Five ways your new exercise regime could be causing weight gain
The most common motivation for starting an exercise regime is weight loss. Yet many people find the scales move in the opposite direction to what they hoped. There are five potential reasons for this.
Muscle weighs more than fat
Muscle is denser than fat and weighs more, so it's possible that your scale weight can go up while your centimetres go down. If you have a scale that measures muscle and body fat you'll be able to see this immediately. You'll likely also know by the fit of your clothes and the look of your skin. It's great news if you're putting muscle because this will speed up your metabolic rate and super-charge your fat loss efforts.
Stress on muscle fibres
A related reason for initial weight gain is stress on muscle fibres. A new exercise regime causes microtears and potentially some inflammation. This is the cycle of muscle-building - rupture and repair. In addition to the temporary weight caused by the inflammation, some people experience slight water retention if they are suffering DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Again, a good bathroom scale will measure hydration so you'll know how much of your weight is just temporary water.
The Whoosh Effect
The third possible explanation for stubborn scales is The Whoosh Effect which means there can be a time lag between doing the right thing and seeing the results. When starting a new regime some people can experience a sudden drop on the scales which is mostly water, often due to eating less processed carbs. Beyond that, almost all genuine scale drops are the result of what happened days or weeks ago. When the body catches up a sudden great "whoosh" downwards on the scales.
Overtraining
When you begin a new regime it's easy to think that the more you do the faster you'll get results. But too much exercise too soon can put you into an overtrained state where body fat piles on. Muscle-building is a hormonal process as well as a phyiological one. If you're pushing your body to the point of exhaustion this can disrupt the function of the key hormones needed to build muscle and mobilize body fat. This effect can be compounded if you're under stress or going through a hormonal change such as menopause.
Wrong type of exercise
A fifth reason for weight gain can be that your routine is wrong for your biotype. The same routine can cause one person to lose weight successfully and another to gain it inexplicably. For example, the Activator body type will likely flourish with a textbook lifestyle prescription of early mornings, high intensity and regular eating around the clock. The Diplomat or Guardian body type, often failed by the fitness industry, may do better with a later start to the day and a more moderate pace of exercise.
Conclusion
It's always disappointing when the efforts you put in don't tally with the results you imagined. Some people find they need to give up standing on the scales completely - check out this article weighing up weighing in. If you decide to continue with checking your weight you'll find that many anomalies will self-resolve. If they don't it's great to have the data you need to justify a change of trajectory and create a new journey for success.
Muscle weighs more than fat
Muscle is denser than fat and weighs more, so it's possible that your scale weight can go up while your centimetres go down. If you have a scale that measures muscle and body fat you'll be able to see this immediately. You'll likely also know by the fit of your clothes and the look of your skin. It's great news if you're putting muscle because this will speed up your metabolic rate and super-charge your fat loss efforts.
Stress on muscle fibres
A related reason for initial weight gain is stress on muscle fibres. A new exercise regime causes microtears and potentially some inflammation. This is the cycle of muscle-building - rupture and repair. In addition to the temporary weight caused by the inflammation, some people experience slight water retention if they are suffering DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Again, a good bathroom scale will measure hydration so you'll know how much of your weight is just temporary water.
The Whoosh Effect
The third possible explanation for stubborn scales is The Whoosh Effect which means there can be a time lag between doing the right thing and seeing the results. When starting a new regime some people can experience a sudden drop on the scales which is mostly water, often due to eating less processed carbs. Beyond that, almost all genuine scale drops are the result of what happened days or weeks ago. When the body catches up a sudden great "whoosh" downwards on the scales.
Overtraining
When you begin a new regime it's easy to think that the more you do the faster you'll get results. But too much exercise too soon can put you into an overtrained state where body fat piles on. Muscle-building is a hormonal process as well as a phyiological one. If you're pushing your body to the point of exhaustion this can disrupt the function of the key hormones needed to build muscle and mobilize body fat. This effect can be compounded if you're under stress or going through a hormonal change such as menopause.
Wrong type of exercise
A fifth reason for weight gain can be that your routine is wrong for your biotype. The same routine can cause one person to lose weight successfully and another to gain it inexplicably. For example, the Activator body type will likely flourish with a textbook lifestyle prescription of early mornings, high intensity and regular eating around the clock. The Diplomat or Guardian body type, often failed by the fitness industry, may do better with a later start to the day and a more moderate pace of exercise.
Conclusion
It's always disappointing when the efforts you put in don't tally with the results you imagined. Some people find they need to give up standing on the scales completely - check out this article weighing up weighing in. If you decide to continue with checking your weight you'll find that many anomalies will self-resolve. If they don't it's great to have the data you need to justify a change of trajectory and create a new journey for success.