Why am I Gaining Weight Now That I'm Working Out?

So you've decided that you need to lose some weight and you're ready to go! You've committed to your program, got your new workout gear and you're well into your first week of exercising daily, when, WHAT?!?!?!? You step on the scale only to find that you've GAINED weight?!?!? Don't panic, let's take a look at a few possible reasons this may be happening and see if we need to make any adjustments.

It takes time
First of all remember that you didn't put the weight on in a week so it's not going to come off in a week. Chances are you've been working very hard this week and your body might not be used to that so it's trying to figure out what to do with this new added daily exercise. And also keep in mind that your weight fluctuates from day to day. Think about what you had for dinner last night, was it high in sodium? Are you drinking enough water or are you possibly dehydrated? Is it "that time of the month"? There are so many things going on with and in your body all at the same time, so just give it some time to figure out that there are some serious changes being made so it can catch up. Really give your body several weeks to a month to regulate and be a true reflection of what you're doing.

Track your food intake
A lot of us are surprised that even when we start to eat "healthy" that we are still over eating. Even though you may have cut out the processed 100 calorie packs and added 4 new veggies to your menu this week you can still be eating too much for what YOUR body requires.The best way to figure out if you are over eating is to use a food journal. I am a fan of My Fitness Pal because its very user friendly and I can log my food on my computer AND my smart phone and the info syncs together. I have my food journal with me at all times and I know at any given second what my calorie ranges is for the day and how many calories I have left.

On the flip side of over eating us UNDER eating. Yes, when I was first told that I needed to eat my "exercise calories" (the calories I had just worked SO hard to burn) I was not having it. How could I possibly need to eat MORE food so that I could LOSE weight? But it's true! Think of your body like a car. You can't expect it to run properly or even run at all if you don't give it fuel. Your body works the same way. If you want it to work properly for you and see the results that you're working so hard for you need to fuel it with good healthy, whole foods. So after a workout when your body needs refueling don't go for a burger and fries just because its convenient or easy. Reach for a protein packed snack like an apple and almonds or veggies and hummus and a bottle of water. You can even get your post workout nutrition from Shakeology, packed with 70+ superfoods, vitamins and nutrients. When you skip meals or cut calories too drastically your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to the fat because it doesn't know when it will get food again causing your weight to go up.

Muscle is DENSER than fat
Many people make the mistake and say that muscle weighs more than fat...well it doesn't. A pound of muscle, a pound of fat....are each still A POUND. The difference is that muscle is DENSER than fat, it is smaller and leaner. So when you see the scale going up you may be adding more muscle to your body. In this case the scale will not be able to determine what is causing the weight gain so your best bet is to use a measuring tape. Track your inches at your hips, waist, bust, arms and legs at the start of your new program and remeasure every 30 days for a true reflection of your progress. Also use other non scale items to help you determine your progress. Are your close fitting looser? Are you feeling better over all? Are you able to go longer in your routine with out taking a break? These are all huge indicators of our success!

Don't reward yourself with food!
When we start to see progress and feel better about ourselves its easy to slip back into our old mindset of treating ourselves to a Starbucks or dessert out with the girls, but these food rewards can be deadly to your workout progress. Setting small goals and rewarding yourself is an excellent way to keep yourself motivated and keep you on your routine but they should be things that are in line with your new lifestyle. Things like new workout clothes, a manicure or a new purse. These physical reminders will last so much longer than a piece of cheesecake and prove to be constant reminders for you to keep going when you might be thinking of skipping your workout!

I hope these tips have helped you get over that scale shock and encouraged you to keep going. I PROMISE you that if you stick to your clean/healthy eating and daily exercise that you WILL see amazing results!!

Do you want more information on how you can receive support just like this?  Email me or send me a friend request on Facebook and I would be glad to chat with you about the types of support you can get from me as your coach!

I hope to hear from you soon and good luck!!!