Exercising causing weight gain

carolwexler1
carolwexler1 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi. This is the first time I have ever posted anything for the public to read...kind of nervous about it. I need an explanation as to why when I exercise the scales go up. My diet is good. I am eating healthier than I ever have before. I have lost about 3 lbs since joining myfitnesspal. I started walking on a regular basis and I have put on the 3 lbs I lost. My clothes feel loose like before so I think it is more water retention. I hope that once my body realizes it's ok to exercise it will release the water it's retaining or whatever it's doing and the weight will come back off and then some.

Replies

  • glonigan
    glonigan Posts: 82
    I am not sure how much you have been exercising, but understand that muscle has a greater density than fat (roughly 18%) for the same volume. The other issue at play could be that your body could be retaining extra water to help with the recovery process of the muscles. One way to help with water retention is to watch your sodium intake and drink plenty of water. This is one reason why i think body measurements (tape measure) are better than the scale. The fact that your clothing is looser should be an indication that you are moving in the right direction. - Hope this helps and good luck
  • lovetobethin86
    lovetobethin86 Posts: 202 Member
    I'm thinking its because you have gained muscle! It does weigh more than ffat and if your pants are looser then you couldn't be gaining fat:)
  • jarrettd
    jarrettd Posts: 872 Member
    You answered your own question! It's water, of course.

    Do yourself a favor and ditch the scale; it'll drive ya nuts!

    Oh, and good work so far! Keep it up!
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    I'm thinking its because you have gained muscle! It does weigh more than ffat and if your pants are looser then you couldn't be gaining fat:)

    ^ This is completely wrong.

    It is likely water weight, but make sure you are getting enough calories in to fuel your body and your exercise (like eating the calories you burn from exercise).
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
    If your body isn't use to exercising you may retain water. The exercise sort of freaks the body out so the cells try to hold whatever they can since they don't know what's going on. This can make you retain up to around 4lbs for a couple of days. Once you're set into a groove of things it won't do this so much and if you're hydrating properly. One way to get more of an accurate weight is have your day off from exercise the day before you weight in so some of the water weight will be gone.
  • lmarshel
    lmarshel Posts: 674 Member
    You didn't really specify a time frame for this weight gain. You do tend to retain water when you start a new activity, but it should go away after about a week of regular exercise. If you noticed your weight bounce up over a period of a few days, that's probably a normal fluctuation and nothing to worry about. Mine can go up 3 pounds or more overnight, it seems. :ohwell: It will likely come back down in as many days. There are so many things that can affect the scales (TOM, excess sodium, stress, BMs), that I wouldn't worry about a small hiccup.

    But if you're seeing the weight creep back up over a period of several weeks, you need to look at other factors. Make sure you are logging every single calorie you eat, weigh your food for accuracy, and be completely honest about logging your physical activity.

    Best of luck to you in this journey. It can be frustrating, but it can also be amazing!
  • hanniejong
    hanniejong Posts: 556 Member
    I agree that we do build muscle when exercising and maybe not lose the weight we desire. However we do lose the inches so take a tape meaure and measure your waist and hips and you will start to notice a change there, I have and it is great. Ane keep up the water as that washes away all toxins and helps with the weight loss.
  • Anthonydaman
    Anthonydaman Posts: 854 Member
    Just water retention, and don't worry about muscle gain increasing your weight. You will lose 10 pounds of fat before you put on a pound of lean muscle mass. Keep up the good work!
  • CrazyGraciegirl
    CrazyGraciegirl Posts: 227
    Agreeing with everybody else here! It's alright to gain a few pounds if it's muscle.
    http://kathiesfitblog.com/2012/01/20/muscle-weighs-more-than-fat/
    ^ view the photograph on the blog. It is a great example!!
  • Fruitcake
    Fruitcake Posts: 1
    Some times, when you exercise, your weight does go up a little, mostly because you are gaining muscle. You are eating healthy. If you can add sodium to your food diary, and keep track of that for a bit, and see how much sodium you are actually getting. keep drinking water, and it should even out, and you will start losing again. Love ya!
  • allycat54
    allycat54 Posts: 67 Member
    Put away the scale for awhile :)
  • go_getter89
    go_getter89 Posts: 23 Member
    When I started getting into shape I had the same problem. You are building muscle you just have to balance cardio with strength building. Like if you are doing weights start with a lighter weight and do many reps then go to a heavier weight to build strength. When running or biking slower longer sessions will burn calories and help with weight loss. Faster sprints or riding up hill will build muscle.Good luck and keep up the great work.
  • Jess5825
    Jess5825 Posts: 228
    She said she is walking! She's not gaining muscle walking. Plus muscle is just smaller than fat, not heavier.

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