Water retention from exercise? (Trainers?)

As your body gets used to the activity, it will go away. Can sometimes take a week at first, depending on your activity level and what you're doing but as you become more fit, it should only take a day or two. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water, especially on your active days, as a more constant hydration level will help to let your body know it's ok to release the excess.

Here's the thing though, as you continue to exercise, you also need to continue to challenge yourself in order to get the same (or better) calorie burn going forward so you'll keep seeing these periods where you might gain a bit or at least stay the same due to the muscles retaining fluid. It's part of becoming healthier so you just need to accept it for what it is. If you're in a challenge or program and have a specific weigh in day, maybe just take the day before as a rest day to allow your body to release those fluids so hopefully it won't effect that number on the scale.

When I was in WW, I had weigh ins on Tuesday so I'd rest or stick to strictly cardio (typically long walks) on the weekends and rest on Monday. It seemed to help...

Exercise will cause water retention but not stop weight loss.

But the scale will show a temp gain?

YES.
On days when I ski I'll burn like 1500 calories and scale will go up.

An intense workout, especially one with weight-lifting, can cause the body to retain water because water is attending to those muscles that are working overtime. Strengthening muscles or muscles that have been pulled or torn are areas where water travels to in order to heal.

Strength training causes microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. When these tears heal, the body rebuilds the muscles stronger than before. After a tough workout, blood rushes to the affected muscles to provide the nutrients that they need for recovery and to clear lactic acid and other cellular waste. The extra fluid causes muscles to become inflamed.

Post-workout swelling usually begins almost immediately after a workout and can last three to seven days

interesting Matt.

Im on week 2 of nrolfw and have seen about a 2 lb gain.

So I may just have to wait until the end of stage 1 (4 weeks from now) to see any drop in lbs?

Bump: Help. How long do you retain water for? I've been doing intense workouts, 65 min high cardio (heart rate 140-170 for the whole hour - its a good hard workout) and strength combined by cranking up the resistance on the stepper. After that I add a 30-45 min yoga cool down. Just started adding in an extra 20 min of wieght lifting in before the yoga cool down.
I have been doing this 5 or 6 days a week for one month and not seen a drop in weight (gained 4 pounds) or looser clothes (tighter from muscle gain?). I'm counting and measuring everything, and am averaging a net loss of 6500 to 7200 cal per week (intense daily work outs and eating apprx 1300 cal per day - 5'5" girl, 210 pounds). I drink about 2 litres of water per day, 80% of calories from veggies (60/20 split between veggie carbs like broccolli and starchy carbs like bread), 10-20% remainder is meats, nuts, fats, ect). Getting very discouraged - with everything I have read I appear to be defying the laws of physic's. Could sodium possibly be causing that much water retention? HELP.

Another great article on water retention - and why you have to "ride out" any weight fluctuations....

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adjusting-the-diet.html

Bump: Help. How long do you retain water for? I've been doing intense workouts, 65 min high cardio (heart rate 140-170 for the whole hour - its a good hard workout) and strength combined by cranking up the resistance on the stepper. After that I add a 30-45 min yoga cool down. Just started adding in an extra 20 min of wieght lifting in before the yoga cool down.
I have been doing this 5 or 6 days a week for one month and not seen a drop in weight (gained 4 pounds) or looser clothes (tighter from muscle gain?). I'm counting and measuring everything, and am averaging a net loss of 6500 to 7200 cal per week (intense daily work outs and eating apprx 1300 cal per day - 5'5" girl, 210 pounds). I drink about 2 litres of water per day, 80% of calories from veggies (60/20 split between veggie carbs like broccolli and starchy carbs like bread), 10-20% remainder is meats, nuts, fats, ect). Getting very discouraged - with everything I have read I appear to be defying the laws of physic's. Could sodium possibly be causing that much water retention? HELP.

You need to eat more. My girlfriend is 5'1", <120 pounds, and eats more than you do and she works out less. 1300 calories is basically an insult to your body and it is going to clean to everything if you're not fueling it. You should look for the "Eat More Weigh Less" group here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3817-eat-more-to-weigh-less

bump to read later..

Thanks for the info, guys! I'm going to refer to this the next time I get frustrated...

One more post for comparison: On Monday morning I weighed in at 141.8 ...I upped my milage on my run and experienced some brutal muscle fatigue...On Tuesday and Wednesday (today) I weigh 144.0 lbs w/o no dietary explanations. But when I drop again (usually on weekends) I will go lower than the previous weekend. Oh and my measurements go up a tick too...

I know usually when I stop gaining weight after a run, I need to bump up the milage again....

Thanks for posting this! I had the same questions, and will be thrilled to review all the answers, too.

I was asking the same questions a few days ago as I was weighing the same if not more after a work out especially after weight training.
Thanks for the articles guys, I think the world should read them it will radically change our perceptions and obsessions with a number on a scale (easier said than done I know!)

bump

So glad I read this. Was feeling a bit disappointed with my weight loss this week, especially as I have been working out in the gym - which is new experience to me. Will persevere and hope to see a better loss next week.