Why running makes me gain weight??

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Rachelsleigh
Rachelsleigh Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have started running the past year. I have done several 5k's and I'm signed up to do a half marathon in March. My (mental) problem is, whenever I run, I gain weight. Like more than a pound a week. I generally get discouraged and quit running and go back to my other workouts and have to really struggle to get those pounds back off. I have been stuck in this cycle for almost a year and my half is coming up and I'm no where near ready. Any one know what would cause this? I kept it up for over a month and the weight just kept creeping on, never seeming to want to come back down.
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Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    My guess is that your numbers are wrong... chances are you're eating more calories than you think, burning fewer cals than you think, and/or your goals (total cals and macros) are off.

    On a side note, when you say you gain when you run, how long a time frame are we talking? You wake up on Monday weighing x lbs, run monday morning, then tuesday you way more?
  • Rachelsleigh
    Rachelsleigh Posts: 8 Member
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    Yes. It's usually up at least a pound. If I continue to run, then it just goes up from there. One week I gained five pounds!!
  • msliu7911
    msliu7911 Posts: 639 Member
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    That does seem strange... it actually helps me lose. Have you been drinking enough water? Is running making you eat more than usual?

    Depending on how far you go- it burns a ton of calories so if you're not careful after your run you might be consuming more than you think. If you're certain that you're counting everything correctly though, the only thing I can think of is water retention from being hydrated enough...
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Body weight can fluctuate natrually by 5lbs or more. If you're seeing gains over longer time frames (weeks and months, not days or a week), then I'd look at your numbers/estimates - are you weighing your foods? How are you estimating calorie burns? etc. If it's shorter time frames (days), then I'd be more patient, especially if you feel good about your calorie estimates.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Are you counting calories along with this? Have you cross checked your gross intake against your TDEE? If you're in a deficit then you're doing it right. You can rest assured any weight gain is not fat gain.
  • Garfunklette
    Garfunklette Posts: 22 Member
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    It could also be your body storing up glycogen and the associated water. If you enjoy the running, don't worry so much about the weight. The fitness is more important.
  • Superchas
    Superchas Posts: 129 Member
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    i often overreward myself after run
    But for me fewer calories burned from running and causes all sorts of joint problems.
    I felt need to gain weight prior to running 5k to ensure could do it without stopping and in record time.

    Much happier on my exercise bike as never snows and can watch a bluray
    Have burnt 130 cheeseburgers off so far this year.

    best
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
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    What jack said..

    Is it possible that you're retaining water as you are starting a new exercie?
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
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    Are you logging and how are you eating back the running calories? MFP overestimates the calories burned from cardio so I only eat back about half the MFP estimated calories, unless my runs are longer than 6 miles. Then I start eating back a little more. Also, your body is going to crave more calories when you run so be prepared, but you shouldn't be gaining.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    Initial gain is from water/glycogen retention. I'm betting more than likely, you're eating more than you think.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    Body weight can fluctuate natrually by 5lbs or more. If you're seeing gains over longer time frames (weeks and months, not days or a week), then I'd look at your numbers/estimates - are you weighing your foods? How are you estimating calorie burns? etc. If it's shorter time frames (days), then I'd be more patient, especially if you feel good about your calorie estimates.

    I agree with this. It is unlikely that you gained 5 lbs of body mass in 1 week, so it is also unlikely that that trend will continue. If you are noticing significant weight gain over a long period of time, then you must be over-estimating your burn or underestimating your intake. What is your typical burn per mile and how are you measuring it?
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
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    Excessive running will elevate cortisol levels. Prolonged elevated cortisol levels promote water retention.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Something in your numbers is wrong- running by itself can't make you gain fat. Somehow it's causing you to overeat- either you're overestimating your calorie burn when you eat back the calories, or you're not tracking strictly enough and eating more than you realize.

    I'm assuming you know for sure that you don't have some metabolic condition (diabetes, IR, etc) that would make you carbohydrate sensitive?
  • machza
    machza Posts: 3
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    To gain 5 lbs in 5 days would mean that you ate an extra 15k cals...not likely. I dont put much concern on how much i weigh. take a picture of yourself in just your underware...work out 5x a week...eat clean...and every 30-60 days take another pic. you will see improvement.
  • SamAdams125
    SamAdams125 Posts: 54 Member
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    MFP over estimates cardio by almost double (based on wearing a bodybugg and comparing those numbers to MFP numbers). If you're tracking food and eating back all your running calories, you'll end up over eating since the burn is falsely high.

    Also, as others have mentioned, unless you ate more than 17K cals over maintenance that week, the 5 pounds was not fat. Most likely water retention. If you love running, do it! And just give your body time to adjust so you stop holding on to so much water weight.
  • MariaChele85
    MariaChele85 Posts: 267 Member
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    The only other thing I can think of is that your muscles are retaining water from the run. You can gain "weight", it doesn't necessarily mean that you are gaining fat. Two completely different things. How are your clothes fitting? I tend to gain 2-3 lbs everytime I do a heavy weightlifting day.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
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    Do you track your body measurements and/or body fat percentage? If not, I'd encourage you to do so. The number on the scale might be going up, but if it's water retention or something like that, you don't need to worry about it. If you stay the same size and body fat percentage, or if those improve, then you'll know.

    If you are in fact getting larger or increasing body fat, you would likely need to examine what you are eating when you run.
  • MartinaNYC
    MartinaNYC Posts: 190 Member
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    Running is my weekly work-out (I run 3x per week) and it actually helps me losing weight! Ok, I lose 1/2 lbs per week at most but it's good enough for me since I want to lose weight gradually. All I could think about is that, while you lose fat by running, you gain in muscles... but 1lbs of muscels per week?? That seems strange to me... as somebody else asked already, are you counting calories? That's the key! Personally, I try to run on the mornings/evenings when I know I am going to have a bigger dinner, so that I'll be allowed to have more calories afterwars (usually an additional 400/500!). If you have an iPhone, download the app called "Map My Run." It will tell you how long you've run for and at what pace...you add your work out on MFP and voila'- it will tell you how many more calories you can have! That's why you nedd to count calories... maybe you feel that after you are done with your running you are allowed to eat whatever you want, when in truth you can "just" have an additional 400/500 calories...
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I disagree with everyone saying that MFP's running calorie burns are extremely elevated- they're really not, if you choose the appropriate speed. Calorie estimation for running isn't that complicated- for flat surfaces it's pretty much a certain distance in a certain time at a certain bodyweight burns X number of calories. Add hills or if you are a really inefficient runner that flails your arms around or something and the calories become underestimates, but it's really not that deep. OTHER cardio, maybe MFP is way off, but not running.
  • MartinaNYC
    MartinaNYC Posts: 190 Member
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    Actually, I use another program (Map My Run) to check how many calories I burnt by running and it perfectly matches MFP numbers... you need to make sure you're putting the right pace in- not just the minutes you've been running...

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