Why do I gain weight after training? Frequently asked question: I started exercising and eating right, but the weight does not go away or has increased! What am I doing wrong

So you have chosen a healthy lifestyle, follow a diet, sleep and rest schedule, signed up for a gym and are actively loading your body with physical exercise. And all of you are so easy, successful and purposeful. And then we decided to weigh ourselves... and oops... and the weight increases. It seems that according to all the rules, training should reduce it, but the weight has increased. What is the reason?

Girls often complain about this reaction of the body. Men also have this effect, but the fact is that for the most part, men go to the gym in order to gain this same muscle mass, and this does not bother them. Girls go to the gym mainly with the goal of losing weight, that is, reducing weight due to additional energy consumption during training. And the weight does not decrease.

So, there are several reasons why the weight after training did not decrease, but rather increased.

1. Muscle swelling

The most likely cause of weight gain after exercise is muscle swelling. In the first 2-4 weeks after unusual loads, water begins to be retained in the muscles, and they increase in volume and, accordingly, in weight.

This phenomenon is often confused with muscle growth. Due to her genetic characteristics, it is very difficult for a girl to gain even a kilogram of muscle. All pumped-up athletes, whose photos they love to post on social networks, take male hormones and use drugs that accelerate muscle growth. Their hormonal balance is shifted towards the male, and therefore it is very naive to believe that two or three workouts for a beginner will lead to muscle growth by a kilogram and a half. There will be virtually no muscle growth during normal training, so there is no need to worry about this. At the most, you will tone them up and make your body more prominent.

The weight of the human body is the sum of the weight of all its components: muscles, fat, bones, brain, nerve fibers, connective tissue, blood, lymph, intestinal gases, urine, and the air that we carry in our lungs.

Immediately after a normal workout, the ratio of all the components listed above can change by as much as 15 percent! Intense workouts are bound to cause your scale to fluctuate. Factors such as hydration, muscle inflammation from fiber breaks (sores), even the amount of byproduct or urine, as well as the volume of circulating blood will definitely affect the change in overall body weight.

What to do about it?

Doing nothing, this is a natural process in the body, there is no escape from it. Wait 2-3 weeks, the muscles will adapt to the load, and the weight will automatically go down. The main thing here is not to be afraid of the numbers and to systematically continue training, not paying attention to the scales.

2. Exceeding the daily calorie intake

Compensatory nutrition is also a common cause of primary weight gain. An average workout burns 300-500 kcal at best, and that's just a slice of your favorite cake. If you eat more than your body can absorb, it will not lead to weight loss, but to weight gain, even if you train hard.

The same applies to compensation under the motto, I need strength to lift weights. This is a very popular excuse along with “I’ll work off my morning sweets in the evening training.” Undoubtedly, strength is needed for exercise, but balance must be maintained everywhere. If you want, the amount of food consumed should be less than the energy expended. It doesn’t matter whether you train or not. This is a dogma rule. Despite the fact that we tend to underestimate the number of calories and overestimate the effort expended. I'm not afraid of this word, the error reaches 50%.

What to do about it?

Control your diet, or better yet, start counting calories. Successful weight loss is 80% a well-established diet and only 20% physical activity. Lead, count calories, avoid fast carbohydrates and minimize fat. Unfortunately, sports alone without nutritional correction will not lead you to an ideal body.

• Don't panic about the numbers on the scale;
• always control your diet;
• do a good stretch after training;
• don't be afraid to play sports: even if the weight increases the first time after training, your body will be closer to its ideal shape;
• measure volumes and look at changes in body quality by taking photographs.

Did you experience weight gain when you started training? Tell us!

Why did my weight increase after working out in the fitness room?

For my birthday in winter, I was given a membership to the fitness room, but without a pool. And I wanted to visit the pool. The fitness room is well equipped and brand new, so I decided to try it out. Moreover, it was necessary (like everyone else)) to prepare for the summer beach season. Kidding. Since I don’t complain about my figure and no obvious flaws were found in it that bother me, it was decided to start strengthening my legs. They are the support of our entire body.
I came to the gym, the instructor conducted a lesson, explained and demonstrated (to me). The next time I went to both the gym and group classes: yoga, Pilates, stretching, etc. In total: 8 visits of 3.5 hours.
And what I noticed to my surprise: with a height of 170 cm and a weight of 51 kg, I gradually gained weight to 55 kg. Where and what was pumped up there is imperceptible, but I have already changed 3 scales! I still don’t understand what happened... Or the “hardware” couldn’t be touched, or what?
Moreover, I eat very little, and I didn’t change light food or diet during my visits to the gym.
I want my weight back...

From the letter:

"Hello!

I have this problem - I’ve been going to the gym for 3 weeks now, 3 times a week, one-hour classes, and not only has my weight not decreased one gram, I’ve also gained 300 grams. Maybe I’m doing something wrong, like I’m doing all the exercises.”

Let's consider this situation point by point.

1. From your letter it is not entirely clear what kind of fitness you do. Bodybuilding, for example, is also fitness (intended to increase muscle mass and develop symmetry and relief).

However, it is clear that you are planning to lose weight. Therefore, the training option you choose should be at least to the slightest extent suitable for weight loss. Therefore, it should stimulate anabolic hormones well and help speed up metabolism (the first leads to the second). Characteristic signs of such training are: increased heart rate (not lower than 145-155 per minute), significant short-term muscle efforts, and mandatory sweating during exercise.

The most suitable training options for you are:

Strength training in the gym (2 times a week) + cardio training (3-5 times a week). Cardio can be anything (treadmill, running, swimming, group aerobics, etc.) and performed on a separate day from the strength program.

(4-6 times a week). In any form.

(3-5 times a week). In any form.

Types of fitness such as Pilates, yoga, stretching and some others do not in themselves promote rapid weight loss. They are certainly very beneficial for health, but they do not have a quick weight loss effect.

2. Your weight not only did not decrease, but also increased slightly (by 300 g).

This is an absolutely normal reaction of the body to regular physical activity, whatever it may be. The fact is that the load on the muscles in the first weeks of training leads to a rapid increase in muscle tone (after all, before that, you most likely did not give the muscles the necessary load). And one of the factors of increased tone is an increase in water content in the muscles. Consequently, they become heavier. Moreover, this is a healthy weight. After all, these are muscles!

Remember, if you are planning to lose weight through training, in the first weeks your weight may increase noticeably due to increased muscle tone.

But scales are not the most important indicator in the first stages of losing weight. Much more important is tone and increased energy.

The next stage will be gradual weight loss. Muscles stimulated by exercise become very energy intensive (require a lot of energy). This leads to the fact that the body begins processes of healthy reduction of fat mass, which is spent on energy for muscles even during rest.

But the process of burning fat will largely depend on how you eat, how you continue to exercise and what kind of lifestyle you lead.

If you ignore reasonable nutritional requirements, exercise sporadically (or not hard enough or often enough), are constantly stressed at work, or get involved in squabbles at home, I'm afraid you won't succeed.

So, now everything is going as it should. You have no reason to worry. However, take note of the advice given here.

It is believed that working out and working out in the gym helps to normalize weight, but many of those who start working out are surprised to find that they begin to gain weight from training. Let's figure out why this happens.

Why do I gain weight after training?

After starting regular exercise in the gym, the human body experiences stress and rearranges its vital functions in order to be ready to perform significant loads. This, naturally, requires energy, which is taken from food, and not from old fat reserves, which continue to be stored “for a rainy day.” Often, after a workout, a “brutal” appetite wakes up.

Zhor after training. How not to gain weight?

In this situation, the body not only requires more food through a constant feeling of hunger, but also absorbs nutrients from it more efficiently than usual. This also contributes to additional weight gain. It is better to extinguish hunger not with fast food and small snacks, but with regular meals. A bowl of buckwheat porridge does not have much more calories than a sandwich with sausage, but you are unlikely to eat a second bowl, and a second sandwich in half an hour is quite likely.
It should also be noted that the normal amount of calories needed per day varies greatly depending on the individual. The figure “1800 kcal per day” found on the Internet cannot be simultaneously applicable for a woman 180 cm tall and weighing 65 kg and for a woman 160 cm tall and weighing 55 kg, even without taking into account lifestyle.

How to train in the gym without gaining weight

Many people ask the question: “Is it possible to gain weight from working out in the gym?” The main condition for maintaining weight is maintaining a balance between calories received from food and calories expended in the gym. If you consume more, you will inevitably gain weight by working out in the gym. If you consume less, you will lose weight, but it is not that easy. Willpower plays an important role here: most likely, the body will respond to a lack of nutrients with apathy and some weakness. However, if you increase the load gradually, getting into a new rhythm of life, then these unpleasant effects can be avoided. What to eat before training in the gym to avoid gaining weight:

• it is better to choose foods rich in proteins and carbohydrates - this will help strengthen muscles and give strength for exercise;
• fats should be excluded as they slow down the digestive processes;
• in any case, it is better to eat no later than half an hour before class, and the larger the food, the larger this time gap should be.

How not to gain weight after training

Here are some basic tips on how to avoid gaining weight after working out in the gym:

• Unless your goal is to gain muscle mass, it is not recommended to eat after exercise for at least two hours.
• You should not eat too much sweet fruit, since sugars can be stored in the body very quickly, not being used for current tasks (especially after exercise, when physical activity is reduced) and without causing a feeling of fullness.
• It is not advisable to eat before bed, because digestion occurs even when you sleep, and the energy of the nutrients received is almost completely stored, because you do not consume anything. So, it is better to prefer a more substantial breakfast to the second dinner before a day full of accomplishments.

How you won't gain weight after you quit training

Weight gain may also begin after you stop exercising. The essence is the same - the body receives more energy than it spends. If you burned 500 kcal every day in the gym, then when you quit, with the same diet, they will remain with you. There are again two options: reduce your diet or maintain physical activity, for example, by walking instead of traveling on public transport (when possible) or morning (evening) jogging. Of course, staying active is much better and healthier.

One of the main reasons that motivates people to start exercising is weight loss. But it often happens that even after intense training, the number on the scale does not change.

There may be several reasons for this. Some of them are the result of an incorrect approach to training for weight loss in combination with lifestyle, others are a consequence of certain physiological processes.

The main reasons for weight gain after strength fitness exercises

Often, after performing strength fitness exercises, the weight increases slightly. This situation can arise for several reasons:

• Muscle tissue is denser in structure than fat, so it takes up less volume, but weighs more. Therefore, the volume of muscle that was previously occupied by fat deposits will be heavier, and this will certainly affect the weighing results.
• Often, for the proper production of glycogen and healing of microtraumas of muscle fibers, the body is forced to retain fluid, and then a large amount of it is reflected in body weight.
• Weight gain due to the accumulation of fat due to poor diet, even with fitness activities, is a banal and common reason based on human psychology. Many people believe and are fundamentally mistaken that they can burn off extra calories the next day in the gym, and simply overeat. Or, after spending energy during a workout, experiencing an acute feeling of hunger, they thoughtlessly consume large amounts of food, nullifying all efforts in the gym. Therefore, it is important to understand that without strict adherence to the regimen and principles of proper low-calorie nutrition, weight loss is impossible even with intense exercise. A food diary can help you control your diet by recording the foods you consume and their quantities.

Other, less common, but significantly preventing weight loss factors include the following:

• lack of calories. A strict diet and excessive restriction in food consumption force the body to slow down its metabolism and more effectively conserve the resources it receives. Therefore, so that fat deposits do not accumulate “in reserve” and the weight loss process is effective, the amount of calories consumed must be balanced taking into account the physiological norm and energy consumption for intense physical activity;
• delayed reaction of the body to fitness classes. It makes no sense to expect that after a couple of workouts your body weight will begin to rapidly decrease. In order for the results of work in the fitness room to be noticeable externally and to please you with smaller numbers on the scale, more than one month of intense training must take place. The body’s reaction is always individual, so theoretical expectations rarely coincide with practical results, but this is not a reason to despair and be upset that someone’s volumes go away faster;
• taking certain medications. Some medications can have side effects such as delayed weight loss or even additional weight gain. Most often these are hormonal drugs. The influence of medications on the body and, in particular, on weight loss should be taken into account, and if health problems arise, consult a doctor for advice;
• imbalance in muscle growth and loss of excess fat. It happens that muscles begin to grow faster than fat is lost. In this case, there is no need to rush to give up training altogether, but you should adjust your fitness program by adding or increasing cardio exercise. In this case, the total number of exercises should be at least 15.

Cardio training and weight loss

Sometimes fitness activities do not lead to weight loss with maximum effort. And even with an increase in cardio loads, body weight remains unchanged or, worse, increases. Experts can explain such processes by one of the following reasons:

• The number of calories consumed exceeds the number burned during exercise. A half-hour run in the gym on a treadmill can burn up to three hundred calories. The same amount can be easily returned by eating a hamburger after a fitness class or drinking coffee and dessert. In this case, the psychological factor that the calories have been spent, and therefore you can relax and allow yourself to eat high-calorie food, plays a paramount role. Therefore, it is very important to learn to control yourself and not go beyond the required calorie intake.
• Fluid retention in the body. Salty foods can provoke this process, and body weight can easily increase by a couple of kilograms.
• Disturbances of the endocrine system. With such a serious problem, neither diet nor exercise will lead to weight loss, no matter how much effort is put in. Hormonal disruptions disrupt the entire functioning of the body, and therefore, in case of endocrine diseases, weight loss is possible only under the supervision and control of a doctor.
• Low glucose levels. The lack of a proper snack after performing fitness exercises provokes a decrease in glucose levels and causes an acute feeling of hunger, which leads to overeating.
• Excessive consumption of sports supplements. Popular isotonic cocktails are quite high in calories and are recommended for athletes who actively spend time in the gym for a long time. And for those who exercise 1-1.5 hours twice or thrice a week, such drinks can hinder weight loss.

If you are experiencing difficulties with weight loss and the process is not as active as you would like, you can try to correct it using the following tips:

• Change your fitness exercises. You can replace one workout in the gym with swimming in the pool or jogging outside. A new type of exercise usually forces the body to spend energy more intensively and burn fat deposits more actively.
• Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep deprives the body of the opportunity to recover, and without recovery, subsequent fitness exercises become useless.
• Get more rest. Intense training, especially for beginners, is a lot of stress, which, combined with overwork, can negatively affect weight loss. To correct the situation, it is enough to take a week's break from intense sports activities, but continue to eat right and do light exercises.
• Exercise regularly. Only systematic training with increasing load can lead to effective weight loss.
• Give up bad habits and adjust your diet and regimen. Drinking alcohol and high-calorie junk food makes fitness ineffective.