Why You Gain Weight When First Exercising
How could it even be possible to see the scale go UP when you start exercising?
Has this ever happened to you??
.....You FINALLY started exercising, making time for yourself and are READY to see RESULTS!
You are doing your best to eat better; being mindful of your portions, scaling back on adult beverages and eating out less.
YAY, your new routine is going GREAT!
Cue your results!
You step on the scale, prepared to witness your incredible transformation when GASP!
What in the world: that damn number went UP!
But how could it be?
You have been exercising more than ever before!
You are feeling the healthiest you’ve felt in years!
You’ve made HUGE improvements with your eating habits!
…..there’s NO WAY this is even possible.
Is this a cruel joke?!
This frustration is very common and though hard to believe, seeing that bump in scale weight is equally as common if you are new to exercising or, getting back after taking time off.
In fact, you are probably reading this thinking: “HOW could this even happen? If I'm going to gain weight, what's the point of exercising?!”
First, DO NOT PANIC.
Before getting discouraged and deciding to call it quits, KEEP READING! Today's coaches blog is teaching you:
5 reasons scale weight goes up when you (first) start exercising
What this ACUTALLY means
What to do to get the results you want!
5 REASONS YOU ARE GAINING WEIGHT
To put your mind at ease and reinforce you should continue exercising and eating better, it’s important to understand WHY this is happening. And, have no fear - you are not alone!
#1. WATER RETENTION
When you first start exercising, your body goes through many changes (this is very common those first few months so don’t be alarmed). One of those changes = water retention. Note this is a highly common cause for TEMPORARY weight gain that will make your scale weight fluctuate anywhere from 2- 4 pounds in a single day.
Why are you retaining water? When you exercise, you are causing some “damage” to your muscles; think small tears in your muscle fibers as your body start building muscle. This inflammation causes your body to retain water to heal and recover. This is why we are huge advocates for staying well hydrated:
A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily.
Example: if you weigh 150 pounds, your goal is drinking at least 75 ounces of water /day to help your body recover from exercising and aid in healing your muscles.
Next time you step on the scale, keep in mind that up to 60% of the human body is water! Your brain and heart are 73% water! Your lungs? 83% water. Your skin contains 64% water and your muscles and kidneys are made up of 79% water.
That’s A LOT of water in the body - who would’ve thunk?!
#2. GLYCOGEN CONVERSION
Next up, glycogen! Your body needs energy to exercise and that energy is created when glycogen (sugar) is converted into glucose. Glucose is then stored in our muscles, serving as your extra energy source to fuel your muscles as you exercise and put new stress on your muscles.
It is important to note Glycogen has to bind with water to give your muscles the energy needed to exercise and do things like lift weights or use other forms of resistance as you exercise. Again, this leads to water retention (see #1 above).
The further along you get in your new exercise routine, the more your body and muscles will adapt and the less glycogen you will need for that extra fuel and energy. Those extra pounds you are seeing because of this extra energy? Those eventually taper and your inflated scale weight will return to your “normal” baseline.
#3. EATING MORE
If you’re exercising consistently and STILL gaining weight, it’s highly likely that increase has everything to do with what you’re eating and how much. Here’s why:
If you are new to exercising or starting a new type of exercise program, you will likely feel / notice you are HUNGRY / STARVING after you’re done. This is super common and completely normal.
When you first begin exercising, your body’s adjusting to an increased level of activity (this is a good thing) causing you to feel hungrier during this transition phase as your body adjusts.
Without even realizing it, this could lead you to being in a calorie surplus: eating more calories than you are burning.
Now, you may be thinking, “But if I am exercising more, don’t I NEED to be eating MORE? Doesn’t my body need MORE food?”
When it comes to losing or gaining weight, here’s the science:
To lose weight, you must be in a CALORIE DEFICIT: BURNING MORE calories than you are eating.
To gain weight, you must be in a CARLOIES SURPLIS: EATING MORE calories than you are burning.
Why does this matter?
Most of us underestimate how much we eat by 30%-40%. Especially when new to exercise, you are likely to eat more than you realize, and this can absolutely be why your weight is going up a few pounds.
It’s also common to think of exercise as an outlet to “eat more” or “burn off” weekend splurges, our favorite foods and drinks: “I exercised today, I can have pizza.” “I was bad this weekend - I need to workout and burn off everything I ate and drank".
Here’s the TRUTH: You CANNOT undo what you eat with exercise, it’s a losing battle.
What YOU CAN and SHOULD do is think of food as FUEL for your body to help it look, feel and operate at its best by making sure you eat lots of REAL FOOD! This means minimally processed foods with a hefty focus on real foods: protein, veggies, smart carbs, and heart healthy fats.
This stuff is the good stuff you need to get the most out of exercising, to see the very best changes and results and of course, to optimize your health! And, when you eat balanced meals containing REAL foods, you stay fuller longer. This offsets mindless snacking / grazing and just eating “more” because well, you just worked out.
#4. GAINING LEAN MUSCLE
So you step on that scale and the number is going up. Are you gaining fat or lean muscle?
When you hear us refer to body composition, this is a fancy way to reference your body’s fat to muscle ratio (how much of your body is made up of fat and how much is made up of muscle).
And, when it comes to gaining fat or muscle, there are some important differences to understand:
To gain muscle, your body needs a stimulus -this includes any form of strength training / resistance training (the stuff we do at Results Fitness).
Strength training doesn’t make you a bodybuilder nor does it mean you have to be lifting super duper heavy weights!
Strength training is about having that stimulus/ form of resistance when exercising: think weights like kettlebells, dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, medicine balls, etc. Lots of options for everyone regardless of age or experience level.
Strength Training makes you stronger, increases bone density and keeps your various muscle groups working the right way so the stuff you do every day (get out of bed, move things, carry groceries, pick up your kids/grandkids) are the things you can keep doing easily without being in pain or feeling winded.
To gain fat, you need to be first, be eating more than you are burning (that calories surplus we talked about earlier) AND second, eating a diet primarily consisting of highly processed foods instead of real foods.
When it comes to gaining fat, the quality of foods you eat matters just as much, if not more, than the quantity.
Sure, you can eat 1,200 calories worth or Oreos and 1,200 calories worth or broccoli and calorie wise, they’re the same. However, your body will process and break each down very differently and nutrient wise, these foods are NOT created equal.
Eating more processed foods like Oreos versus real foods results in more rapid fat gain. You will feel and experience noticeable differences in the way you look and feel, despite equal calories.
At the end of the day, if you step on the scale and the number’s going up, you will NOT be able to tell if that’s because you are gaining lean muscle (this is a good thing) or, more fat.
Before swearing off your new exercise program and moving on to the “next best thing”, take a few minutes to pause and reflect on your habits and behaviors influencing that number:
What types of foods are you consistently eating?
What do your portions look like? You can still eat too much of a good thing, especially when it comes to fats like almonds/nuts/seeds, hummus, avocado, etc.
Do you nail the nutrition stuff Monday-Friday but then go all out on weekends? Consistency counts most and weekends can and will undo your Monday-Friday progress.
Nutrition is going to be a driving force behind your results so be honest with yourself and take time to understand your eating habits/behaviors and know these play a major role.
OTHER WAYS TO TRACK + MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS:
Separate from the scale, pay attention to other things indicating you are moving in the right direction:
Are your clothes fitting differently? Pants feel too big?
Finding you have more energy during your day?
Feeling stronger every workout and able to do a few more reps or use a heavier weight?
Feeling less winded and able to recover faster throughout your workout?
Are you moving better than before? Less aches and pains?
Your scale weight can be VERY deceiving and misleading.
When it comes to understanding what actually is going on with your body composition, the progress you are making and how your time and efforts exercising are paying off, the scale won’t do you any favors.
Measure that type of progress (if it’s part of your goals) by how your clothes fit, taking measurements of your waist, gauging your ability to use heavier weights, make it through a round of exercises feeling less winded, being able to move better/ easier, take progress photos so you can visibly see your transformation, measure your waist or use an InBody machine that computes your body fat and muscle mass for you (if you’re an RF Warrior, we have one in studio!).
***Quit obsessing about the number on the scale and pay more attention to how you feel! If you want this to be a permanent change in your lifestyle, the process and those habits/behaviors you repeat daily will be your driving force - NOT THE SCALE!
#5. POST-WORKOUT INFLAMMATION/SORENESS
Your workout may be the very reason you are experiencing weight gain, at least temporarily. Wait what?!
Again, strength/ resistance training causes muscle damage by producing small microtears. When this happens, inflammation occurs as white blood cells rush to the damaged muscle to repair. This repair process allows our muscles to grow and get stronger - this is a very good thing and what you want!
The inflammation and build-up of cells/tissues may very well be the reason for temporary weight gain following your workout. And, if you ever are feeling sore after exercising, this inflammation is to blame. Keep in mind this is an indicator you are exercising hard enough to see results and, your goal is not feeling “beat up” and sore every time you exercise. You just need to create that stimulus your body needs to change.
So, as you start your new exercise program or transition into trying a new type of workout like strength training, it is a 100% guarantee you will see your weight fluctuate and go up.
But good news - you now know why!
Use the information you learned in this blog to frame your mindset and expectations. Seeing that number temporarily go up is NOT always a bad thing. As you just read, it can be an important indicator you are on the right path and well on your way to seeing results and living healthy, happy and strong!
Weight loss is NOT a linear process and it is impossible to see immediate results. If it took time to gain weight, it is going to take time to lose it.
Here are 3 key practices to keep in mind when you first start exercising:
DON’T let the scale dictate your life! Instead, pay attention to how you feel when you first start working out (i.e. energy levels, confidence, strength, flexibility).
DO eat whole foods and drink plenty of water to stay properly hydrated and fueled, ensuring your body has what it needs to make changes and produce results!
DO allow time for your body to adjust to your new exercise routine and changes in eating. This is a slow and steady process - change DOES NOT overnight!
The key factor is giving your body time to reset, recalibrate and adjust to ALL the new changes you are making inside and outside the gym.
Staying off the scale and focusing instead on how you feel, how your exercise programs/routines are improving, your energy, your mood, how the clothes are fitting….all effective tools for evaluating and tracking your progress.
Remember, losing pounds on the scale doesn’t mean much at all, it just means you’re lighter. It is not an effective tool for measuring your strength, lean muscle or overall health.