I think exercise is making me "fat"

[HeatherRayne]

I just don't understand and I determined to find an answer!! When I take short breaks from my exercise routine, my tummy is very noticably flatter. And as soon as I return, I get all bloated...big difference. Husband even noticed. And it stays that way until I take another break. I just do not get it!!

My exercise is fast walking 60-90 mins per day plus exercises given to me by my physical therapist. Can anyone explain this??

[betpchem]

Maybe you drink more water when you exercise? 

[EmersonFitbit]

Like @betpchem, I think water might help. We all have those moments when we feel like we look a certain way, and feel great about it. That means you're not too far away from looking and feeling that way all the time! Just keep pushing. 

Also, it's been mentioned for years, but I cut my carb consumption by 75% last year, and it really worked out for me!

[Ozzie65]

Hi @HeatherRayne - there is definitely a strange phenomenon that happens - I know exactly what you are talking about! It's really common for me to add a couple of pounds on weeks where I run or workout alot, then drop weight the following week when I doing more resting. To be honest, I haven't done any research into this because I find that overall, I am losing more than I am gaining... That said, I am very interested in any responses here!

[BWD72]

We often will gain a little bit of weight when starting (or restarting) exercising.  One reason for this is that as you ramp up your exercise tolerance, your body starts to store more glycogen, which is a reservoir of glucose -- aka body fuel.  We all should have lots of glycogen stored normally (unless there is a disease state present) because "life" requires some degree of it.  However, as our training level improves, one of the responses of the body is to put more glycogen into the two main storage areas, the liver and skeletal muscles.  This process requires water to be stored too, so there is some added weight.  This is in direct relation to the frequency, intensity, and duration of strenuous exercise, because when glycogen is depleted, circulating glucose will rapidly fall to the point where severe fatigue ("Hitting the wall") kicks in.  And then you're done.

So, adding glycogen is your body's way of saying "Wow!  You really want me to get in better shape, eh?  Guess I'd better store up more of this stuff" and NOT "I'm going to get a bit fatter to discourage this exercise crap"  It's definitely a good thing.

Also keep in mind that as we exercise our scale weight bounces around and may go up for other reasons.  Never confuse scale weight with body composition!  The saying "muscle weighs more than fat" is a bit cliche but true.  Keep up the good work, put good food in and burn those calories, and you will reach your goals!

-BWD.

[HeatherRayne]

Thank you very much! That all makes a ton of sense. But the only question I have - this has been my exercise routine almost daily for a very long time. And the bloating still happens unless I take a break from it. As if my body just refuses to get the message. Any thoughts on why?

[EmersonFitbit]

You're might not be putting more pounds on, but rather are experiencing a body pleateu (I always sell this wrong). I should provide a disclaimer that anything I say is likely coming from personal experience.

"Fitness or weight loss plateaus are common in exercise programs. The body adapts to specific demands placed upon it. The longer you continue to do the same workouts, the more efficient your body becomes at performing them, which in turn uses less energy."

Source. 

[TandemWalker]

Hi there @HeatherRayne. The problems you're describing might be health related, so my first advice would be to consult with your family doctor and see what he/she says. As for your exercise regimen, doing the same exercise every day is probably not the right way to do it. As @EmersonFitbit mentioned in his post, your body gradually adapts to the set of demands, such that you're no longer challenging your metabolism.

So what you need to do is kickstart your metabolism by introducing something completely different than what you've been doing. It will be even more successful if you this new activity targets a different muscle group.

Try to vary your daily exercise regimen. I do weight training, bicycling, walk/jog workouts, boxing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, stationary bike, resistance bands, rowing machine ... But I try to avoid doing the same thing two days in a row. It's not a big deal if I do once in a while; but to do the same thing day-after-day would effectively cause your metabolism to plateau out.

But you should definitely check with your doctor for possible underlying causes; because I've never heard of plateauing causing bloating and the kinds of symptoms you're describing.

Take care.

TW

[mlaccs]

Water intake?  My wieght fluctuates as much as 5 pounds a day but the overall trend is and has been lower.  When I check daily it is good to notice the trends but not be tied into the details.   As for my tummy, well it is Christmas time and the little kids are calling me Santa. 🙂

[emili]

@HeatherRayne, I am with Tandemwalker on this. What you are describing doesn't sound like the normal water retention or gas bloat from sweating and moving. and if you are managing your weight, then I don't believe you hit the plateau. And if you are doing your routine semi consistent then your body has adapted the fuel storage it needs. I would consider going to get checked out. It is probably nothing, but better be safe. I would recommend keeping a diary of how much you pee on the days you exercise vs how much water you drink. This will be helpful to your doctor.

[Heybales]

You said it was in the stomach only, and same exercise routine, so ....

Sadly the excellent explanation doesn't apply because glucose with attached water in your muscles wouldn't show up in your stomach, and considering it's maybe only 1 lb max additional, it usually won't even show up in the muscles when measured since that is in all the muscles you are using in your workouts. And it doesn't keep increasing without the endurance level going up requiring it.

And even if just doing crunches only - still wouldn't.

You could be having some sort of stress from normal workouts, not the good kind, but the kind that is raising your cortisol levels.

That retains water - and mainly in middle area.

Workout retained water for repair, like from lifting, would be in the muscle specifically to aid repair, and that actually can show up better than glucose/water increase when measuring.

So unless you are really doing some wild situps and are very sore in the stomach and retaining water for repair - it's likely the stress from the workouts.

What are your workouts, like specifically the routine and the day, and the time and intensity of it?

Because some people think that hardest they can do it all the time is best, and that's not true. So it could be that until your rest week, your body is one big ball of stress.

That's one possibility.

And perhaps related to that, or merely the fact of exercise - you could have bloating.

Does your diet change on the workout week by a decent amount?

Hopefully you are eating more then if you are doing this right, and what you are eating more of could be at issue.

[Ironmaidn]

It could be possible that you are hitting a exercise plateau. You stated you have been doing this routine for some time. It's important to mix up your exercise routine. In other words "shock your body" by doing an alternate routine of your resources and time allow. If you are weight training there can e added weight gain as you lose inches while firming up. The "belly bloat" you are speaking of I have heard of. Please consult your MD and ask about possibly adding a fiber supplement to your diet to assist with the bloat. A product like Metamucil, Citacel, etc. etc. Again, please consult your MD prior to adding a dietary supplement. Best wishes to you. Please keep us posted on how you are doing.