Any words of wisdom?

[canadian1]

Hey everyone,

I joined a gym and I have been going 5-6 times a week for the past month and a half now. I weigh 228lbs, and I am 5'10 (20 years old).

One thing I have noticed is that when I started, I was approx. between 220-223, and as I said earlier, I am 228lbs now. I do 45-60 minutes of cardio, and then weight training for 30-60 minutes afterwards.

I realize that the weight I have gained in this past month and a half is probably muscle - I have changed my diet (no more soft-drinks, greasy foods etc.) and have kept to it.

However, every time I step on the scale and see a higher number, I get extremely discouraged (even though it is probably muscle, not fat). I guess I still have this mentality stuck in my head that weighing more means being fatter.

Is there any advice anyone can give me on how to keep myself encouraged, and how to stop judging my progress by the number alone? I am very naturally unsure of myself, unfortunately, so I suppose this is why I am always questioning whether the added weight is muscle or fat, because in reality I don't really know for sure either way.

[lee thompson]

yes,get the tape measure out and you should be encouraged by the increase in size of your chest,arms etc.

[Nooklear]

First of all, good work on sticking to your diet and routine! It takes a lot to get started.

But, doing that much cardio isn't going to help you melt the fat off. Instead, do maybe 15-20 minutes of cardio, keeping your heart rate at a fat burning level (i'm not sure about what that exact number is, but someone here can definitely tell you).


Also, maybe try taking some pictures of yourself, then comparing them to newer pictures after about a month or so. Numbers don't always mean everything. If you find yourself getting stronger and starting to look better, then you're on the right track

[RyanLRams]

Originally Posted by lee thompson

yes,get the tape measure out and you should be encouraged by the increase in size of your chest,arms etc.

Right idea... but if Canadian1 is 5'10", 225lbs, he wants to see a DECREASE in the size of his chest. Depending on where he sees the fat on his body, he may see a decrease of size in his legs and arms too. But I know what you meant.


First off, congrats on the change. Now the trick will be to stick with it and not get discouraged. I recommend coming to this forum regularly and keeping us apprised of your progress as it will keep you focused and we can continually encourage you. Create a journal/diary here - http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/fo...ining-diaries/. It's not always going to be easy or going the way you think it should so stick with it! Don't expect to see results overnight, or even weekly. Be patient, it will happen.

If you are willing to take any constructive criticism, I think the first thing you should change is do your cardio AFTER your weight training. Second is that you do too much cardio. Focus your energy on hitting the weights hard and then finish your routine off with 30 minutes of cardio. Incorporate 10 minutes of interval training in that cardio. Maybe a couple times a week, consider doing some HIIT - HIIT Cardio
Finally, your diet will be where you get the majority of your results. Eat right. Healthy Grocery List - You pick the meals, We'll make your grocery list! is a good place to start. FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal is another place to help keep track of your daily nutrition intake and calorie expenditure. You need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose weight.

The scale is a tricky thing. I find that I weigh 235 first thing in the morning and roughly 240 when I go to bed. Next morning, I'm 235 again. Go figure. Make sure you weigh yourself at the same time of day every time, preferably in the morning, maybe when your shower is heating up.

Hope this helps and good luck! Post here whenever you got a question and we will do what we can.

[Gill]

Ryan hit an excellent point. I do all of my weigh-ins right when I wake up before ingesting anything. This is when your body is naturally dehydrated from consuming nutrients during sleep. For a reference point, I weigh-in before bed as well. Generally, I'm ~3.5lbs higher than the morning. This is a mixture of hydration, meals and unexpelled waste-matter.

A few things you need to clarify is whether or not you are trying to gain weight via muscle (get bigger) or whether you were wanting to cut your weight back and get more lean (ripped). You've been doing a lot of working out (especially that cardio... wow!). To be gaining weight (even muscle weight) means you've been keeping a pretty high calorie intake. If you're trying to gain weight, thats great! If you were wanting to cut down, then consider taking Ryans advice and giving us a complete run-down of your goals and diet so people can help you out.

Regardless, best of luck.