exercising more but gained 3 lbs !!

seefin

I've always done light exercise-have dogs so 80 minutes walking plus half hour cycling 5 days a week. About 3 months ago, I started doing body resistance exercises and core strength- 25 minutes 4 days a week alternating upper and lower body. Also have built upto 25 minutes jogging as part of 'doggie' walk. I haven't changed quantity I eat but did start 16:8 intermittent fasting on weekdays about the same time I upped the exercise. I wanted to tone up but I've weighed myself a few times in past few months and found my weight is going upwards!! its only 3 lbs which i can live with but I've always been a believer in maintaining steady weight and reversing any upward trend asap. Am concerned maybe the Intermittent fasting has affected my metabolic rate (plus I'm female early 40s with all the hormonal changes that come with that). Now I don't notice my clothes being any tighter ( I'm only 5 feet and
7 1/2 stone so notice the lbs )
After that long preamble I'll get to my question! !! Is it possible to have gained this amount of muscle in a few months from 100 minutes a week of resistance training or is this the start of the dreaded middle aged spread and is it time to stay cutting down on food !!!

Stench Blossoms

Do your clothes feel tighter/looser?

seefin

The same really. Maybe the weight is really spread out !!!!!! my weight is usually pretty steady so I'm just concerned that its the IF .

runawaybishop

seefin wrote: »

The same really. Maybe the weight is really spread out !!!!!! my weight is usually pretty steady so I'm just concerned that its the IF .

You said you haven't changed the quantity you are eating. IF isnt going to do diddly squat if you are still eating the same amount. Eat less, exercise more or do both and your body shape will improve. If your clothes fit better on you but your weight doesn't move much then you are doing fine.

What sort of strength work are you doing?

seefin

i wasnt trying to lose weight but definitely didn't want to gain weight! !Just wanted to tone up and stayed IF for supposed health benefits rather than weight loss. My weight was steady before I started the IF and strength training. I do squats, plank, lunges, crunches, push ups, light weights. I guess I could wait a few more months and if more weight gain and clothes no tighter, would know is muscle.however I'd just like to avoid ending in situation where i have to go on an actual diet. and lose half a stone. my weight had been stay since i was a teenager

traprunner

A pound of muscle takes up less volume than a pound of fat. Maybe you lost fat and gained muscle.

runawaybishop

seefin wrote: »

i wasnt trying to lose weight but definitely didn't want to gain weight! !Just wanted to tone up and stayed IF for supposed health benefits rather than weight loss. My weight was steady before I started the IF and strength training. I do squats, plank, lunges, crunches, push ups, light weights. I guess I could wait a few more months and if more weight gain and clothes no tighter, would know is muscle.however I'd just like to avoid ending in situation where i have to go on an actual diet. and lose half a stone. my weight had been stay since i was a teenager

I am not sure if what you describe is strength work - toning just means building muscle and light weights wont really do that. If you are just doing light weights and gaining weight you should carefully look at your diet. If you are doing heavy weights and gaining weight then increased muscle mass could account for the gain. How your clothes fit really is the best indicator though.

traprunner

Take a photo of yourself in your underpants. Then take another photo in a couple of weeks. Do you see more fat, more muscle or just the same?

Do you log all your food to be able to compare to ensure that you ate the same? It's easy for someone to forget that they had a couple of chocolates here and there.

guile4582

do you use a microwave?

Blacktie.

guile4582 wrote:

do you use a microwave?

What would this have to do with anything?

seefin

I'm female - I dont wear underpants !!!
I'm a bit too strict with my diet if anything so be surprised if related to amount of food I'm eating (although if I am gaining fat I need to cut down or stop the IF , whatever is causing this )
I thought body resistance exercises such as squats had pretty much same benefits wrt muscles as weights? ?
I've ordered adjustable dumbbells so will be able to build up amount I'm lifting. Thanks for the feedback!!

helliwen

I'm surprised no one has said this before but 3lb is next to nothing - sure, your weight could fluctuate by this in a week depending on what you're eating, drinking, salt intake, digestion, time of the month! Your weight is on the low end of the scale for your height so I would imagine you have nothing to worry about - I get that it might concern you though if you're thinking of it as being an upward trend.
I'd use your clothes as a guideline, as others have suggested.

runawaybishop

seefin wrote: »

I'm female - I dont wear underpants !!!
I'm a bit too strict with my diet if anything so be surprised if related to amount of food I'm eating (although if I am gaining fat I need to cut down or stop the IF , whatever is causing this )
I thought body resistance exercises such as squats had pretty much same benefits wrt muscles as weights? ?
I've ordered adjustable dumbbells so will be able to build up amount I'm lifting. Thanks for the feedback!!

If you are gaining fat is it not IF that is causing it, you are consuming more calories than you are burning. This is assuming it is fat you are gaining, and only you can tell us if that is the case.

Bodyweight squats wont do much, if anything, except build up your stamina. Muscles will only grow to perform the job required of them - i.e you already walk about and sit up/down during the day, bodyweight squats therefore are not adding much additional challenge to your muscles, maybe if you are doing pistol squats but I doubt this is the case? Planks and pushups would be good though, lunges not great and i would avoid crunches (planks are better). If you can get your hands on some equipment you'll find your progress drastically increases.

helliwen

runawaybishop wrote: »

If you are gaining fat is it not IF that is causing it, you are consuming more calories than you are burning. This is assuming it is fat you are gaining, and only you can tell us if that is the case.

If I'm interpreting the OP's post correctly, she's trying to find out if she's gained fat or muscle.

Rather than debating what could be causing her to gain fat or the probability of it being fat or muscle based on the training she's doing, I would suggest putting it into perspective: It's 3lb. Her clothes are fitting the same. She's at a healthy weight. Does it really matter?

runawaybishop

helliwen wrote: »

If I'm interpreting the OP's post correctly, she's trying to find out if she's gained fat or muscle.

Rather than debating what could be causing her to gain fat or the probability of it being fat or muscle based on the training she's doing, I would suggest putting it into perspective: It's 3lb. Her clothes are fitting the same. She's at a healthy weight. Does it really matter?

It clearly matters to the OP, and that is who I am responding to.

Oryx

helliwen wrote: »

If I'm interpreting the OP's post correctly, she's trying to find out if she's gained fat or muscle.

Rather than debating what could be causing her to gain fat or the probability of it being fat or muscle based on the training she's doing, I would suggest putting it into perspective: It's 3lb. Her clothes are fitting the same. She's at a healthy weight. Does it really matter?

I think the concern is whether this is the start of an upward trend. IF caused, or middleaged spread (sorry op) or something else. I agree though. 3lbs is very little and if it is not showing as tighter clothes, there is no issue. OP, I hesitantly suggest knowing your measurements. Hesitantly, because a)youre already small, and b)you state you have a tendency to be strict with yourself and this could end up a rod to beat yourself with. But it is a way to know if you are getting bigger, or your body composition is changing.

At the risk of opening a can of worms, what health benefits are you targeting from IF?

runawaybishop

Oryx wrote: »

I think the concern is whether this is the start of an upward trend. IF caused, or middleaged spread (sorry op) or something else. I agree though. 3lbs is very little and if it is not showing as tighter clothes, there is no issue. OP, I hesitantly suggest knowing your measurements. Hesitantly, because a)youre already small, and b)you state you have a tendency to be strict with yourself and this could end up a rod to beat yourself with. But it is a way to know if you are getting bigger, or your body composition is changing.

At the risk of opening a can of worms, what health benefits are you targeting from IF?

Ahh, don't open that can!

Middle aged spread is kinda a myth - the thinking is that your metabolism slows down as you grow older but thats just not the case - the slowdown is really minor. What tends to happens is that people move about less and eat more.

Oryx

The hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause can alter how a womans body stores fat though.

runawaybishop

Oryx wrote: »

The hormonal changes of perimenopause and menopause can alter how a womans body stores fat though.

Fat to be stored is all based on calories consumed though, and the middle aged spread myth is a myth that is applied equally to men and women and is based on a supposed slowing down of metabolism, which isn't really the case.

seefin

I've read that you lose muscle as you age unless you do weight lifting. It said that all the aerobic exercise in the world wouldnt prevent this, only strength training. That's why I started resistance exercises, to try avoid loss of whatever muscle I have !!! Interesting to hear that squats and Lunges aren't that beneficial and will focus more on planks and free weights. I'm not panicked about the current weight gain, it's more the upward trend (as oryx posted.). My diet is pretty restricted as it is so hoping don't have to cut back any more. 1500 calories max on weekdays and upto 2000 on weekends. jesus middle age sucks !!!

seefin

Sorry meant to add that the muscle loss as people age does cause metabolism to slow down surely?

Stench Blossoms

There's nothing wrong with squats and lunges but they wouldn't be resistance training per se unless you added some weight.

nice_guy80

I'd be delighted with this.

When I train a lot I usually put on weight - as I eat more. MMMMMM food

dancingchicken

Have you been eating more too? Maybe the exercise increased your appetite and you ate more calories than you burned. Remember muscle weighs more than fat so its possible that you've lost fat and built muscle.

MaceFace

seefin wrote: »

I've always done light exercise-have dogs so 80 minutes walking plus half hour cycling 5 days a week. About 3 months ago, I started doing body resistance exercises and core strength- 25 minutes 4 days a week alternating upper and lower body. Also have built upto 25 minutes jogging as part of 'doggie' walk. I haven't changed quantity I eat but did start 16:8 intermittent fasting on weekdays about the same time I upped the exercise. I wanted to tone up but I've weighed myself a few times in past few months and found my weight is going upwards!! its only 3 lbs which i can live with but I've always been a believer in maintaining steady weight and reversing any upward trend asap. Am concerned maybe the Intermittent fasting has affected my metabolic rate (plus I'm female early 40s with all the hormonal changes that come with that). Now I don't notice my clothes being any tighter ( I'm only 5 feet and
7 1/2 stone so notice the lbs )
After that long preamble I'll get to my question! !! Is it possible to have gained this amount of muscle in a few months from 100 minutes a week of resistance training or is this the start of the dreaded middle aged spread and is it time to stay cutting down on food !!!

How stable is your weight on a day to day average?
For example, I weigh myself every day at exactly the same time wearing exactly the same clothes. Today, I am down 4.4lbs since Wednesday. This is on a Withings scale which is one of better home scales available.

I often find with digital scales that if you move it an inch to the side it will give a different reading. Again, this morning I weighed myself 3 times and kept the middle reading. There was a variation of .7 lbs between the higher and lower weight.

Another thing I found with myself in the past is what I call calorie creep. Over a period of time, I found that I was very gradually consuming more and more calories but because it was spread out over a few weeks, I thought I was eating the same as I always did. I only discovered that when I went back to tracking calories.

If your calorie consumption really hasn't changed, but your exercising has increased, the scales should not really be going up as "generally" speaking you need to be in a calorie surplus to build muscle. You are female as well(?) which makes it even more difficult to build muscle. Of course, not knowing what resistance training involves and how strong a resistance (weights) you are using, it's impossible to guess.

The key thing though is if this is a trend and if you only have two data points - the first which is your starting weight and now (+3lbs), it's hardly a trend. Weigh yourself every week and that will tell you more than anyone else here can.

runawaybishop

seefin wrote: »

I've read that you lose muscle as you age unless you do weight lifting. It said that all the aerobic exercise in the world wouldnt prevent this, only strength training. That's why I started resistance exercises, to try avoid loss of whatever muscle I have !!! Interesting to hear that squats and Lunges aren't that beneficial and will focus more on planks and free weights. I'm not panicked about the current weight gain, it's more the upward trend (as oryx posted.). My diet is pretty restricted as it is so hoping don't have to cut back any more. 1500 calories max on weekdays and upto 2000 on weekends. jesus middle age sucks !!!

seefin wrote: »

Sorry meant to add that the muscle loss as people age does cause metabolism to slow down surely?

Muscle burns a lot of calories, but you don't lose muscle as you grow older per se, what happens is that you tend to become less active, which leads to less muscle, which leads to lower calorie requirements and that combined with eating the same amount as you always have means you put on fat. If your weight is definitely moving upwards and you haven't gained muscle then you need to reassess your calorie count.

You can continue to do resistance training and if you can add more weight to your exercises that will result in greater and faster results - for what its worth some bodyweight squats are better than no bodyweight squats but definitely try and get some free weights.