I've gained weight since I started biking! HELP?

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I've gone from a couch potato to biking for 40-90min (at max/high effort) 2-4 times a week for the past 3 weeks or so. I use biking apps and I usually burn 200-350cal

my daily calorie intake has not changed. I know you usually gain after starting to exercise but mine has not been that intense to warrant a 3 pound weight gain!
or does this sounds normal and its all water weight?

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I can be up or down 3 Lbs on any given day...how often are you weighing? 3 lbs is well within the realm of natural weight fluctuations...
  • tayusuki
    tayusuki Posts: 194 Member
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    I think it's normal. With any new workout regimen your body may have to readjust. I think what someone told me who underwent the full process said about 6 weeks?

    From couch potato to 40-90 min is a stark enough change I imagine. I'm also no expert.
  • cjenningd
    cjenningd Posts: 2 Member
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    Hydrate! When I was very low on my Body fat % I was biking 3 times a week. The one thing I can say is stay hydrated! Biking in the summer can burn a lot of calories, as well as burn a lot of water. I experienced some dehydration at the beginning of my starting to bike often which caused my body to retain water. Keep it up and don't get discouraged! Biking is a great low impact way to exercise!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,161 Member
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    Normal water weight gain. Just keep measuring your food and drink carefully and logging consistently.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,429 Member
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    You haven't gained weight you've lost fat and gained muscle

    Heh! Not 3 pounds of muscle in 3 weeks: Not even achievable under optimal conditions, with an aggressive weight training program.

    And even so, 3 more pounds on the scale is "weight gained", whether that weight consists of fat, muscle, or water.

    OP: If you haven't eaten/drunk more calories, it's water weight, for whatever reason. Don't worry about it. It'll sort itself out.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I can be up or down 3 Lbs on any given day...how often are you weighing? 3 lbs is well within the realm of natural weight fluctuations...

    This.

    If you're female, your hormones can make your weight jump at certain times of the month.

    I like weighing daily, and seeing the natural fluctuations. I log my weight daily in the Happy Scale app which evens out the fluctuations and gives your average weight over a longer period.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Working out will increase intracellular water in the muscle which will add some weight to the scale. This is how your body repairs itself.

    For example my wife competes but had surgery, took 8 weeks off to recover.

    She started training after the 8 weeks were over and thumbs up from Dr and went from 57kg/125.6lb to 61kg/134.5lb in around a week, with no change in diet.

    As long as body fat measurements are not increasing (eg in mirror/via measurements) the weight gain means nothing.

    Don't let the scale rule your life.

    If you're gaining fat, you're eating differently and consuming more calories, as thats how the ASP protein and CoA store fat.