Weight gain
 

Hi there!
I joined the gym about six weeks ago and I've been exercising almost every day since then. I have been noticing my arms and thighs getting slimmer, but my waist is more or less the same (and yes, I am on a medically controlled 1500 kcal diet). Also, I've gained about 3 kgs. I know this is probably muscle, not fat, but I was wondering if you guys knew when I'll start losing weight instead of gaining it. At the moment I'm doing 25 minutes on the treadmill and 35 on the elliptical machine (besides of crunches series).

Do you have any advice?

Hello,
Are you drinking enough water??? When I was gaining it was because I didn't drink enough. When I started to drink more the weight started coming off again.

If your arms are getting thinner then you're losing fat. The stomach is one of the last places you lose fat from because it's one of the first places you'll gain it.

I'll try and drink a bit more, then! Also, yes, my arms, thighs, back and face are getting slimmer, I guess it'll just take a bit longer for my stomach to do the same.
Thanks guys!

Cardio alone won't do a ton to help you lose weight. Sad but true. You have to do TONS to have any effect. Weight training/Strength training is better for weight loss. You will gain muscle but mostly your BMR will improve, meaning your body will begin to burn more calories while at rest. Good Luck.

800 kcal?? I burn around 2000 by doing nothing, I doubt a calorie deficit that high would do me any good.

I agree with Absentha, 800 cal is too low for anyone.

Good Luck Absentha :)

Thank you! ^^

You are so right..had a problem with a knee and went to an orthopaedic surgeon...he advised against surgery, shots, etc. He prescribed low impact regular exercise to lose weight. He said that the plain truth is that roughly 80% of change is due to what we eat and the rest is attributed to exercise. The exercise makes you feel better so you will continue exercising and exercise becomes easier as the weight drops. So, the greatest effect is in trying to eat the densest food that is good for you and continue exercising regularly.

A lot of quick weight changes like that are water fluctuations in the body. You really need to take a look at your weight/composition changes over the course of a month and just assure that you are continuing to move in the right direction.

-Ted

Thanks for your advice everyone!

20 to 30 minutes walks is essential to reduce weight.

A nice long walk right after a good workout is a nice way to lose weight.
I also agree with everyone here. Make sure you are getting enough water.
Stubborn belly fat is the last to go. ;)
Robb

I must admit I thought I would lose loads of weight once I started exercising but it just hasn't happened and I've been going (with some gaps) for a year now. I still lose on average just under 1lb a week which is no different from before I started exercising.

However, the difference is apparent when the gym measured my body fat and found that I now have within the recommended % for internal fat (the bad stuff around your organs). I may still have a lot of weight to lose but it's good to know that internally I'm healthier than I ever have been.

What does 'medically controlled' mean when you describe your diet? If you are still making your food choices yourself, and cooking and buying food, then take a day or two and just eat some frozen meals and have some liquid meal supplement to add up to 1500 calories for the day. Don't eat anything else and don't snack. Do that for a few days and you should lose weight. If you don't, then you should go straight to your doctor and explain the situation.

If you don't lose weight when other people (companies, products) are doing the measuring, then you have a medical problem and your doctor should become involved in working on THAT problem. When people measure food for themselves, and start tracking food themselves, errors start to creep in. A few days of frozen meals will show it.