Weight Gain with Exercise

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Why the Scale Goes Up When You Start a New Workout Plan
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By: dailySpark Guest Blogger : 1/18/2010 6:04:54 AM : 165 comments : 14,414 Views

By Chalene Johnson

Probably the most common question I get when I release a new exercise program is, "Help! I'm gaining weight! Am I doing something wrong?" This is a common phenomenon with any new exercise program, such as Turbo Kick, Turbo Jam, Hip Hop Hustle, or others! It's especially common (and temporary) with intense strength training programs like ChaLEAN Extreme or Tony Horton's P90X.

The motivation to start a new exercise program is almost always to lose weight. However, what most personal trainers know--and most at-home exercisers do not--is that a new exercise program often can cause an immediate (and temporary) increase on the scale. (Notice I didn't say weight gain! I'll explain.) This common increase in the scale is also the reason why perhaps millions of people start and then quickly quit their resolution to get fit.

The temporary weight gain explained:
When someone starts a new exercise program, they often experience muscle soreness. The more intense and "unfamiliar" the program, the more intense the muscle soreness. This soreness is most prevalent 24 to 48 hours after each workout. In the first few weeks of a new program, soreness is the body trying to "protect and defend" the effected or targeted tissue. Exercise physiologists refer to this as delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS.

This type of soreness is thought to be caused by tissue breakdown or microscopic tears in muscle tissue. When this happens, the body protects the tissue. The muscle becomes inflamed and slightly swollen due to fluid retention. This temporary retention of fluid can result in a 3- to 4-pound weight gain within a few weeks of a new program. Keep in mind that muscle soreness is not necessarily a reflection of how hard you worked. In fact, some people feel no signs of muscle soreness, yet will experience the muscle protection mechanisms of water retention and slight swelling.

Most people are motivated enough to put up with this temporary muscle soreness. Yet, many, especially those who really need immediate weight loss to keep them motivated, become discouraged and quit!

When I worked with a group of 70 test participants during the development stages of ChaLEAN Extreme, this happened. Who was the most upset and discouraged? You guessed it... the women! I'm happy to report absolutely for every single woman (and man) in our group, the weight increase was temporary and never lasted more than two weeks before they started to see a major drop in the scale. However, these people had the advantage of working with someone who was able to explain to them why this was happening and assure them the weight would come off if they stuck to the nutrition plan and stayed true to the program.

If you follow a multi-phase exercise plan, such as ChaLEAN Extreme, keep in mind that when you start each phase, your body will be "in shock" again. Don't be surprised or discouraged if you experience a temporary gain on the scale the first week of each phase.

My own personal example of this is running 10Ks. I don't do it very often, maybe once or twice a year. Even though I run on a regular basis, when you run a race, you push much harder. It's natural for me to be insanely sore the next day. It’s also very common for me to see the scale jump 4 pounds the next day from forcing fluids post race and the resulting DOMS. Even though I know the cause of it, it's still a bummer. We're all human and hard work should mean results. Hard work equals results, but our bodies are amazing machines and they know how to protect us from hurting ourselves. Soreness forces you to give those muscles a break. Ultimately you will lose the weight and you will change your metabolism in the process.

The key is understanding that this is a normal and temporary and stick with the program!

Arienna

Thanks for this!!

Mangoaddict

This is soooo important to understand. The weight loss comes after the weight gain. Many women including myself in the past have been disappointed and we soon start to lose hope but everytime you keep going, the end result generally is a good one and one of weight loss. Drinking water also helps with the metabolism. Keep working hard folks, the weight does come off!

Buzzkitty1

So true! Thanks for sharing. My first 2 weeks, I lost, but then I maintained for a few weeks, doing everything "right" and working out 4x/week. I just chalked it up to the new exercise routine and moved on, but I know how daunting that can be.

cw10happy

yes, today I was feeling discouraged. I'm exercising more and watching what I eat...yet the scale has not moved in over a week... I am relieved this topic came up and that if I just 'doing it', the scale will change... I have noticed I've lost inches in my waist & hips though... thanks!

claire30

Thanks for this post!!

Mangoaddict

Generally speaking, most women notice a change in their clothes...i.e. loser and change in clothing sizes. This a good indicator that what you are doing is right!

totallytasha

I had to search out this topic because I knew a little but needed some clarification. I just started exercising and can feel that my weight hasn't dropped at all this last week or so, despite keeping in my calorie limit. Very disappointing after consistently losing! But it feels good to have the sore muscle, because I know that my body is getting stronger, if not lighter just yet. Thank you for the post!

SaraWo24

Thank you for this post! I really needed it....I just started my second Week of the P90X program yesterday, and saw a 4 pound gain when I stepped on the scale this morning!!! I got so freaked out, but thought I'd see if other people have the same issue. I'm glad to see that it's a normal part of exercising! Thanks again!

kristen4142

Everyone should just remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so even though you may be losing weight your gaining muscle. It's always good to peak at the scale once a week or once every two weeks, and focus more on how your clothes fit! They are a good indicator if what your doing is working

lwebsmfp

Good information and thanks for posting this!