Pilates and Weight Gain

[Anonymous]

Six months ago I was running a lot (training for a half marathon) and had reached my goal weight. Unfortunately, I got a hip injury and decided to dial it back on the running. Almost immediately, I gained 5 Lbs. I started Pilates (using the reformer) 2-3 times per week and have done that since October. I like the Pilates a lot and it makes me feel strong all over my body, particularly areas like my core and shoulders that I have never really focused on from a workout perspective. I think that I am building muscles through Pilates that I didn’t use before. I feel much stronger than when I started Pilates in October, when I could barely do a crunch.

However, despite the consistent Pilates, I haven’t lost any weight and if anything have gained another 1-2 lbs since starting. Is it possible that the weight gain is mostly muscle, or am I just telling myself that? Has anyone else experienced a weight gain when they started a new workout routine that involved building muscles?

[Anonymous]

I think how your clothes fit should answer this question.

[Anonymous]

This happens to me all the time. Cardio keeps the weight off. Everything else not so much. No matter how great I feel and how toned I look I am still heavier.

[Anonymous]

it is possible that it is muscle - to know for sure you need to measure your body/see how your clothes fit

[Anonymous]

Sure, it could be muscle. How do you look? How do your clothes fit? I might look into getting a body fat reading. I started working out, including significant weight training, and I didn't lose weight at first, but my body fat went down and I felt significantly better. I was basically replacing some of the fat with muscle.

[Anonymous]

To gain fat or muscle you need to be eating in a calorie surplus. So in short, you gained weight because you are eating more calories than you were burning. Now could some of that weight gain could be muscle, yes, but putting on 2+ lbs of muscle is not easy, so my bet would be it's mostly fat. Now if you like how you look and feel, and if your clothes are fitting better then forget about the scale and a few pounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I think how your clothes fit should answer this question.

This. As long as my clothes fit, I could not care less how much I weigh.

[Anonymous]

OP here. My clothes fit tighter than they did over the summer.
I think I need to accept the fact that it isn’t muscle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. My clothes fit tighter than they did over the summer.
I think I need to accept the fact that it isn’t muscle

I could have written your post except swap running for cycling, hip for knee, and pilates for yoga.

I'm around 7 lbs up from GW in October. But you know what? I know how to get rid of those 7 lbs if I want to.

[Anonymous]

I am a Pilates devotee (on the reformer) and I do it 3-4 times a week. However I don't count it as calorie-burning exercise at all. I think of it more like physical therapy that allows me to do the things I love to get the cardio. And yes I feel more toned, stronger, which is great.

[Anonymous]

OP again. I’ve decided to incorporate some cardio into my routine so that I can break a sweat 2-3 times per week and see if that helps to lose those 5 pounds. A little bummed because I wanted to get the “Pilates body” and actually enjoy it, but it doesn’t seem to be working for me. My hope is that the cardio will help me keep the weight off and then I’ll see the difference from the Pilates
.

[Anonymous]

Despite what people on this board say, most people need cardio to take weight off. I don’t think most of the DCUM population is doing the type of intense weightlifting work that gets you slim and ripped without cardio (it’s definitely not a couple of Pilates classes per week).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This happens to me all the time. Cardio keeps the weight off. Everything else not so much. No matter how great I feel and how toned I look I am still heavier.

This and it’s so hard to find in gyms now except for spin. Barre Pilates and the rest will never make you skinny.

[Anonymous]

Exercise really isn't going to do much to help you lose weight. The sad fact is we just have to eat less. I'm in the same boat as you. My hip has been bugging me for 2 years now and I really had to dial back the running. I'm doing yoga and limited running and gained weight. I had to change my diet - what worked for me was cutting back on carbs and eating mostly protein and vegetables. It's hard because i LOVE bread, rice, potatoes etc etc etc etc.

[Anonymous]

Diet and adding some cardio back in. Even Joseph Pilates used to run.
Try doing some intervals, like rowing 1 min a max capaccity, 2 min rest, 1 min row etc for 20 min. or jumping rope like that.