why am i gaining??!!

I don't understand what i'm doing.... I'm eating about 1400 cals aday (300-400 less than i burn) and swimming for 40 mins twice a week with a cardio (ecliptical trainer and weights) once a week... why have I gained 5 pounds over the last 2 weeks?! I just don't understand it!

Did you just start the exercise? It's very possible that the gained weight is from the added muscle ... Muscle weighs more than fat.

started a routine bout 3 weeks ago... so you reckon it might be muscle? I have to say I don't feel bigger and my clothes don't fit less than they did 2 weeks ago... maybe it'd be better to measure myself and keep track of that instead?... What do you think?

I think you should write down what you are eating. Some times I have the illusion that I am dieting forgetting about the odd cookie, especially that exercise makes one hungrier than usual. Swimming is unlikely to make you burn off that many calories unless you are eally racing up and down the pool like an Olympian.

How long have you been at it? If you have been at the same calories to long, you might have to bump up the number of calories you are taking in daily. If you body thinks you are starving, it slows down and keeps you from losing. This stalling can be stopped by adding 200 calories a day for a week, then go back down.

I stalled with in ten pounds of my target for weeks until I got this tip. Like yourself, I actually seemed to go up.

Keep in mind also, 5 pounds isn't much. It could be water weight or something as silly as where you are standing on the scale.

Hang in there!

Mark