not losing like i should

[jend1098]

Hello, I am a bit frustrated.. maybe someone can help me or give me advice.
I always been quick to gain muscle. ( so i think) i got lean last year, very low carb diet and low cal. Every time i started working out i gain weight and quick. I am sure some of it is muscle. I have done insanity,insanity asylum, p90x twice i am working on tap out xt now.. when i started working out i was 142 (that was my leanest i was not working out and on a low carb low cal diet. to be honest the last time i was that weight was probably in middle school. alway been on the bigger side. ).
Well i added carbs back to my diet when i started working out and i knew i was going to gain.. so i gained 10 pounds back.. ok i was ok with that figured low carb diet u always gain once u eat carbs normally.
I work out 6 days a week.. i eat well for the most part maybe around 1400 calories..still a lower carb mostly.. egges or low fat cottage cheese for breakfast.. salad for lunch meat and vegies for dinner..maybe fruit as snack.. i pick a little at home.. mosty a handfull of cereal.. no chips or ice cream in my house.. i will once a week or so treat myself.. but noting crazy.
once a day i have a fiber one bar OR the protein meal bars.. i know they are not the best.. but that is my cheat for the day..
but been working out for 8 months ( i am still in the same size mostly.. maybe can go a size up) but i am now 161.00. what am i doing wrong.. i see these girls lean and muscular.. i dont know since i have always been a bigger girl.. or quick to put on muscle that my body wont be like that.. Or i am doing something wrong... i thought muscle is dense and takes up less space then fat.. i get the scale might go up.. but i think i sould not be close to going up a size in the jeans.
so does anyone have an idea why i am gaining like i am? Or is it normal.. am i not eating enough or eating to much?
any ideas on how to get leaner with out loosing to much muscle? . i even did just insanity asylum did not even loose 1 pound in three weeks.. so frustrating.
I hope this makes some sense,, lol
Thanks

[Boss Man]

The problem is low carb and low cal is not the way and if you just added Carbs back in, your body might consider the calories as excess and convert them to fat, because it has become used to low calories, so adding in more could promote that extra weight, that is assuming you just removed some Carbs as opposed ot replacing the Calories with more protein and / or Fat.

Also the choice of foods could dictate too, because if the foods were sodium containers, then increasing your Sodium might cause water retention if you were consuming excessive Salt levels.

Gaining muscle boosts fat metabolism, by around 45-50 calories per day for every 1lb, so muscle has a positive metabolic effect, but conversely, losing muscle would have the opposite effect, which going low calorie might promote.

I would suggest you incorporate meals between the mains.

So you could have something like this.

Breakfast

Option 1: Eggs and Whole-grain Toast

Option 2: Trimmed grilled Bacon and Cereal.


Snack

Option 1: A portion of Low Fat Cheese

Option 2: Some Chicken and an Apple.


Lunch

Option 1: Bowl of Soup, preferably one with meat content for the protein.

Option 2: Beans on Toast.


Snack

Option 1: Ham Sandwich

Option 2: Microwave Rice meal.


Dinner

Option 1: Meat and Veggies

Option 2: Mushroom, Rice and Peas.


Snack

Option 1: Portion of Peanuts

Option 2: Pot of Nut Yoghurt and some Turkey.

You could add things to these options, like Cracked Black Pepper, Sea Salt, Lemon Juice, Herbs, Spices and Mustard.

Tihis an example of what you could do to keep things simple.

You could chose based on these options.

Option 1: Pick either of the two options with each meal and make it a daily plan.

Option 2: pick either of the two options with each meal, make it a plan for that day, then use the alternatives the next day, so you have two seperate plans you can alternate.

Option 3. Pick all of the option one or two options with each meal and make it a daily plan.

Option 2: Pick all of the option one or two options with each meal and make it a plan for the day, then use the alternatives the next day, so you have two seperate plans you can alternate.

This meal plan is just an example, you could figure your own out, or base it on that, but this methodology gives you some sort of structure to work from.

[geoff921]

it's good to hear you've got initiative..........are you using any supplements or vitamins? reason I ask, i was in the same boat and ready to give up, now i'm 37 yrs old and feel 27 years easily