Nothing is more frustrating than stepping on the scale after consistently eating healthy and working out, and gaining weight instead of losing. You might be the one to initiate a workout regime with good faith and enthusiasm and end up in disappointment. As the scale goes past the weight you started with, you may have had a lingering question: Why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising?
Is there a scientific explanation, or am I just unlucky?
It has nothing to do with body type or luck. But it is due to excessive cardiovascular exercise leading your blood pumping and a lack of core and muscle strengthening. You can also experience it due to an off-balance between your caloric intake and what you burn off. So you do not need to worry – it is not going downhill!
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Reasons for Weight Gain After Exercise
Below are the top seven 10 ways your workout can cause the scale to creep back up:
1. The Pump
With the time you spend at the gym, you will actively work your muscles simultaneously as dehydrating. The combination of your pumped-up muscles, dehydration and overworked muscles might give you a feeling of lightness, but a few hours after exercise, you may appear like you have gained weight.
Essentially, when you get back to the gym and start working your muscles again, you will see that balloon-like pump happening but will likely have less muscle definition and more body fat. It is the leading cause for why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising?
2. Consuming More Calories Than Your Body Needs
When you add just a few days of exercise into your weekly routine, you can trigger your food craving, especially if your body is burning more calories than your routine. It may cause many of us to trip up and consume more calories than we need.
Suppose you burn 100 calories per mile on average. And you lose 200 calories with a two-mile run. With this routine, you could easily make up for that (and more!) at your next meal if you’re not keeping an eye. So it is always important to track your food and exercise in a diary for a few weeks to observe if this is where you might be missing the mark. It could be the main reason why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising?
3. Water Retention
One of the causes of gaining weight after exercise is water retention. We call it water retention. It is pretty standard and can significantly affect the number on your scale. It could be due to an increased intake of sodium. Several pieces of research prove that consumption of salty foods leads to higher water intake, which may increase your weight. So it is essential if you want to reduce water retention, try to consume less salt and salty foods. It is how you can easily find the answer to your query of why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising?
Water retention is also due to some hormonal changes in premenopausal women. That is why a lot of women may notice some bloating during their menstrual period. Research shows that water retention is at its highest on the first day of menstrual flow, then slowly decreases by the middle of the cycle, and then increases around the time of ovulation. Since water retention during the menstrual period in women is natural and temporary, it is good to avoid it somehow.
4. Consuming more calories than you are burning
Torey Armul, the spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, points it out as a usual thing to feel more food cravings when your fitness hits full blast.
A study by the Journal of Clinical Nutrition in June 2019 shows that most people usually lose less weight than expected when they exercise. It could be mainly due to an increase in appetite and an increase in energy intake. It can lead you to face the query of why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising?
5. You might have a health issue.
You get nervous when you are following the right exercise plan and still gaining weight. You might be suffering from some internal disorder, and that could be why you sometimes gain weight after exercising?
Some internal problems like thyroid and certain medications can cause you to gain weight, no matter how much dedication you put into eating healthy and working out. Here you do not need to be afraid to consult your doctor. He can investigate the real reason behind this.
6. Post-Workout Inflammation
There are some situations where your workout itself is causing weight gain—at least temporarily. It could be showing that you are exercising hard enough to see actual results.
It would help if you had to understand that exercise (especially weight training) damages muscle tissue. During the procedure of muscle repair after exercise, your muscles grow and get stronger. But in the meantime, inflammation occurs in the tissues. So this could also be the reason why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising?
What is Temporary Weight Gain After Exercise
If you are weight-conscious, you might weigh yourself in the morning to maintain fitness or wellness efforts. And soon after your workout, you consider yourself again. You are not expecting to lose a significant amount of weight with a single workout. And you are sad to see that you’ve gained 1 or 2 pounds. Is it hard to find the reasons for gain weight after exercising? It’s enough to withdraw from this routine.
You should feel dishearted or give up. As it is only a temporary weight gain after your workout. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that it takes a deficit of 3,500 calories when you lose a pound of body fat or an excess of 3,500 calories to gain a pound of body fat. In this way, you’re not likely to see substantial fat gain or loss in a day or even a few days.
The Bottom Line
It is a common problem of why do you sometimes gain weight after exercising? You can maintain a healthy weight by following a healthy dietary plan and work out regularly. To seek any consultation regarding your diet or exercise plan, you can find the best medical specialist and also order online medicines or book an appointment.
FAQs
1. Is it normal to gain more weight before losing?
It’s normal. Sometimes, it is just a part of improving your overall body composition when you put on a few kilos.
2. Why do I look fatter after working out for a whole month?
It happens as the combination of your pumped-up muscles, dehydration and overworked muscles might make you relaxed. But a few hours later, you appear flabbier despite the exercise.
3. Is it normal to gain 5lbs in a week?
Experiencing fluctuations in your weight is normal. The adult’s weight fluctuates up to 5 or 6 pounds per day.
4. At what time should I weigh myself?
Most researchers agree that it’s best to weigh yourself first thing in the morning. It helps especially with age-related gains, which can be more challenging to control.