Going to the gym, being on a diet, and gaining weight.

[Anonymous]

This is really weird.

I'm a girl in my 20s,165 cm,I was 54kg at the beginning,and now,if the scale isn't broke,I should be around 59kg.

Two months ago I started a diet,restricting my calories intake to 1400 per day. I've been going to the gym 3/4 days a week,doing about 30-40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weight lifting,abs,and so on.

Despite that,I'm constantly gaining weight. I look plumpier,even.

What am I doing wrong? At first I thought it's because I changed my lifestyle (I moved to China to study until next year) and my food. But it's crazy,I've never worked out so much and I really tried to eat good food!

I admit I let myself go a few times (a night out with my friends,a birthday,etc), is it because of those very few times when I didn't stay in my range?

Any suggestion?

[Snowyprincess]

I'd also say it's the muscles, but it's also very likely that you are not eating enough, it's not about the calories you are consuming, but about what you are consuming. :)

[Asker]

Well,it's hard to eat healthy since I can't cook,I'm in a dorm and usually eat my meals at the dorm's cafeteria. I'm trying my best to eat healthy but I admit that it's hard since I'm not really sure of what's in my meal :S

But is it possible anyway to gaining weight and look fatter this way?

[Snowyprincess]

Hmm, then I really don't know :/

Maybe your gaining muscle, but not losing the fat and that makes you look bigger?

But I also agree with the poster under me, start taking measurements, you might be surprised! Or progress pictures, sometimes our minds trick us into thinking we got fatter even though we didn't :)

[MaskofInsanity]

Most likely muscle. Ditch the scales and take measurements instead!

[Jonny_]

You're most likely gaining muscle which weighs more than fat which creates that illusion... any who 54kg is not a lot of weight at all, even 59kg isn't.

[Asker]

Well,I'm not trying to lose a lot of weight,just shed those few pounds and get leaner and toned :)

Do muscles really create an illusion of fatter body or is it just about the weight?

[Lommelun]

Muscles. Muscles are heavier than fat.