Help, working out 6+ hours a week and GAINING?!

I have been good, I swear. I understand that I put on muscle really well, bit before the gym 2 months ago, I weighed 124. Now I am up at 127 and still gaining. I do 45 minutes of HARD cardio and a half hour of weights 4 to 5 days a week. I can see the muscles changing, and growing, but I am also seeing the scale go up, up, up. Do I just assume that I am not meant to be at 120 at 5'2 or am I doing something wrong? Should I only work with weights twice a week and do 75-90 minutes of cardo twice a week instead? Help me out here!

You didn't mention anything about your diet. Exercise is great for overall health, but only about 30% of the equation for weight loss. I don't think you need to obsess about hitting a specific number (120) as long as you are in good shape and like the way you look. If you were at 220 and had this problem I could see how it could be discouraging, but since you're so close to your goal having a little extra muscle is a good thing. Don't focus so much on what the scale says. All you need is a mirror to know if you're where you need to be.

Thanks... I think that is what I decided this morning, but the thing is I DON'T like how I look... But with some determination the fat that I have will finally go away. I did about an hour and a half of cardio this morning and it kicked my ass. I LIKE lifting weights. I LIKE having muscles, and I LIKE the feeling when my boyfriend fawns all over me and he does. He does like the way I look, and I know that I am the most critical of me, so maybe it is just time to let it go? I don't know. My BMI is so off now. I KNOW I gain muscle really fast. I have body builders in the family who do NOT use steroids. I know I have a tendency to put on muscle. I need to let this go and put the scale away for a while.

Well, using the info from this post and from your profile, your BMR is about 1350. You can't really lower your calories too much below this point because you are so close to your goal. You basically have to feed your body enough so it doesn't worry about starving, and then burn calories through exercise. To do that you would have to eat an average of about 1300 calories or so per day. If I were in your position, I would eat 1400 calories on the days I worked out, and 1200 on rest days.

it depends on whether or not you want to be muscular...if you'd rather not, you should up your cardio. if you'd rather be strong and toned than simply thin (aka a lower scale number) then you might end up being 125-130 but buff..if you're more focused on the # (I don't really agree with that) you probably should try more cardio than weights and eat more small meals.

I put on muscle easily too, though I am not as close to my goal weight as you are. I find it helpful to take measurements and have a goal outfit. Also see if you can get your body fat percent tested. I know it isn't that accurate, but when you are toning it can make a difference. I went down 17% body fat and in the same amount of time only lost 5% of my weight. I really committed myself to working out during that time. It can change your size and not the weight, but size means you lose fat. I hope this helps.

thank you.. I appreciate the responses. Can't I have both? I am on the high end of my BMI, I don't want to, but also I want to be toned. I like the muscles. I think that I have just resigned myself to weighing at the high end of a normal BMI. I have always been kind of compact. As long as I am healthy, that is all that should matter.

The BMI scale is not accurate for everyone. You are right, as long as you are healthy, that is what should matter. Don't let others tell you what your ideal weight should be. You will know it when you get there. (At least that is what I tell myself)

I'd go one farther and say the BMI is not accurate for most. You would be doing yourself a favor to completely disregard the BMI scale.