“I Am Exercising So Much and the Scale Is Going Up”
Our intentions are always so good, right? We decide we’re going to get healthier. We have an exercise plan. We’re all in. We’ve made the commitment to ourselves. It’s day one. We do it. We tell all our friends. Day two. We do it again. We’re feeling pretty good about ourselves. Day three. We’re on fire. Our clothes are fitting a little bit better. We’re feeling pretty energetic. Already we can tell the difference. So we think, “What the heck? Let me jump on the scale. Am I losing weight?”.
And… we’ve gained two pounds.
Skrrt. let’s back it up a little. One of the most important things is to decide what your goal is and how you’ll measure it. If your goal is for the scale to go down, obviously that will be your focus. But let’s say you want to see a body composition change: to be leaner overall and gain some muscle mass. In that case, the scale can’t be your only measurement tool.
But let’s say you do see an initial increase in weight in the first week after starting a new exercise plan. Most likely when you start an exercise routine, you’re trying to eat better, as well. That’s why people often feel disappointed in this scenario. They’re thinking, “I’m exercising, I’m eating right, and gosh darn it, I’ve gained weight.” What is that all about, anyway?
Reasons for the Initial Weight Gain
Inflammation
When you put your body under stress - which exercise does - you induce some inflammation. Our body heals by sending white blood cells and different co-factors to help. And with that comes some fluid retention. That can be the case even when you don’t necessarily feel muscle soreness.
Glycogen and Water Retention
After you work out, your muscles are primed to store glycogen. With glycogen, your body also stores water. So with a new exercise routine, when your muscles aren’t used to what you’re doing, your body will take up a lot of glycogen and therefore also retain a lot of water. That can absolutely account for an increase on the scale. (The plus side? This also makes your muscles look bigger, which is why you may already start to look better.)
Muscle
Realistically speaking, that weight gain in your first three or four days of a new workout routine most likely won’t be muscle. It’s too soon. However, it’s an indication that muscle is about to grow, which is great news!
So how do we keep going despite the potentially discouraging result of seeing an initial weight gain? Well, let’s go back to what we said about goal-setting and measuring. If you’re working toward a change in body composition, I highly recommend tracking changes in your body using photos. You may even see a change in your pictures in as little as one week.
Reasons for Your Weight Being Up Later On
Four weeks in, after consistent working out and healthy eating, if your weight is still stable or up a few pounds, there are a few things you’ll have to think about.
Water
If you’re not drinking enough water, your body will store as much fluid as possible to keep its electrolytes in check. So a good guideline is to drink half of your body weight (in pounds) every day, though if you drink caffeine, you’ll want to drink even more water. So the more water you have every day, the less fluid you’ll retain.
Sleep
Sleep affects ghrelin, which is the hormone that makes you hungry. If you’re not getting the recommended hours of sleep, around seven to nine hours a night, you’ll potentially have an increase in ghrelin and feel hungrier. And when we’re exhausted, our upper brain isn’t going to want to make good decisions. Our lower, primal brain will want to make us feel better and we’ll end up reaching for the sugariest, fattiest foods we can find.
Increased Appetite
Exercise can and will make your appetite increase and it can be easy to unintentionally eat back all of the extra calories we’re burning. That’s why, before we even embark on a body transformation, it’s so important to have a good handle on our hunger scale.
Muscle
Women can expect to gain, on average, about a pound of muscle in one month when following a strategic exercise and diet plan.
Takeaways
It may not seem that way, but even small changes are worth celebrating. If you’re down “only” half a pound in scale weight after four weeks, don’t be disappointed. You could be like one of my clients, who gained 1.5 pounds of muscle and lost two pounds of fat for a net loss of “only” half a pound, but looked significantly different in photos. We often don’t realize just how much space one pound of fat takes up.
That’s why it’s so important to have more than one way of measuring your progress. It can be a Bod Pod, photos, calipers, a DEXA scan - so many different things. Sure, weigh yourself, but if your goal is body composition change, you’ll need another way to measure.
So, let’s review.
Know your goals and how you’re measuring them.
Is your appetite in check? How is your food quality? Notice what activities are making your hunger increase. Eating calories is much easier than burning them. You’ll have to be able to track your hunger and how much food you need to be satisfied.
Trust your body, your coach, and your information. Don’t freak out if you see your weight go up on the scale.
Make sure your sleep and water are in check. If you know you’ll have a late shift and be sleep-deprived, make a plan for how you’ll deal with it.
Be patient. This is probably the hardest one. Keep your expectations realistic and enjoy the journey. If you’re having fun, who cares how long this takes?
As you’re achieving your health goals, get in touch with yourself on a mental and physical level. Clear some headspace to figure out what you want. What are your passions? What do you want to do? Your life shouldn’t fit into your food and exercise; your food and exercise should fit into your life. There’s more to life than a perfect diet and exercise. Know your why. Why are you doing this? That’s what will allow you to enjoy life and actually maintain the amazing results that you achieve.