You can exercise to lose weight, but you can’t lose an ounce. Moreover, you may even gain weight. Given this fact, it is important to make it clear that the number that the scale throws at us does not define us at all. However, it is also true that sometimes the very fact gain weight through exercise This can be shocking and disappointing.
Typically this is due to gaining muscle mass. It is a fact that when we exercise, especially if it is strength training, our muscles grow and this leads to weight gain. However, this is not the only reason why we can gain weight through exercise.
As explained in the article for Talk physiology teacher Rachel Woodsthere are other reasons. Does this mean we should put exercise on hold if we want to lose weight? This is far from true. Let’s put all this into context.
4 Reasons Why You May Gain Weight Through Exercise
There are several reasons why we may gain weight through exercise, and knowing them is important because the solution is not to stop exercising, but to find methods to avoid these effects. Let’s see what they are then.
You can move less
Sometimes we think that going to the gym for one or two hours will compensate for all the sedentary behavior during the day. In addition, we will more tired. Therefore, we may avoid walking or any other form of light physical activity that we would otherwise engage in. It’s important to remember this because if we complement exercise with extreme sedentary behavior for the rest of the day, we may end up gaining weight rather than losing weight.
You can also eat more
Exercise makes you hungry, that’s a fact. AND we don’t have to fight this hungerbecause we need a good supply of nutrients and energy so that our muscles can grow and repair. What happens is that sometimes an increased appetite can cause us to eat much more than meets these energy needs, and we end up gaining weight.
The body protects itself from weight loss
When we subject our body to intense physical activity, our brain interprets that we need a lot of energy, so as we already mentioned, our appetite increases, but also can adapt metabolism over time, so that the same activity burns fewer calories. This is very good for the survival of the species, but when we deliberately strain our bodies, losing weight can cost us more than necessary.
And yes, muscles also cause you to gain weight when you exercise.
When we exercise, especially strength training, increases muscle mass. Does this mean we should only do cardio? This is far from true. In fact, strength training is essential to any weight loss program. For example, the more muscle we have, the more calories we will burn at rest, because muscle metabolically active. It also increases oxygen consumption after exercisetherefore, calories continue to be burned after the workout is completed. and improves insulin sensitivity. It not only helps us regulate blood glucose levels. This also means that more fat is used as an energy source for muscle repair and growth.
So yes, strength training is necessary. Muscles are very necessary. Will we gain weight? Yes. But we have already seen that progress should not be defined scale number. Increasing muscle mass is not a problem for our health and should not be considered as a problem for our appearance.
Don’t stop training, there are other solutions
In fact, the reasons why we can gain weight through exercise are more than solvable. A diet rich in protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats that nourishes us and gets our metabolism going can solve appetite problems and the body’s struggle with weight loss. Raising awareness of the problem of sedentary lifestyle is also helpful. Even if we have finished our workout at the gym, a walk is always beneficial.
However, physical exercise is not only extremely beneficial for our health. It can also help us maintain weight loss over time and do not suffer from the rebound effect. It has even been observed that it is an ideal supplement for people who take drugs for weight loss. You lose more weight with exercise than with medication alone.
In short, to say without further ado that exercise makes you fat would be taking a difficult situation to the point of absurdity. This is one of the best habits we can implement in our daily lives, so we should not misinterpret this type of information. It is healthy, necessary and also helps us lose weight. You just need to take some details into account.
Source: Hiper Textual
