Gain weight after workout?

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fireflyangel22
fireflyangel22 Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Why do I always gain weight the day after a good workout? Can't be muscle mass after only one session.
Example. I walk about 30 minutes 3 times per week on average. Yesterday I rode my bike for 1 hour. The day before I walked for 1.5 hours. I stayed within my calorie goal, eating back my exercise calories. Today the scale was up a pound.
Anyone else have this problem??
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Replies

  • juliapurpletoes
    juliapurpletoes Posts: 951 Member
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    me too!!!!!!!!! :sad:

    up 2 1/2 pounds after hiking yesterday for 5 miles.....

    I workout in some form every day.............not a happy camper today at all!
  • Jillk1023
    Jillk1023 Posts: 121 Member
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    hmmm.. intresting... bump
  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
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    Our muscles hold on to water (basic water retention) when we work them out more. The scale will go down again. It just takes time for our bodies to adjust.
  • amoremama76
    amoremama76 Posts: 3 Member
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    How do your jeans fit? Throw out your scale :smile:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Water. Your muscles store water after intense exercise, it is a protective thing and it aids in recovery, in a few days your muscles will shed the water.
  • silvafan
    silvafan Posts: 147
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    That usually happens to me too. But it usually happens the first two weeks of exercising after not exercising for a while. Maybe you had high sodium & retained some water?
  • faerybun
    faerybun Posts: 65
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    As she said, our muscles retain water. Essentially, you're swollen, in a weird way. Your muscles burn because the lactic acid your exercise made you secrete is getting into the tiny tears in your muscles. It's only logical that your muscles would try to retain all the water they possibly could to heal quickly.

    Be sure to drink plenty of water and you should see your actual weight in two or three days. [:
  • dianichole73
    dianichole73 Posts: 49 Member
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    I have experienced that a lot. It can come from you muscles being sore but the scale does go back down. After your muscles have recovered from the work out. My weight sometimes fluctuates after real hard work outs but I'm used to it. The scale is not always kind especially if you do weight training. You have to use other tools to measure your progress, such as clothes, tape measure and pictures.
  • rydn4h2o
    rydn4h2o Posts: 255
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    As she said, our muscles retain water. Essentially, you're swollen, in a weird way. Your muscles burn because the lactic acid your exercise made you secrete is getting into the tiny tears in your muscles. It's only logical that your muscles would try to retain all the water they possibly could to heal quickly.

    Be sure to drink plenty of water and you should see your actual weight in two or three days. [:

    Ditto! It's frustrating, but it does get better!
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
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    As has been said - water retention.

    But also, don't weigh yourself that often!! Our weights fluctuate too much for it to have any "significance". Once a week max.
  • fireflyangel22
    fireflyangel22 Posts: 85 Member
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    Thanks all!!!!!!
    Makes me feel better knowing it is just water in my muscles, and that everyone goes through the same thing.
  • FitMomma0722
    FitMomma0722 Posts: 50 Member
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    Drink more water...that will help with water retention.
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
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    It's probably not your workout that has you up a pound.
    I had a quick peak at your diary & i would say It's more probably that it's your diet that has you up. Make sure you are drinking enough water & eating clean & healthy...
    :)
  • angelaplaxton
    angelaplaxton Posts: 61
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    water retention?
  • Bviera
    Bviera Posts: 106 Member
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    I started C25K a couple of months ago (I'm on the last week, week 9) and as my workouts increased in intensity, the number on my scale started getting stuck. I stayed at the same weight for about two weeks, before one day, it suddenly dropped 3 lbs. It's been steadily decreasing ever since.

    When you do intense workouts, your muscles retain water to help them heal, as others have pointed out. Somebody posted a great article about it a few weeks ago, but I can't find it right now. Maybe a fellow MFP-er who remembers it will kindly post it again. So, yeah, just be patient!
  • SheehyCFC
    SheehyCFC Posts: 529 Member
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    I had a quick peak at your diary & i would say It's more probably that it's your diet that has you up.

    Good point, i just looked - and you have a lot of high-fat dairy and processed foods listed. Plus I am seeing <1200 on non-workout days. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet and hit those calorie goals - you'll be good to go!

    **EDIT - added last sentence.
  • pixieval
    pixieval Posts: 64 Member
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    Great thread! I got on the scale this morning after a grueling weekend of painting my house, and was up 4 pounds! guess I will wait a few days before I get on the scale again.
  • laurie_reyes
    laurie_reyes Posts: 10
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    I gained a stunning 5.5 lbs over night after a workout. is that an indicator that something is wrong with me? I was under my calorie allotment too. It was a toning class, and then I did cardio, but still...5.5lbs???
  • tmcilrath
    tmcilrath Posts: 1
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    I am experiencing the same thing & it is so frustrating!!! I've been steadily losing weight since August (down 32 lbs) without exercise...I have just begun to do some exercise (walking on treadmill & riding bike) .... This morning I was up 3 lbs. I'm the type of person who quickly gets frustrated when doing something good like exercise causes my weight to go up --- I haven't stopped yet, but if the scales continue to go in the wrong direction, I'm going back to my old ways (just diet, NO exercise!!)
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
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    Might be the pie you ate before

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