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I recently made a big lifestyle change where I basically made the following changes.

Hardly any exercise went to:
30-50 minutes of cardio 5-7 days a week followed by some ab and weight exercises

Drinking diet pop and energy drinks constantly went to:
Drinking no pop or energy drinks instead drinking lots of water and some juice (usually OJ)

Eating just whatever all the time, generally not healthy went to:
Cutting down on eating between meals. Cutting down on junk food. Trying to eat healthier meals. Cut out fast food almost completely (Except Subway, but that doesn't really count, half the time I eat veggie subs there anyways)


I started the exercise routine just 1 week ago and I haven't missed a day at the gym yet. The other changes of trying to pick healthier choices for food and drink have been going on a little while longer then that. I am 42 years old, 5"8' tall and for a long long time my weight has always been between 177-182 lbs. I just weighed myself the other day expecting to maybe have lost a pound or two and I found that I am almost 190 lbs now. I haven't noticed any difference in my body, I don't feel like I've gained or lost weight. The only difference I really noticed is I have lots of energy now rather then feeling tired all the time.

Is there a chance maybe that the weight gain is just gaining muscle mass or something like that? Keeping up a cardio exercise like that I would expect that I should lose some body fat at some point. Anyone have an estimate on how long it would take before something like that started to show?

The only thing I can really think of that makes my case slightly abnormal is I am a type 1 Diabetic. Although I don't really see how that could effect diet and exercise (the diet and exercise is helping to control the Diabetes though).

Any insight or input would be greatly appreciated.

Are you noticing any change in your actual shape? Do you look more toned and if you had any flabby areas are they looking better?

If the answer to the above is yes then it probably is down to the developing muscles. Muscle weighs more than fat so that could be your answer.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to it if you are feeling better in yourself and as mentioned you are seeing changes to the structure of your body.

Failing that then it may be worth contacting a local slimming club or looking something up on the web. As a diabetic you will be able to get diet and exercise sheets from either your GP or the National Diabetic Association (if you haven't already). Thy will give you some great advice about diet and excercise tailored to your condition.

To mesure my progress for reducing size all I'm really doing is "eyeballing" it.

Drinking extra water. Does that generally stay with you as long as you keep up the intake of water?

For my food quantity though, I don't think I've really increased on portion size. I've always ate fairly large quantities anyways. Portion control is going to be my next undertaking. I'm changing my eating structure around so that I'm eating smaller meals but spacing them out and having an extra snack in there. I've been doing a lot of reading on diet and exercise lately and it seems that eating smaller meals but making sure you eat every 3-4 hours will raise your metabolic rate and will be better for you. I think my diet is definately better now both for the choice of food and for the calorie intake.
I will get my thyroid checked, Thanks for the advice you two!

First of all WELL DONE for making the change! That's a massive beneficial decision you've made, good for you.

I agree with the girls:

It sounds like the muscle is replacing the fat which is good but doesn't lose the lbs straight away but it will. When you 1st start exercising you bulk up a bit before slimming down, it might take about 3 weeks, it does with me. Be patient and stop standing on the scales and torturing yourself. I wonder if you're doing too much straight away, these things are better built up gradually, going straight into it all hammer and tongs can put the body into emergency mode sometimes which makes it hang on to everything it's got "just in case".

Thyroid problems and diabetes both are connected to the Endocrine System so it's worth reading up on that and how it functions and you'll find there are alot of minerals that help rebalance it. I've said it before on here but Chromium is worth reading up on for weight loss. I found cutting out wheat dropped the weight off very quickly. Cutting out all processed foods also helps.

Give yourself some time and I'm sue the weight will start dropping off soon. Best of luck.

Hi there,i noticed you mentioned the new exercise regime has only been in place for 1 week.Realistically its probably to early to expect big results in your first week.Any difference in fat to muscle ratio won't really show within one week anyway,so it's doubtful that the extra exercise is creating heavier muscle over fat loss.not in a week anyway.it may do long term,but you will be able to see the difference in the mirror so you will be able to appreciate the results.
I know its the oldest saying in the book,but apart from health problems i.e. thyroid,weight gain is all about consuming more calories than your body is using.so you may need to pay closer attention to what or how much you eat.more regular smaller meals as you mentioned should be of benefit to you,as it should prevent you eating too much at one sitting because your really hungry.smaller meals will keep your metabolism busy breaking down the food etc and should not leave any excess calories to be turned into fat and stored around the body.eventually you will get used to smaller meals and it will take less to make you feel full.
5-7 days of exercise seems a little excessive,30-50 mins of cardio then a bit of abs and a bit of weights may not be the right mix for you.if your doing any weights you need to stick to using lighter weights but higher reps to help tone and shape your existing muscle for the time being anyway,as weight loss is probably your priority.the weight machines as opposed to free weights is probably better as well.cardio wise you need to ensure your working at a speed or difficulty that makes you feel at least a little out of breath by the end of the exercise.basically you should struggle to hold a conversation with someone while on the machine.if you can comfortably chat away like most people appear to do (or read a book)then you are not working hard enough.30 mins of various types of cardio i.e. treadmill,cycle,cross trainer would be a good mix, 10 mins of each to start then increase the difficulty and length of time over the weeks as you get fitter.you could do abs after your cardio,and then some machines.really i would not recommend spending more than an hour in the gym,especially if you are on smaller meals.
it may be better to break up your cardio and weight workouts as well and try for just 4-5 days.do a cardio day and push yourself a bit with the knowledge that you have a day off it tomorrow to rest from cardio,then on the next day do a half or whole body weight/machine workout and then go back to cardio the next day.try to have a complete day off from the gym once or twice a week to give your muscles,joints etc a good rest.
i'll stop there on the advice as this reply is getting rather long but if you require anymore advice or want to update us or me on your progress and have any further questions feel free to ask.
all the best in your future healthly lifestyle.

Congratulations on setting your goals and your determination to lose weight.

Fifteen years ago my weight was up to 170 pounds, the highest it's been, and I set a plan to get below 130 pounds.
My goal was not quite obtained, but I did manage to get to 133 pounds in four months, then maintained the loss
by averaging 140 pounds or below for four years. I am just under 5' 9". Now my weight is over 160 and I'm setting
the goal to get under 140 again.

Losing weight depends primarily on what, when, and how much we eat. First of all it is important to eat healthy,
to drink plenty of water, and to focus on the foods that help to lose weight. I drink one gallon of pure water a day,
along with my running. I drink 1/3 of this before running in the mornings, another 1/3 after, and the final 1/3 by early
afternoon. This is before, during, and after my meals. I do not drink very much in the evenings.

It is important to eat something the first thing in the morning, and also a little something before exercise, so the
metabolism is stimulated to keep using excess energy. Sumo wrestlers do the opposite. They skip breakfast, do not
eat before exercise, and then they sleep after eating. To lose weight, do the opposite. Go for a walk or other exercise
after eating. The third key is portion control, the next step in your program. During the four months, I knew exactly
what food, what time, and how much I was going to eat every meal, and I stayed with this plan quite consistently.

Weighing and recording my weight each morning also helped my motivation to lose weight.

Hi. Like the others have said, well done on changing your diet and lifestyle with exercise!
That takes a great deal of will power and it sounds like you're really committed (a bit like quitting smoking, actually),
because what we eat and choose to eat is an addiction for many of us.

I think you've gotten lots of great advice and would like to add a couple of thoughts that came to me as I was reading.
The fact that you are diabetic and it sounds like maybe not eating much protein is a mini red flag for me....
because if you are still taking in carbohydrates, of course they are digested in the body just like sugar, which is
not so great for your system, as it requires insulin to lower your blood sugar again after the temporary high of the carbs.
Protein, on the other hand, is a slower releasing and a longer lasting form of energy, which is why in this country, a low carb,
high protein diet I believe is recommended for both diabetics and those suffering from the opposite condition of hypoglycemia
(low blood sugar due to a trigger-happy pancreas over-releasing insulin).

Also, as was mentioned above, a couple of points regarding your exercise - jumping in 7 days a week to working out heavilly
might end up bulking you up with muscle over time, rather than toning you first and gradually building muscle (if building muscle
is a goal).

I would recommend perhaps going to the gym every other day, and in between, do some walking, or bicycling...something
that will continue to increase your metabolism and also start to flush out the toxins from the diet and lifestyle you've been on.

If it seems things still aren't changing after another couple of weeks, then look into adding a cleansing regime (with natural products)
to help clear the gunk that's built up in your digestive system.

Lastly, the water issue is mixed - yes, you need to drink water, but be careful not to drink gallons of it. I say this because
when I studied Shiatsu, it was very clear that people have heart attacks both from a constricted heart, as well as an expanded one
and drinking gallons of fluids each day is what creates that imbalance.

So, as we were told - drink when you're thirsty and eat when you're hungry!
So, please just take from all the advice what resonates in you as being right for you.
Good luck and keep up the great new regime!!

yeah cuz, ya know... diabetes really isn't that big of a deal. you're only missing the most crucial hormone in the process of metabolizing energy. wat evs.

I am also thinking as same. but i a, thinking that other factors also causes for gaining weight. My colleague also felt same problem. But later he got the ideas of his fat which is diabetes and Thyroid. He was not aware about these disease..