Putting weight on despite burning 400-950 calories a day exe

I joined a gym in March 2006 and initially lost weight however since June 2006 I have gained 1 stone in weight and 3" to my waist. It is not muscle - it is fat! My waist has gone up 1.5" in the last 5 weeks. I have a very good diet as I am vegan and eat typically between 1,100 and 1,700 (weekends) calories a day - no fast carbs. I have been wearing a heart monitor and I am burning between 400 and 950 calories a day exercising (CV, pilates, aqua and gym and walking). I have also started doing 15 minutes CV before breakfast 3 times a week to kick start my metabolism. I have also upped my protein intake and now drink 1 or 2 protein shakes a day in addition to taking NO compound before bed to speed up my metabolism. I do not have a theoroid problem as I have had this checked. The irony is that I was slimmer and able to diet easily when I did no exercise! My gym instructors are all at a loss and I have getting extremely depressed with the weight gain. Any suggestions?

Hi there! I totally can appreciate your situation, as I am in the same boat. I started working out since January 2008 untill now, I have been working out with a trainer, lifting weights and doing cardio 4 times per week. I'm so frustrated, because I continue to gain weight and all my clothes fit me tighter. Just like you, I eat healthy and watch how many calories I eat. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I weigh the most i have ever weighed in my life (by at least 12 lbs) and I can't seem to be able to shed one pound. All my measurements have also gone up from 1.5 -2 inches. I easily have gained 3 lbs just in this one week alone. I have never gained this much weight and this quickly. I was just wondering it you were able to figure out why you gained weight so quickly or if you found something to help you lose the weight. Thanks in advance for your help.

At christmas I was 9 stone. Today I am 11 stone 1! Thats a weight gain of 2 stone in 5 months. I have no idea why, I don't eat rubbish and take aways etc and I go to the gym 5-7 times a week. People keep saying that its muscle but its not because 2 weeks ago I was 10 stone 1 and now i'm fat again. I had lost over 3 stone and now i've put over half back on in such a short space of time. Its really making me depressed. Any thoughts?

hi there! sounds like you've plateaued. this is actually a pretty common phenomenon in the weight loss and body building world. basically, your body is designed to retain as much as energy as possible. so, depending on your level of fitness, your body will, quite quickly if your fit, adapt to your exercise routine, as well as your diet, and become as efficient as possible at preserving energy during your daily activities. this means, an exercise that your burned 900 calories during, the first time, if you continue doing this same exercise your body will burn considerably less in 2 or 3 weeks. Your diet works the same way. If you eat the same macro food group (carbs, protein, fat) in the same proportions day in and day out, your body gets quite used to this and burns less digesting them. so say your daily intake is approximately 1700cal, divided 400 protein, 300 fat, and 1000 carbs, try switching it up. rotate your foods every couple of days. so if you ate the 400/300/1000 ration monday, wednesday try switching it to 600/700/400 and so on and so forth. lastly, supplements and fat burners. an improper balance of your omegas can contribute to cortisol production, the stress hormone associated with weight gain around the middle, so perhaps take a supplement? omega 3 is found readily in lots of the foods eaten today, however, omega 6 and9, but particularly 6, the more crucial of the two, are usually lacking. and a fat mobilizer. ive never heard of compound NO, however, i know hot rox is quite effective, being the supplement of choice or most figure athletes and competitive bodybuilders, in dropping those last few bodyfat digits. i highly recommend it.