Question:
Ever since I have been coming to the two sessions and working out on my own on Saturdays, I have gained about 5 pounds. I haven’t been eating any differently. Is gaining 5 or so pounds normal if you are working out more? It’s kind of pissing me off.
Answer:
First of all – give yourself a pat on the back for getting to the workouts, and taking time on your Saturday to sweat. You’re putting effort into a healthy lifestyle that takes work, dedication, and persistence. Good for you. I know from this question, you are likely assessing your progress from the scale, but trust me, it is a better idea to start tracking your success through measurements. The reason for this is because muscle truly does weight more than fat, and fortunately for us, it takes up less space in your body than fat. This means that one pound of muscle is smaller on your body than one pound of fat. My point – do your measurements! It’s not an old wives tale that muscle weighs more than fat, so now that you’re building muscle in our workouts, it’s a good time to start focusing on the inches rather than the pounds.
I recently had someone lose over 11 inches from their whole body in 8 weeks time (which is AMAZING), with only 2 pounds lost during these two months. If we had not of done her measurements, and she was only focused on the scale, she would have been totally bummed out, thinking all of her efforts had gone to waste. This is why women should chuck out their scales, and not give a shit about the number on it. It doesn’t define who you are, how strong you are, how fit you are, or how damn sexy you are.
Knowing all this, take into consideration that you’re working out 3 times per week now compared to 1. So yes, you can put on 5lbs of muscle from all your hard work. Don’t get bummed out about this though, because every pound of muscle you have, you burn an extra 50-100 calories each day doing absolutely nothing! Hello high metabolism!
True success come from the sweat you produce, the muscle you develop, the cardiovascular strength you build, the endurance you acquire, and the determination you put behind it all. That’s success. Gone are the days of of looking thin and skinny, with a number on the scale that represents your high school weight. What’s in, is feeling strong, fit, and sexy!
Showing you the difference between liking and loving your body,
ashley dale roy
