Intense exercise. No weight loss. What next?

Clemmi17
Clemmi17 Posts: 50 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I hope someone can help. I've just got back from a cycling holiday which I'd trained hard for. We covered 520 miles over 8.5 days on mountain bikes using tracks and roads. Some of it was flat and some of it very hilly and temperatures were around 30 celsius most of the time. I obviously used a lot of calories and ate more than usual for the energy needed but didn't go mad eiher during the day nor in the evening. I'm disappointed that my weight is exactly the same as before the holiday but am hoping that I might have boosted my metabolism by exercising a lot and eating more than usual. I'm really hungry today but am back to tracking calories and keeping off the high calorie stuff. Any ideas why I haven't lost any weight after exercising hard for about 6 hours every day and what I should do to lose weight now?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Weight loss is all about calories in vs out. But if you literally just got back from a 520 mile ride, you probably have a lot of water retention.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    So you've been exercising hard - sore & swollen muscles?
    And you've been eating more than normal - full of poop?

    Just get back in your routine and be patient
  • Clemmi17
    Clemmi17 Posts: 50 Member
    Thanks for the replies so far. Yes, we arrived home late last night and I weighed first thing this morning. My muscles are still a bit sore so maybe they're hanging on to some water. I've stopped the extra food as I'm determined not to put weight on. It's just frustrating to have worked so hard and not lost anything. The only consolation is that I'm quite fit after all the training and the holiday.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Really it just sounds totally normal to me. I cycled just over 110 miles last weekend and ended up with a calorie deficit of 1500 calories. Come Monday morning I weighed about 2lbs more than Saturday morning, It's just temporary and in my case was gone by Wednesday.
    Relax and don't spoil the memories of what sounds like an epic holiday.
  • Inkratlet
    Inkratlet Posts: 613 Member
    I got myself upset about this more than once, but you know what? Take a rest day and suddenly the weight drops.

    I'm pretty sure fat doesn't disappear overnight.
  • nicoleromine
    nicoleromine Posts: 92 Member
    After a long hiking trip, my weight always goes up a few pounds. A few days to a week later, I usually ending up dropping a few pounds. Be patient.

Categories