So, you finally decided to step on your weight loss journey with 100% dedication. Got yourself a workout regime designed and you are sticking to it with utmost dedication and being consistent. But instead of seeing the numbers drop on the weight scale, you are saying that you are actually gaining weight. How can you gain weight when you’re actually working out? If Weight Loss is the journey you are on and even after so much effort if you see an increase in the skin, it can get very frustrating and demotivating.
But you need to know that this increase on the scale is not a blooper but it is backed by research as to why there might be a slight weight gain when you begin exercising. Weight gain includes several reasons such as water retention, muscle gain, supplement use, undigested food, or even inflammation caused because of post workout. In many cases, waiting because of post workout information is a temporary condition. Let us understand more about this. Read on.
Weight gain because of muscles
When you start working out, you are very likely to gain weight in your muscles. The amount of muscle that you gain highly depends on the type of workouts that you are doing and the diet that you’re following. Any slight increase in your physical activity will produce some improvements in your muscle mass and strength. If you have been doing workouts related to strength training and consuming a lot of protein, then there might be a drastic increase in your muscle mass. And of course, genetics also have a role to play in the amount of muscle looking when you’re on an exercise program. If you are gaining your muscles very easily, call yourself lucky! Because muscles are the ones that help to shape a healthy and strong body. And when you gain your muscles, the scheme is definitely going to increase.
If you are working out consistently, it is highly possible that you begin to lose inches before losing your weight. And a higher number on the weighing scale depicts that you are losing all the fat from your body while gaining muscle at the same time which is a very positive outcome if you are looking to go towards a stronger and leaner body.
Weight gain because of water retention
If there is any such thing called temporary weight gain, the other word for it is water retention. And this is very common with people who have high fluctuations in their hormones, for example, people who are in the their pre menopausal stage, those who suffer from hormonal onditions such as PCOS. Their body weight is prone to fluctuate a lot. With women it is very common, when women have periods a majority of them tend to suffer from some degree of bloating either during the period or just before that period. Exercise is the only way that can help reduce these premenstrual symptoms.
Sodium intake is another common cause for water retention leading to weight gain. When you consume foods that are high in salt, it increases your body weight. When people eat salty foods, they automatically go and try to drink a lot of water and this produces more urine. The extra fluid that is in our body generally adds up on the scale.
Weight gain caused because of post workout inflammation
A temporary weight gain can be caused as a result of your workout itself. This increase in your weight signals that you might be exercising dedicatedly in order to see healthy results. In other words, exercise tends to damage muscle tissue. And the repair process that a muscles undergo helps them to get stronger and grow more. And during this process, inflammation tends to occur in the muscle tissues. Exercise physiologists name this as EIMD, exercise induced muscle damage. It is considered to be a very temporary effect that occurs after performing a new exercise pattern or exceptionally performing your regular exercise pattern.
Weight gain caused by supplement use
Consuming supplements or post workout nutrition can also lead to a certain amount of weight gain after you workout. Exercise especially when it is prolonged like cycling or running-it tends to deplete a body of glycogen. And it is important to consume supplements post workout that contain carbs. Carbohydrates tend to restore the glycogen in our muscles. And for each gram of that like Cochin that is restored our body retains at least 3 g of water. And when there is an increase in the amount of water stored in a body, weight gain occurs.
This whole process is considered to be a very healthy recovery process and it is something that you must not avoid.
Weight gain caused by indigestion of fiber rich food
Which is very natural that you will be left feeling hungry after your workout. And if you choose to refuel by eating foods that are rich in fiber, this nutritious choice of food might lead to an increase in the weighing scale as it works its way within your body. Always remember that fiber leads to water retention in the colon area and this results in stools that are easier to excrete and less dry. If you are consuming Fiber that is insoluble then it could lead to an increase in your stool weight. In a particular research, it was found that each one of us produces at least 125 to 170 g of stool each day — or that’s equal to almost half a pound. However, there are certain other studies that claim that a daily stole Maid needs to be roughly around 106 g each day.