Question:
Do you usually gain weight after going to a gym

I have been going to the gym for over three weeks.It is my first time working out this hard.I usually go 6 days a week. I go for 1 hour.I am gaining instead of losing.Is this muscle I am gaining or what.And if so when will I start losing again?Please help it is so depressing.Sandy Hanson    — Sandy Hanson (posted on January 1, 2008)

January 1, 2008
It IS possible that some of your weight gain is from developing muscle. More likely, though, you've hit a plateau. If you search around the Forums, you'll find lots of talk about the three week stall. Lots of people stall out temporarily at your stage. I'm just coming off a stall myself. Keep going to the gym, keep drinking your water and getting your protein. It will pass. Good Luck!
   — Shirley D.

January 2, 2008
Just remember it is a common myth that muscle weighs more than fat. NOT TRUE! 5 lbs of muscle weighs the exact same as 5 lbs of fat. Muscle is more dense and fat is more bulky. It is quite possible you have hit a plateau. Change up your routine like just do treadmill for a week or just do weights for a week. You have to shock your body back into losing so just change your routine. Also increasing your water and protein should help. Good luck and God bless!
   — crystalsno

January 2, 2008
I spoke with my dr. after reading your question, due to my own curiosity. Yes, muscle weighs more than fat. It is also likely that your body is going through an adjustment period. Gove it time & male sure that you are getting in all of your fluids.
   — naebrs

January 2, 2008
You should talk with your NUT surely you should be GAINING weight. A plateau is when your at a stand still and not losing any additional pounds. Also muscle does not weigh more than fat. ... for example 5 lbs. of fat is much bulkier than the 5 lbs. of muscle, but five pounds is still five pounds period. Talk to your doc and nut.
   — nsh4991

January 2, 2008
sorry there was a typo there..you should NOT be gaining weight.
   — nsh4991

January 2, 2008
This whole muscle fat thing drives me nuts. By volume, muscle weigh more than fat... one cup of muscle weighs more than one cup of fat. Theoretically, if you use your measurements to track weight loss, you will lose inches even if you are gaining mass (weight) by gaining muscle. Good luck. It is, of course, not this simple but perhaps this info might be useful.
   — mrsidknee

January 3, 2008
Indeed, muscle is *denser* than fat. The same VOLUME of muscle will weigh more than the same VOLUME of fat. When you exercise regularly (daily?), you will gain muscle and lose fat, assuming you are not also violating all the dietary rules you should be following. So, if you've replaced 5 lb of fat with 5 lb of muscle, the resultant *volume* will be LESS and you look slimmer even though your overall body weight has not changed. I did NOT, for various reasons, exercise regularly for about six or seven months after RNY surgery -- during my honeymoon period. I lost a great deal during that period but I did not achieve my goal weight. When the honeymoon period was over (stopped losing weight and started getting hungry again), I started regular/ daily exercise. (I like to take loooong rides on my bicycle [a real bicycle, not an exercycle], 1 - 2 hours as a rule.) For about six months after that, my weight did not change significantly but my measurements continued to decrease. Why? I was replacing fat with muscle. Another advantage of muscle over fat is that muscle burns calories, even when not exercising, fat does not (or at least, far, far fewer calories are burned). When exercising , fat supplies calories to be burned by muscle but the fat cells themselves burn mo more calories than when at rest. Active muscle cells, of course, burn many more calories than resting muscle. In the past couple of months, with continued long bike rides, my weight has begun to decrease again and I am nearing my original (presurgery) goal. So Sandy, continue to exercise at the gym, continue to eat healthfully. It will pay off over the long haul. P.S.: Be sure to engage in an exercise regimen that *YOU* like and enjoy. If you find it boring and tedious, you will probably not stick with it for the months and years ahead. That's why I ride a bicycle outdoors. I really ENJOY bicycling and look forward to exploring different routes and different neighborhoods in my area each time I go out.
   — [Deactivated Member]