So if you aren't working out that day, don't eat carbohydrates. Fuel your body with good fats like avocado and nuts and high amounts of protein instead.

I've almost completed the 90 day SSS plan by thebodycoach - which is where most of my knowledge comes from. The tagline is leanin15 - have a look at the website, loads of info there in blog posts. His book is supposed to be good too but as it can't be used during the plan I haven't bought it yet.

AliBee16

Weight loss seems to be a very individual thing. It sounds like you are doing really well with the process of eating healthily and exercising.
I know that by doing W/W, I have to look at weight loss as a long-term thing. I can gain a pound when I've followed the plan to the letter, but then stayed the same over Xmas when I ate everything in sight. Overall, however, I have lost over a stone and have another 2 to go. Small things are motivators, like someone noticing I've lost weight, or buying a smaller size in clothes. I would give it another couple of weeks and then if still not lost anything, tweak it a little (but not too much). Remember it is a marathon, not a sprint:T