Weight after training is greater than before. With regular training, weight does not go away - muscle growth, hormonal imbalances and lack of calories

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 the points.

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 development of 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 features Such training are: increased heart rate (not lower than 145-155 per minute), significant short-term muscle efforts, 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, aerobics in a group,) 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, however quick effect There is no weight loss from them.

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.

You chose healthy image life, follow a diet, sleep and rest schedule, sign up for a gym and actively load your body 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 visit 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.

Weight human body represents the total weight of all its components: muscles, fat, bones, brain, nerve fibers, connective tissue, blood, lymph, intestinal gases, urine, and the air 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 by-product or urine, as well as the volume of circulating blood will definitely affect the change total weight bodies.

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 - too common reason 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?

Monitor 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, sport alone without nutritional correction will not lead you to 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!

Photo: Dzmitri Mikhaltsow/Rusmediabank.ru

To lose weight, you need to eat less and move more - that's the mantra we hear everywhere. The two pillars of losing weight are diet and exercise. But, as both practice and the latest research show, training often leads to completely opposite results. If you train incorrectly, for most people this does not lead to weight loss, but, on the contrary, to weight gain.
Interestingly, according to research, after stopping training, people who gained weight continued to gain it over the next month. Those who lost weight during training weighed even less even after three months.

Why do some people lose weight and others gain?

It turns out that so-called compensatory behavior plays a big role in this. Those who gain weight during exercise either reduce their usual physical activity or eat more than normal the rest of the time. And who doesn’t know that sometimes after difficult physical activity I want to either relax on the sofa or have a good meal! It is absolutely impossible to do either one or the other, so as not to reduce the weight loss effect of the workout to zero. Don't let workout fatigue interfere with your routine. Don’t cancel a walk with your child or a shopping trip because of her. And in general, after proper training You should not feel a decline, but, on the contrary, a surge of strength and good mood.

For what other reasons may training not bring the desired results?

Too slow and long. When it comes to losing weight, long, monotonous workouts may not give you desired result. Instead of going half-hearted for an hour, give yourself 100% to an intense 30-minute workout. Move quickly from one set of exercises to another, taking breaks of no more than 15-30 seconds. This workout will speed up the work of the heart and blood vessels, allow you to quickly build muscle mass and increase your metabolic rate, which will burn additional calories.

Wasted time. Do you constantly straighten your hair in front of the mirror, drink water or chat with friends? You won't achieve anything this way. You need to start training with a clearly thought-out plan and strictly established time frames. This means not waiting, not hanging around the gym, not answering phone calls. Even just to catch your breath, give yourself a few seconds of time between sets in advance. Don't be distracted by nonsense, even if you study at home and your training time is free. This is the only way to get the full benefit from your training.

Too much cardio, too little strength training. But cardio burns more calories, you say... Yes, an hour of brisk walking on a treadmill will burn about 400 calories. But power training will allow you to exchange fat for muscles, in which these same calories are burned, even when you do not receive physical activity. That is, strength training will give you a chance to lose weight steadily and for a long time.

The same movements. When physical activity falls on the same muscles, the body adapts to it, the load is lighter and energy expenditure becomes less. Surprise your body. Periodically introduce new exercises into your training, sometimes change the type of activity. Force your body to work harder or in a new way every workout. This will allow you to burn more calories and relieve boredom, which can ruin any positive endeavors.

Perhaps you need a like-minded person. It is useful to train alone - it allows you to focus more on the process. But many women achieve best results when studying with a friend. Firstly, this allows you not to shirk your studies, and secondly, it allows you to study with great diligence. Who else can cheer you up on the treadmill, forcing you to run through the last kilometer, if not your partner in “misfortune”! And don't forget the power of competition. Did your friend do 50 squats? Make it 51!

Too much salt and... water. Okay, everything is clear with salt - it retains water in the body and increases the load on the heart and kidneys. If you want to see lower numbers on the scale, then you will have to significantly limit the salt. But water? Isn't a sports drink or even a bottle of plain water essential? athletic girl from the cover? In fact, staying slightly hydrated during exercise is actually beneficial. Nothing will happen to you if you don't drink during the 30 minutes or hour you set aside for training. But in order to fat cells began to oxidize, they should feel a certain lack of water. It is then that they will begin to “give” fats to replenish the lack of fluid in the body. So you can drink half an hour before training or half an hour after it, but during physical activity It's better not to drink at all. By the way, this will allow you not to experience side colic, which can stop your exercise altogether.

Many people, having not achieved the desired effect from fitness, eventually stop training completely. But the benefits and meaning of training are not limited to weight loss. Most physically active people normalization is noted blood pressure and blood sugar, lowering cholesterol levels and, importantly for those losing weight, reducing waist size. Health and good physical shape (read volume), not weight, should be the priority in training. And the numbers will sooner or later decrease anyway, along with building muscle mass - unless, of course, you stop training.

You started exercising regularly and decided to weigh yourself to evaluate the results. And what do you see: after training, your weight has increased! Do not rush to get upset, there may be a completely logical and understandable explanation for this strange fact.

Before we start analyzing weight gain, let's note important point. In the process of losing weight, there cannot be constant weight loss. Periodically, the weight will stop for a couple of weeks (or even for a month!) and even increase - and this is absolutely normal. Even if you do everything correctly and competently, your weight will not melt before your eyes. When losing weight, the body gradually and rather slowly adapts to new conditions. Give it time to change biochemical processes and stabilize weight.

Possible reasons why weight may have increased after training

1. Muscle swelling

The most likely cause of weight gain after exercise is muscle swelling. After unusual loads, water begins to be retained in the muscles, and they increase in volume. This phenomenon is temporary and has nothing to do with muscle growth. In just a couple of weeks they will return to normal, and your weight will go down.

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 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. Also, do not forget to do a good stretch after exercise: high-quality stretching workouts perfectly tone your muscles and help create a beautiful relief.

2. Exceeding the daily calorie intake

Don’t think that if you play sports, you can eat in unlimited quantities. This is wrong. An average workout can help you burn between 300 and 500 calories in an hour, and that's just a slice of your favorite layer cake. If you eat more than your body can absorb, then not only will you not lose weight, but you will also gain weight after training.

What to do about it?

Stick to a moderate diet, or better yet, start counting calories. Successful weight loss is 70% a well-established diet and only 30% regular exercise. Keep a food diary, count calories, avoid sweets and fast food. Sports will not lead you to an ideal body if you do not change your eating habits. Alas, this is true.

Popular misconception why weight may increase after exercise

Many people believe that weight gain after exercise is a consequence of muscle growth. If we are not talking about strength training with large scales and protein nutrition, then this is an absolute misconception! Even if you really want to, it is very difficult for girls to build up muscles: the gain in muscle mass per month, at best, will be no more than 500 g. With regular training, there will be no muscle growth, so there is no need to worry about it. At the most, you will tone them up and make your body more toned and sculpted.

Four important advice How to make your workouts effective:

• don’t step on the scale every day and don’t panic about the numbers;
• 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.

Questions and answers why weight increases after exercise

1. I started exercising regularly to lose weight, but after 3 weeks the weight did not decrease at all. Does this mean I'm not losing weight?

During physical activity muscles retain water, therefore, from training, the weight may increase or remain the same, while fat layer will leave. Try to measure volumes and look at changes in body quality (take photographs), this is a much more visual way to monitor the process of losing weight.

2. I've been training for a month now, but the weight is increasing. I measure the volumes, look at the “before and after” photos - almost no changes. What could be wrong?

To lose weight, it is not enough just to exercise, you need watch your diet. As we already said, 70% of success in losing weight depends on nutrition. Exercise helps tighten the body, improve its tone, get rid of sagging, but the process of losing weight and getting rid of excess fat only possible with a calorie deficit. If you are not losing weight (regardless of whether you exercise or not), then you need to reconsider your diet.

3. I try to eat right and exercise for a long time, but the weight does not decrease. Why?

If you are eating Right, this does not mean that you are eating With calorie deficit . Even healthy products you can sort through your permissible norm. In addition, very often during sports activities appetite increases, the body thus tries to replenish the energy spent. Therefore, you may, without noticing it, start eating more: snacking more often, eating larger portions, choosing more high-calorie food. Without control and clear numbers, we cannot always correctly formulate a menu for weight loss.

4. I count calories and exercise regularly. The first 2 weeks the weight fell, but now it has not decreased for 2 weeks. What to do?

At the very beginning of the weight loss process, the most intense weight loss usually occurs. Usually, in the first week 2-3 kg are lost and many expect the same rapid results in the future. But such a pace of getting rid of extra pounds It will only be in the beginning. These 2-3 kg, which were lost in the first week, are not a decrease in body fat, but a change water balance in organism. Due to the reduction in the amount of carbohydrates and fast food, water leaves the body, so a good “plumb” occurs.

The normal rate of weight loss is 0.5 kg in 1-2 weeks, and this does not always happen. You need to understand that the process of losing weight can't be constant and unchanging. The weight may rise and fall slightly, and this dynamics within a week or month may defy any explanation. For example, here is a typical weight loss schedule with daily weighing:

As you can see, the weight is in constant dynamics, it does not fall systematically. But if you look at the picture entirely, then you can see that the weight is going down. Although on some days it does not change or even, on the contrary, grows. Also, remember that the lower your initial weight, the slower your weight loss will occur. For example, in this example, in 4 months the weight dropped by only 4 kg (even a little less). And this is an absolutely normal and healthy pace. So continue to eat in a calorie deficit and exercise, and your goal will be achieved.

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?

Monitor 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!