Losing weight on the scale after stopping weight training?

pomegranatemint
pomegranatemint Posts: 37 Member
edited January 2016 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there,

I'm just wondering do you lose weight on the scale when you stop weight/strength training?

I have lost probably about 2.5 kg since stopping weight training and I am not sure it's just muscle loss or I actually have lost weight.

I actually found that I could never lose weight on the scales during the 6 months of strength training twice a week and since stopping I have lost weight (stopped for about a month now). I had lost weight previous months in strength training.

I had to stop training because I have chronic fatigue and I was getting post-exertional malaise.

Thanks

Replies

  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    It's fairly common. When you exercise, your body ups your glycogen stores. Glycogen requires water to store (which is why people often refer to it as "water weight" although it isn't the same as water retention due to high sodium and other factors) which will register on the scale.
    When people start exercising or increase exercise, they often see a spike in the scale. Their muscles are storing more glycogen in anticipation of the next workout. You are experiencing the reverse. You aren't using it, so your body is lowering the stores.
    You can also play with these stores by carb intake. Drop your carbs suddenly and you will see a drop. Add in a bunch of carbs after eating low carb and you'll see a spike. All has to do with glycogen.

    It is neither predominanlty muscle loss nor fat loss. A small portion might be but mostly it is just water flucutation.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    In regards to not losing weight while weight training - to be fair, you aren't logging regularly. Not saying go back to weight training because you are having other issues, but I am not sure that weight training was the weight loss issue.
  • pomegranatemint
    pomegranatemint Posts: 37 Member
    edited January 2016
    Thanks but I've actually upped my carb intake in the last month, or is that why it could be happening? Thanks for the info!

    I can't go back to weight training, under specialists recommendations and my food was fine as I have food sensitivities (yes I know all about logging) but I don't need to, because I literally eat no processed foods, because I get pretty sick otherwise. I log my foods elsewhere with my dietitian. I have to log sleep, my energy levels,sensitivity symptoms which this app does not offer. My diet has not really changed in the last 6-8 months apart from adding more complex carbs .
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited January 2016
    pomegranatemint wrote: »
    Thanks but I've actually upped my carb intake in the last month.

    I can't go back to weight training, under specialists recommendations and my food was fine as I have food sensitivities (yes I know all about logging) but I don't need to, because I literally eat no processed foods, because I get pretty sick otherwise. I log my foods elsewhere with my dietitian.

    I never said go back to weight training, I specifically said I am not saying that.
    I am answering your question as to why the scale dropped after not weight training.

    Whether you eat processed foods or not is irrelevent for weight loss. If you log elsewhere, fine, but it appeared you log here since some days are logged and others are not.
  • pomegranatemint
    pomegranatemint Posts: 37 Member
    edited January 2016
    I understand and I re-edited my initial reply. I will say I was defensive a bit. I guess I felt I was just asking the question if you could "lose weight from stopping weight training" and then I find that yes you kindly answered with the technical/scientific response which was great, but you also looked at other factors like my diary and not knowing all the variables to why I haven't filled out my diary, which I didn't actually ask advice in. But I guess I set myself up for it, by stating that I hadn't loss weight in the time I had been training and leaving my diary open. I should of just asked "can it happen?" rather than referring specifically to my case.

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