Protein Shake and Weight Gain

That is pretty strange. Maybe you gained muscle in your legs from running?

Granted, it may be a little different for me, but I too found that I gain weight when using protein supplements and running. To me it seems that as the legs are a large muscle group, it would make sense for the extra weight to be muscle building in that area. I've offset this by cutting my carb intake, and the weight seems to be coming back off, slowly but surely. Hope this helps.

Don't chock up a few pounds on the scale as gaining "fat" or "weight". It could be that time of the month (I feel ya girl). Make sure you're drinking a lot of water. The number on the scale doesn't matter in the long run, it's how you feel in your body, remember that! Stay consistent in your diet. Weight fluctuates all the time but a few pounds.

Running isn't going to make you gain muscle. And considering women can only gain about 1/4 lb per week, while following a progressive overload lifting program, you can be assured it's not muscle. Having said that, you were ill last week, which generally means you didn't eat much, if anything at all. When this happens, the amount of food in your GI system will decrease, some glycogen will be depleted from lack in carbs, and you will probably see some dehydration. So when you eat normal again, you will see subsequent increases in all of those items and see temporary weight gains.


Side note, you should probably incorporate some resistance or weight training into your routine. That combined with adequate protein (~.6-.8g per lb of weight) will help retain muscle mass during weight loss. Low protein + all cardio + deficit, can increase muscle loss.

psulemon wrote: »

Having said that, you were ill last week, which generally means you didn't eat much, if anything at all. When this happens, the amount of food in your GI system will decrease, some glycogen will be depleted from lack in carbs, and you will probably see some dehydration. So when you eat normal again, you will see subsequent increases in all of those items and see temporary weight gains.

THIS!!

Your body is recovering. You could be retaining water due to that. Protein itself won't make you gain weight if you're staying under your daily cal intake.