Saw The Nutritionist - Weight Gain With Increased Workout

Ok... As some of you know, my weight has gone up 8 pounds over the past 7 weeks.  NO ONE can tell me why when I work out and stay fairly consistent with my eating.  I had started increasing carbs to prepare for longer distance runs, started dance class and increased distance all about the same time, so it was difficult to pin point the exact problem. All of the trainers I had talked with said it was water weight due to the constant muscle damage/repair process that was taking place every time I worked out or danced.  Some suspected that I was increasing muscle.  Maybe even a potassium problem since it was rapid and my rings and shoes are tight. The nutritionist thought it was because of not eating enough to fuel the heavy worksouts and dance. WHO KNOWS...... So...I went to see the nutritionist today, and this is what we discovered: 1.  She reviewed my eating and physical activity and we found that I burn almost twice as many calories a day as I take in.  WOW! 2.  I intake 100+ ounces of water a day.  This was fine. 3.  She did a comprehensive weight and found out that my weight HAS INCREASED:           Water - Increased 4 pounds           Fat - Increased 1 pound           Muscle - Increased 3 (yes...THREE) pounds So...let's put this in perspective....I have gained weight...yes.  I have gained THREE POUNDS of muscle.  We are working to figure out why I gained the water and fat, but she suspects that they go hand in hand.  In trying to increase my carb intake, I have increased my fats (90% were good fats, by her own words) by eating nuts and things like peanut butter (yes...I admit...I over did it with the peanut butter). So...how do you increase your eating when there is no room to eat?  THAT'S what we are trying to work through now.  She has given me some real good ideas to try, such as going back to a regular yogurt with more carbs and less protein, since I take in alot of protein, or reducing my meat at dinner from 3.5 ounces to 2 ounces and adding 2 tablespoons of sweet potato or rice along with veggies, use soy milk instead of Mice Milk in my protein shakes (which is fine since Mice milk is going away), using 1/2 of a banana instead of 1/3 of a banana in my shake, etc. But...the bottom line is this...put in all into perspective.  She asked me if I would have been equally upset to gain just 3 pounds of muscle and nothing else?  Uumm....tough one to answer, isn't it??? HA! I guess this is all just too weird, as I never expected this to happen, but as much as it freaks me out, I'm glad becasue it means that I'm not gaining because of being unhealthy, but because of trying to be overly healthy - haha.  Who knew!

Hi Jill! I'm so glad to read your post because I'm going through the exact same thing with my weight and exercising.  Thank you for posting this!  I have to wait until May to get my body composition test and then we'll see where my lean mass is at.  Can't wait! May I ask how many calories are you eating in a day? Deanna  :)

You are why I posted this, cause we were just chatting about this very issue. My averages are: Calories - 1350 - 1575 Carbs - 75 - 90 Protein - 130 - 150 My nutritionist wants my calories to get closer to 1700 on average (to start), carbs closer to 125, protein to 125.  We will be increaseing in 2 month when I go to see her again.  But...the point she made was that I gained 3 pounds of muscle along witht he water and 1 pound of fat - too much peanut butter hehe. So, she gave me some changes to make...soy milk in protein shakes, fat free yogurt w/ low sugar instead of high protein yogurt, smoked salmon w/ fat free cream cheese on crackers for lunch instead of meat and veggies all of the time, tuna salad on crackers instead of cucumber chips, add sweet potato or brown rice to meals instead of more veggies or meat, add 1/2 banana to protein shake instead of 1/3 banana...stuff like that.

She recommended Nancy Clark's Guide to Sports Nutrition.  I ordered it and her marathon nutrition guide, so hoping the give me some insight....

 

Jill, I too gained a few pounds with my marathon training.  Those pounds are sticking around now.  I'd love to get a body analysis done - I am going to have to look into that.  I also have a recommendation for a sports nutritionist and I would like to see her.  I'm waiting though until I am fully back to my regular routine, which I probably am, except that I am a couple of more weeks to go before I can start weight training. Thanks for sharing all this great information.  Keep us posted on how it goes for you with the diet change. Mary

Like Deanna, I am also glad you posted this since I have been seeing the same thing going on.  Stuff seems to be rearranging too and not necessarily where I want it too.  Katy

I swear there is something in the air.  I just talked to a co-worker who is NOT WLS patient, just runs 3 miles a day and since adding in weights she is having the SAME problem.

AND...I talked to a freind of mine whois a yoga instuctor who is doing some research for her student because they are having the same problem.

WEIRD, huh?  No wonder we got discouraged as dieters....

I am having the same issue.  I increased my exercise and my weight loss has stalled.  I added 2 days a week of weight lifting classes  and four days a week of yoga classes in November to the spinning classes I already take five days a week.  I can feel that I have denser, harder muscles.  I have never had my body fat tested nor gone to a nutritionist.  My pcp checked my potassium level and it was somewhat down, but I am correcting that with diet and am now in a normal range.  I am really curious about checking to see if I have increased my muscle mass, but don't know where to go.  I do belong to 24 Hour Fitness and my bariatric surgeon's office does have a nutritionist.  Frankly, I have never asked anyone.  Where would you suggest I go to check on these things?  Thanks for the post.