Why do I gain weight…when I feel thinner?
I’ve been on and off with my jogging plan, and I’ve noticed strange things. How comes my weight is stable/even declining when I have normal schedule, but I gain weight now that I stick to my jogging/walking plan? I even tend to eat less during days I exercise more, yet I keep on gaining weight. Eventhough I feel my chubbiness is slightly decreased…
First, was your weight stable when you started the program. Did you check your weight regularly before you started to walk/jog. If you were gaining weight, you may still be eating more calories than you are burning.
Second, one the things that happens with starting a new exercise is that there is a lot of general inflamation in almost all of the body’s tissues. Joints, muscle cells, even the blood have a higher water content due to this (plain old water, a variety of fluids, plasma, etc.). A lot of the initial weight gain will be water when starting a fitness program. But that is not a bad thing. It will even out if you are consistent. But don’t stop hydrating. Not getting enough water has been shown to make the inflamation worse and leads to a bunch of other problems. Try to drink around 10 eigth ounce glasses of water a day, a few more if you get thirsty. But don’t get too crazy with the water either. If you aren’t sure what would be right for you, consult a dietician.
Chances are pretty slim that you have gained enough new muscle tissue to make a difference in your weight. Even in a very well designed fitness program with resistance training and proper diet, there is very little new muscle growth for several weeks. Most strength gains are neurologic and most size gains is water/swelling. (The pump that people get right after a workout doesn’t last very long. Muscle gains take time and very sound program design. Or cheating with dangerous drugs.)
Which brings us to number three. Consult a dietician. Many people that I have worked with tell me that they are eating less or the recommend calories foods. Only for me to do a spot check on their home and find a lot of empty containers in the garbage from empty calorie foods. And lots of the same in their cupboards and fridge. If you keep a food log (honestly, record every single thing you put in your mouth from water and soda to chips and cookies), you will most likely find that you are not doing as well as you thought. And a registered dietician can guide you to eating just enough and eating right.
And fourth, hire a trainer. I don’t do my own plumbing, auto repairs, dental work, etc. because I want it done right the first time. Sure I can replace the insides of my toilet, but I wouldn’t try to flux and solder my own copper pipes. The same goes for getting fit, if you haven’t done a lot of studying about it, are you really the best person to trust with how you go about it?
Good luck.