I'm working out yet the scale says I'm gaining weight, could this be because I may be building muscle? =0/

Question

When I first started working out I lost five pounds...but a month later, I'm gaining the pounds back and haven't seen a difference in my waist. My main problem is my tummy-I'm working on really building my abdominal muscles. Anyone know when I can expect results and how often I should be working out? I'd really appreciate any tips.

I don't take any fat burning pills or anything-but I'm thinking of getting some. Does anyone know of any safe ones? I do my best to eat 5 times a day. I eat salads-but I also don't cut out sweets or carbs. I work out three times a week for about an hour. Should I be doing more? THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

Answer 1

Good evening, (at least where I am)

I'm a 36 y/o male, been working out steadily for about 20 yrs.
Sometimes more than others. When I set a goal to hit, it usually starts with dropping a set amount of weight. Meanwhile, I'm doing crazy sh*t!!! 1000 crunches a day! no sh*t! push-ups, pull-ups, jumping rope, free weights.

Look, you can do thousands and thousands of crunches and in the end not see enough results to satisfy yourself pertaining to the effort invested. You need to focus on loosing every extra (notice I said extra) pound that you can...Don't beat yourself up. don't cheat yourself. Find a healthy way to do this and as soon as you have reached the 50% mark for you body fat goal, start doing crazy sh*t! 1k-2k crunches... It sounds nuts, but It is done every day by many many people. It doesn't take that long to work up to those #'s

If you do this, It will probably become a way of life for you... That's not a bad thing! It can be a big commitment.

I JUST SAW YOUR ADDED DETAILS
I have to ask, Are you looking for those abs like the hotties getting out of the pool on TV commericals? If yes, do what I suggested. Your diet is just as important... You put garbage in, it leaves garbage behind. Your workout regament has to be beefed up too. It's 130 am Sunday here, Before I watch "Meat The Press" in the morning, I will have done 1000-1500 crunches, a couple hundred push-ups or pull-ups, jogged 3 miles... I do free weights mon-fri. The crunches are an every day thing!

Coffee, coffee is for woosies! step outside and run a few miles in the 20 degree air... That will wake you up real good!

YOU WILL FEEL BETTER!

Answer 2

Sometimes when we diet we hit a "plateau" of sorts and things level off and the pounds aren't as easy to lose. You may want to increase your exercise.

When you work out you are, as the first poster mentioned, building muscle and burning fat. Muscle weighs more than fat so getting on a scale is not the best way to measure your success. You want to measure body fat which can be done at the doctor's office with some calipers.

Depending on the type and length of exercise you're doing, it will generally take several weeks to several months to see results. Unless you're training for the Olympics, make sure you have at least 3 days of rest per week so your body can recouperate.

Also, a common mistake that I myself have made doing ab exercises is not doing them correctly. Naturally, I wasn't seeing any results. DVD's from the local library - pilates ones are fantastic - helped correct me.

Keep in mind that during our monthly cycles we retain a lot of water weight and a gain of 5 pounds is normal.

Answer 3

Along with working out you have to eat properly or there will be no weight loss.
You probably have gained muscle which you know weighs more than fat...but You should work out every other day working different parts of your body, one workout do upper, the next do the lower....
For your tummy, do situps/crunches...when doing this...take your right elbow and bring across as you bring your left knee up ., then repeat with other leg and arm. It will trim the excess flab off your sides of your waist.
Also, eat small meals every 3-4hours to get your metabolism going at full speed.. Eat chicken, fish, veggies, fruits, skim milk...lots of water* , stay away from white rice, make whole grain instead same with pasta...make it whole grain, and y our bread...try not to eat sugary things..cookies, cakes, pies,
have skim milk or low fat yogurts...icecreams....
You will see a difference within the month.
Take your weight and measurements....then re check in one months time. It depends on YOU , how hard you work out...and what you put into your body* YOu can do this* It may take time...everyone is different......but within a month you'll notice weight loss and inches lost* Keep it up* :)

Answer 4

As a woman your waist will be one of the last places you see weight loss. To get your six pack to show you'll need to shed a lot of body fat, more then a man would. Overtraining can be as detrimental as no training. Your body needs time to recover, if you are doing too much, consider a rest day. Nor can you 'spot' weight loss, it's gotta come from everywhere, not just your waist. Increase your cardio & see what happens, you've built up muscle now work it.

Answer 5

You probably switched fat for muscle. I am sure you know muscle weights more then fat. I would think you must look better even if you haven't lost any weight.

Answer 6

Yes, you are probably building muscle weight. Keep exercising and eat healthily.

Answer 7

For tummy fat try CORTISLIM this stuff really works.
If you want to keep making progress change your workouts every two weeks.Once the body gets used to a workout routine it stops making progress.

Answer 8

You're too young for this.

Answer 9

hmm.

Do you take any fat-burners?

Those will really help you out! But, as always, you should ask experts about those fat-burners. Some are fake, so you should be aware of those.

Good luck.

Answer 10

you gain muscle to burn fat...make sure you are eating right too.