Can working out make you gain weight?

Kellcollins8503
Kellcollins8503 Posts: 6 Member
edited October 2 in Fitness and Exercise
I just started MFP a week ago and have been on or under my calorie goal all week. I did workout five out of the seven days and burned around 400 calories per workout. I usually ate about half of the workout calories I gained. I stepped on the scale today and gained a pound. So frustrating! Has this happened to anyone?

Replies

  • vanessaclarkgbr
    vanessaclarkgbr Posts: 731 Member
    Yes - and a few more experienced MFP'ers than me said it was water weight, your body retains water at first to help it repair. The following week, 4lb off! It will come, don't worry :-)
  • Sanjanapahalad
    Sanjanapahalad Posts: 5 Member
    Did you do any weight training? If so, you would increase muscle mass, therefore gain weight. But that's good weight of course! But if you are eating not enough, then you are putting your body in starvation mode. Therefore, storing fat.
  • assionpay
    assionpay Posts: 2
    It could be that you're building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it will help you burn more calories just by having on your body as well as tone you up. Another possibility is that your weight is just fluctuating. Just keep with it :)
  • Lift_hard_eat_big
    Lift_hard_eat_big Posts: 2,278 Member
    Either water weight gain, or you have food in your stomach this weight in, vs. an empty stomach last weight in. Or, you might have packed on some beneficial muscle if you were strength training.
  • AddA2UDE
    AddA2UDE Posts: 382
    Yep! My weigh-in day is on Fridays. I was UP 2 lbs this week from last week. However, I also took my belt in a notch this week as well. Who ya gonna believe? :) Scales are NOT a good way to keep track. Take a picture every so often in the same clothes, same place, same position, etc, etc. That will help you see your changes. Pay attention to your clothes, not your scale. NSV are the best! ;)
  • Loko_Ino
    Loko_Ino Posts: 544 Member
    It could be that you're building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it will help you burn more calories just by having on your body as well as tone you up. Another possibility is that your weight is just fluctuating. Just keep with it :)

    I knew someone would say this...


    http://www.onemorebite-weightloss.com/muscle-to-fat.html
  • Missy0104
    Missy0104 Posts: 77
    Here's a good read that will talk you off that ledge....it helped me! :)

    http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Did you do any weight training? If so, you would increase muscle mass, therefore gain weight. But that's good weight of course! But if you are eating not enough, then you are putting your body in starvation mode. Therefore, storing fat.
    It could be that you're building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it will help you burn more calories just by having on your body as well as tone you up. Another possibility is that your weight is just fluctuating. Just keep with it :)

    One Muscle and fat weigh the same.. two you arent going to gain muscle in a week.. when you work out and start exercising your body starts storing water in your muscles to help them heal..
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    You cannot build muscle that quickly - it actually takes a long time to add muscle and you have to have a caloric surplus to do so. What you have gained is likely water weight from the additional glycogen your muscles are using to repair themselves.

    Give it a few weeks of the same routine before you get frustrated. Allow your body to get used to this new workload.

    :flowerforyou:
  • Kellcollins8503
    Kellcollins8503 Posts: 6 Member
    Thanks everyone. Makes me feel better to know others have had the same issue. :) I will stick with it.
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I gained 2 lbs my first week! I'm anxious to see what next week brings.

    Anyway, sure seems bizarre now doesn't it? haha. I feel your pain.
  • RebelliousRibbons
    RebelliousRibbons Posts: 391 Member
    I'm going to skip the water approach and ask if you're sleeping okay? I know, that for me, if I get less than 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, I'm instantly up a pound or two. It's ridiculous... and SO hard for a college student... -.-
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
    Even whilst maintaining a calorie deficit? Yes, it's possible over time. You're body will build muscle which for a given volume is heavier and you can retain water, and as you are probably eating more to fuel your body, you may notice short term weight gain because you're digestive tract is more, er, full :)

    I started p90x this week and after 5 days, net under calories, I'm 1kg up.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    I just started MFP a week ago and have been on or under my calorie goal all week. I did workout five out of the seven days and burned around 400 calories per workout. I usually ate about half of the workout calories I gained. I stepped on the scale today and gained a pound. So frustrating! Has this happened to anyone?
    Totally normal. When muscle that have been sedentary for a period of time gets exercised then water and glycogen are retained for repair and also to fuel the next workout. Usually passes in a couple of weeks.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    Did you do any weight training? If so, you would increase muscle mass, therefore gain weight. But that's good weight of course! But if you are eating not enough, then you are putting your body in starvation mode. Therefore, storing fat.
    It could be that you're building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat, but it will help you burn more calories just by having on your body as well as tone you up. Another possibility is that your weight is just fluctuating. Just keep with it :)
    If you don't know it now, it's almost impossible to gain muscle on a calorie deficit. To gain muscle you have to add weight and to add weight you have to add calories.
    It's water weight and glycogen storage that's the culprit here.
  • Kellcollins8503
    Kellcollins8503 Posts: 6 Member
    I'm going to skip the water approach and ask if you're sleeping okay? I know, that for me, if I get less than 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night, I'm instantly up a pound or two. It's ridiculous... and SO hard for a college student... -.-

    I actually have not been sleeping great. Grad school does that to you! :)
  • tbudge
    tbudge Posts: 114
    Yep, my weigh in is on fridays as well, the last 2 weeks were awesome, today, gained a pound and a half...totally blew my day! but, it could be muscle mass, could be water, who knows...but it did give me more motivation during my workout today! you can pout about it, or let it motivate you... :sad:
  • stayathomezookeepa
    stayathomezookeepa Posts: 110 Member
    Muscle weighs more than fat.....Sorry but I really F-ing hate hearing that answer! Ugh!
  • pinkita
    pinkita Posts: 779 Member
    There are enzymatic changes to the muscle when you start working out, or when you do a new/different workout. These changes make your muscles water-loving. The gain is temporary, and the best thing to combat it is to up your water intake. Also make sure to measure yourself every month or so so that you can see your inches going down, as you may see results there a lot faster/sooner than on the scale.

    Good luck! :)
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