The Student Room Group

Gaining too much muscle?

Since starting uni I've put on a bit of weight. I think this is mainly due to all the extra alcohol I've been drinking and also getting junk food after nights out, because I get quite a lot of exercise and try to eat healthily most of the time (although vending machines in halls = not good)! I'm 5'6" and before I started uni I weighed 8 stone 10, which was about right. I've put on about half a stone, so there isn't a massive difference, but it's noticeable to me, and I'd like to shift it before the bikini season begins!

For the last month or so I've been going to the gym three times a week. I typically burn off around 500-600 calories on the treadmill, cross-trainer and bike, then go swimming for half an hour. Over the long weekend I visited my grandparents in Devon, and although they always feed me up with loads of fatty food and I couldn't get to the gym, I did loads of walking over the clifftops, probably a four mile walk in a very hilly area, on both Sunday and Monday. Today I can really feel all the muscles in my legs, and if I squeeze them the muscles feel really hard. I've never had much fat on my legs anyway, but I have a fair bit of muscle tone, and I think that if I did lose weight, my legs probably wouldn't get any slimmer because they're mostly muscle anyway.

Anyway, my question is this. Even though I've been exercising a lot and eating as much as I do normally (which is probably a little bit too much, if we're honest!) I haven't lost any weight at all. I think I look slightly more toned, but I'm not completely sure, and I didn't take any measurements before I started, so I don't know whether I'm any smaller. What should I do to lose weight and therefore get slimmer, without building up muscle, which is what I think I must be doing?

Thanks!

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Reply 1
You want a bit of muscle, rather then bein a skinny cow/fat cow.

You are a girl though and it's your body. Just do a lot of cardio. You are going to get muscle build up though regardless.
Reply 2
You've got nothing to worry about here, you are from from overweight

The reason that you have probably put on weight is because muscle weighs more than fat and you have more muscle. You have not put on weight because you have eaten junk food.
Reply 3
It's extremely unlikely that you have put on a noticable amount of muscle, especially from the things that you have been doing and by the fact that you are a girl. It just doesn't work like that. Just keep up with the cardio at the gym etc.
Reply 4
Same thing is happening to me. I vowed to become emaciated over Easter before I went back to uni but nothing's happened. As soon as I exercise I pack on muscle and being as short as I am it makes me look completely butch and gross (5'1" and 9 1/2 stone- sexy) I'm also searching for a way to become slim whilst exercising and eating right that doesn't involve gaining thighs bigger than most peoples' waists.
Reply 5
puppy
Same thing is happening to me. I vowed to become emaciated over Easter before I went back to uni but nothing's happened. As soon as I exercise I pack on muscle and being as short as I am it makes me look completely butch and gross (5'1" and 9 1/2 stone- sexy) I'm also searching for a way to become slim whilst exercising and eating right that doesn't involve gaining thighs bigger than most peoples' waists.

do you know how hard it is to gain a noticeable amount of muscle on a female (without weight training!)?
Then how do you explain it when some women do? Just out of interest...
Reply 7
Bis
do you know how hard it is to gain a noticeable amount of muscle on a female (without weight training!)?


haha, unless shes taking testosterone or some form of steroid...
Reply 8
with a lot of hard work. not by walking.
Reply 9
pugnacious
haha, unless shes taking testosterone or some form of steroid...

precisely, and even then it would be very difficult.
Reply 10
The only way to lost weight is not do excerise as muscle bulids up (which is what you've noticed) but to cut down on what you eat.

excerise = muscles
less food= less weight

Merles
But surely exercising is more healthy than dieting? :confused:
Reply 12
merles
The only way to lost weight is not do excerise as muscle bulids up (which is what you've noticed) but to cut down on what you eat.

excerise = muscles
less food= less weight

Merles

that is complete crap. in a lot of cases exercise = less muscle, and less food can = more weight if you don't get enough.
Reply 13
tried running? as long as you're doing things that you're not pushing yourself to limits to get done, you ought to burn whatever you eat, without gaining muscle. dont go anywhere near 75% of ur max, but then again dont just jog.. it has to be running if you something to happen.

dieting is not the best way to go about it. stop exercising n stop eating basically will just get ur current muscle converting into fat. not good.
Reply 14
Bis
do you know how hard it is to gain a noticeable amount of muscle on a female (without weight training!)?



Have you seen my thighs? No, didn't think so. I play football and did a lot of dancing when I was younger- so bite me.
Reply 15
Its unlikely to be muscle, I can't stress how important it is to MONITOR what you eat, that is, by weighing your food, and get into a routine of eating.

If you guess portion sizes and change when you eat stuff everyday you don't really have a hope in hell of tracking what you eat, and your body has a great knack of making you eat MORE than you think you are/eating at maintainance.
Reply 16
puppy
Have you seen my thighs?

Unfortunately not.
Reply 17
Bis
Unfortunately not.


Gross
Muscle weighs more than fat

Thought everyone knew this?

Stop complaining and be happy you aren't obese
Reply 19
InaSpin
Muscle weighs more than fat

Thought everyone knew this?

Stop complaining and be happy you aren't obese

1) Muscle doesn't weigh more than fat
2) It isn't muscle which is causing this
3) She isn't complaining, she is just curious as to why she hasn't lost weight