Gaining Weight from Exercise

DillPickleSwimmer

Hi everyone. I started swimming an hour 3 to 5 times a week (120-140 laps each time). I noticed I'm still gaining weight 3 months into it despite rarely overeating. Is it normal to still have muscle gain this far into it? I've gained like 8lbs.

malibu927

cppeace

The weight gain from exercise, unless you have perpetually sore muscles, should be temporary and last between 2 days and 3 weeks depending on how sore and if you are increasing exercise or staying steady. If you haven't lost in 3 months you're not in a deficit. You can't really gain much of any muscle in a deficit. Weight gain from exercise is generally caused by retaining water to repair muscles- not really gain muscle.
I'd recommend cutting a couple hundred calories a day and seeing what happens.

kgeyser

DillPickleSwimmer wrote: »

Hi everyone. I started swimming an hour 3 to 5 times a week (120-140 laps each time). I noticed I'm still gaining weight 3 months into it despite rarely overeating. Is it normal to still have muscle gain this far into it? I've gained like 8lbs.

Ok, so at three months into exercise you would be past any water retention issues, so let's look at other possibilities. How are you tracking your food intake? How often are you overeating, and are we talking just an extra snack here and there or days of full-blown overeating? Before you started this exercise program, how often were you exercising? Are you noticing changes in how clothing fits in addition to changes on the scale?

Sloth2016

I definitely gain weight when I exercise. Seems to really pick up my appetite. So I really take additional care to watch the calories when I get active. I do find the health benefits and enjoyment from exercising are worth while, however.

Muscleflex79

you didn't gain 8lbs of muscle in 3 months of swimming.

beanz744

Muscleflex79 wrote: »

you didn't gain 8lbs of muscle in 3 months of swimming.

2nd that. also, can u fit comfortably into a smaller size jean or ur existing pants r looser? if not, u didnt gain any more muscle. u r most likely not tracking ur calories correctly or ur daily caloric allowance is wrong. it helps if u can share ur height, weight, age, n ur daily caloric number from MFP. otherwise just

1. MFP recomp
2. buy a food scale if u dont have one
3. start tracking ur caloric intake if u r not
4. make sure u track the oil n sauces as well
5. make sure u only eat back half at most but not all calories u think u burned by swimming.


good luck!