Running 5k... weight gain??

juliekaiser1988

I've been finishing 5k pretty easily for two weeks (running 4 times per week). I weighed this morning and I'm up 3 lbs!! What's going on? I have neve been a runner prior to this. Am I doing something wrong? Food is my usual stuff, so no change there. Am I creating muscle mass in my legs?? Help!!

juliekaiser1988

I want to thank everyone for their great replies! WOW!

3dogsrunning

How long have you been weighing yourself?
There are any number of reasons.
Weight fluctuations are not uncommon anyway and caused by any number of things, from the time of day you weighted yourself, to amounts of nutrients you are getting, to sleep, to time of the month. It is also not uncommon for people starting new/more intense physical activity to experience weight gain due to water retention in the muscles as they heal. It typically evens out after a few weeks. Seeing as how you just started running, that may be the cause as well.

FYI - this is a quiet time on the board, so it is not uncommon to get few answers right away. They usually get answered later on, or you can simply *bump* the topic back to the top during a busier time of day.

poledancing_ninja

I want to thank everyone for their great replies! WOW!

I find 'bump' works better than a snarky reply

Hopingforchange

I find that I always weigh more after running. There is something about glycogen stores and how it affects the scale that I have read. Something about the muscles holding on to water, etc. to repair damage from running...dont quote me, but maybe google it? After I take a few days off I tend to weigh less.

Kiersten2014

you build up a lot of muscle from running. especially since you work out your whole body by running.
after running for a while, you should just look in the mirror for results. i mean, if you dont necessarily NEED to be a certain weight, you should just be happy with how you look! sorry, if this isnt the reply you're looking for. I just believe that it's because you build muscle. (which weighs more than fat)

scottb81

One of the training effects of aerobic exercise is increased blood volume. Others include increased storage of glycogen and water in the muscle cells to provide energy.

I always gain about four or five pounds pretty quickly after starting running following a long layoff.

elg1982

You didn't gain 3 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks just from running. That is absurd. Are you weighing in at the same time every day? After a workout, your muscles retain some water to help with recovery.

juliekaiser1988

I usually weigh in every other Monday. Same time of day (mid-morning, when I get to the gym). I had lost 149 pounds between 2008-2010, but over the last year had gained 10 back. Started the running a few months ago, finally building it up to a 5K with no walk breaks for the last couple of weeks, doing that 3 times a week, plus one day of Zumba in between. I weighed after two weeks of that regimine, and found I had gained 3 additional pounds to the 10, rather than losing any. I eat around 1400 cals a day, sometimes as high as 1600. Lots of protein, fruits, veggies. I am 5'6" tall and 42 years of age.

juliekaiser1988

Also, thank you for the replies. I have no idea how to "bump" something to the top.

ursula0601k

Also, thank you for the replies. I have no idea how to "bump" something to the top.

Just post a reply and put "bump". You'll see it a lot on the message boards. Also, people some times put bump so they can save the topic to read later.

Is it your TOM? If not, then I say it's just water weight and it will go away soon. Don't stress too much about it, just wait it out. Hope this helps!