Common to NOT lose weight when training?

For the first six months, I didn't lose a pound.  However, things did start to firm up despite the fact that I wasn't losing weight.  And after six months, the weight started falling off.. I've lost 45 pounds so far.  Don't despair!  It will eventually happen, just keep up the hard work. 

And for the record Im training for a triathlon due to my adhd, type a, super competitiveness and not necessarily to lose weight. Its a nice benefit, but just thought I would see more results by now. Patience I know ...

The same thing happened for me. I trained for three months and the weight stayed the same. However, my clothes got a little looser, so I assumed that I had lost fat but had also gained muscle. I then joined Weight Watchers to help keep the food intake in check. I tend to, like most people, eat more when I train. I've lost 25 pounds in the four months I've done Weight Watchers. It helps.

I'm the same way. I've hovered right around 10 total pounds lost for several months now. But man, I'm losing inches pretty well and body fat too. Last time I had it checked, I'm down 6% bf from where I started. Gaining muscle and losing fat is the best way to go anyway.

this is common. i am in my 4th season and have lost about 40 lbs total since starting training. this spring i managed to get rid of the 10 lbs i gained LAST winter and carried around all last season. so, i'm back to the weight i was at in '05, when i was wearing a size 10. at that same weight, i am now in a size 6 or 8. my measurements are also smaller at this same weight. i have done a lot more weight training this winter than i have in the past. i know my body is much leaner now than it was a couple years ago. its frustrating not to see that number change, but you need to look at the big picture. is your fitness improving (the most important, imho), how do you look, how do your clothes fit, track your bf %, track your measurements, etc.

Into my 3rd month training 6 days/wk and the scale hasn't moved (except when I had food poisoning, but then it went back up). But I do look hotter in the mirror!

my first training season I went up alot of weight. Weight comes and goes and its a cal in vs cals out. Body measure ments would be good to do once a month because that is what really counts. Weight there are so many factors that go into it.

Glad to hear Im just not going crazy! I can tell my clothes fit better, my cardio is improving and I look better in my skivves ... sometimes you just wanna see that scale go down. The most important thing is meeting my goal to complete the Oly though. I promised myself that I was going to start my quest with that goal in mind and weightloss was NOT going to be my main focus ... (until next season

When I first started the weight just seemed to fall off. I lost about 7 lbs almost instantly and was in total shock! (I actually sorta thought my scale was broken and I almost took it back! lol) Since then...its been a month and I haven't lost anymore...I think I may have actually gained a couple of those 7 back. My goal is to get healthy...not specifically to lose weight so I'm not too worried about it but it does bug me a bit. I've been looking at some weight charts and such and I am at least a good 60 lbs overweight. I don't like the sound of that! I think I would feel better about things overall if I could lose some of that weight, but I am noticing myself getting stronger and my endurance getting better, so hopefully the other changes will come in time.

You're in the same boat as me. I lost 17 lbs in the first 2 months of training and haven't lost a pound since then. Try not to get discouraged it will come (so I'm told). But other health benefits (besides losing weight) go along w/ the training - increased energy, gaining muscle, reduced stress, sense of accomplishment, etc.

Hang in there!

I agree the "weight" is not what you want to be concerned about, that can drive a person crazy! Focus on inches, and performance level.
My weight stays at a consistent level pretty much all year which is great because when I gain weight it's easy to tell. I train hard and I am competitive so I might weight myself every month or so but I use my clothes and performance as my guide lines of what my body needs less or more of. The scale is evil! My husband gets on ours twice a day and it drive me insane because that gives you a horrible body image especially if numbers don't change.

You have to look at your body like a machine. What you put in it uses for energy what you don't use is stored and saved for later. If you are not taking in enough calories for what you are doing your body goes in to survival mode and stores everything you eat. Many people who begin training and renewal of a healthier nutritional program under eat. Which can later be your biggest enemy. It can slow down your performance and your metabolism. If you are having problems loosing extra weight I'd consult a nutritionist to evaluate your diet. It's crazy to think but it helps.

Howdy

I've also been told that muscle is a whole lot heavier than fat.

Try doing a tape test to check for your percentage fat. I know plenty of guys over 180lbs with less than 2% body fat.

Also the human body has been proven to hoard fats in your gut in case you go through famine, and will more likely use up muscle for energy. So make sure you eat plenty of protein and enough carbs to keep your body you are going through famine.

Besides as others have said: if your gut is smaller and your muscles are bigger sounds like win-win

I don't think muscle is heavier then fat. 1lb of fat would still be a 1 lb. if it is muscle. I don't worry about the weight as much as I do the inches. I'm more of a show me the change kind of gal.

yeah in a way were both right AND wrong its a matter of semantics.

According to this article one pound of muscle is not heavier than one pound of fat. What muscle is though is denser. Meaning that one cubic inch of muscle will weigh more than one cubic inch of fat. or something like that....

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_...

that article explains it better than I can

Makes sense and I completely follow you. I used to say well, muscle weighs more and then get a lecture on how 1 lb vs 1 lb...bla bla bla. Thank you for letting me know there was some legit point to what I was saying even if the wording was off...lol.

no sweat...usually when I explain things I completely screw it up in the semantics and end
up saying something like "You know what I mean!!"

Well...one pound of feathers is still one pound of feathers

And as stated before, one pound doesn't weigh more than one pound, just that muscle doesn't seem to take up as much space/mass as fat does when measured pound for pound. I'd say that's a good thing...I don't care about weight so much anymore, just how far my waistline has become