Gain weight instead of losing weight while working out in the gym

As long as you don’t secretly show off your fried chicken and milk tea supper, don’t suddenly increase your diet significantly, and gain 2-5 pounds after practicing in the gym for a few weeks, 90% of it is a positive gain, and the probability of actually gaining fat is less than 10%, so there is no need to panic.

My former student Xiao Nan had gone through this trap. She was 112 pounds in height and weighed 112 pounds. She regularly trained on the elliptical machine and strength training three times a week, and had boiled vegetables for dinner. However, three weeks later, when she stood on the physical tester and saw that she was 116, her face collapsed on the spot and she said that she had gained weight even if she drank cold water. As a result, when I measured my circumference, I found that my waist circumference was 2 centimeters less and my thigh circumference was 1.5 centimeters less. The tight jeans I wore before were so tight on my hips that I could fit a fist into them that day.

Don't listen to those bloggers who say "you gained weight because you gained muscle". Ordinary enthusiasts can gain three or four pounds of pure muscle in three weeks. This is an efficiency that only professional players can achieve by using drugs. How can normal people have this talent? The weight most people gain in the first month or two of exercise is basically the glycogen and water stored in their muscles. When you didn't move much for a long time, the glycogen reserves in your muscles were just enough for daily walking and fishing. Now you suddenly start to exercise regularly. Your body is afraid that you will "suffer" next time, so it actively increases the glycogen reserves. For every 1 gram of glycogen stored, 3 grams of water must be tied up. Doesn't this mean you gain weight? Bodybuilders use this principle to fill their muscles with carbs before a competition. This is equivalent to passively charging them with carbs. You will see your weight gain, but in fact your muscles will become tighter and slimmer. From another perspective, this is proof that you have trained well.

Oh, by the way, there’s another mistake. If you get on the scale right after practice and drink two bottles of water, it’s normal for your weight to gain one or two pounds. I had a student before who drank two bottles of electrolyte water and weighed 3 pounds after practice. He almost smashed the physical measuring machine on the spot. It was completely unnecessary.

Of course, this does not mean that all weight gain is a good thing. There are also cases where you gain fat if you eat too much. I have seen many people think after practicing, "I have consumed a lot today and I must reward myself." They walk out of the gym and go directly to the barbecue stall next to them. They eat two skewers of pork belly and a glass of iced Coke. After practicing for 40 minutes, they consume 300 calories in one bite and earn 200. That gain is indeed pure fat. There is also a controversy that has been quarreling in the fitness circle for many years: one group of people firmly believe that "you must open up calories after training or the training will be in vain", while the other group of people insist that "if you want to lose fat, you must close the calorie gap, and you cannot eat one more bite after training." In fact, for ordinary people who just want to lose weight and get in good shape, there is no need to worry. After training, don't deliberately show off junk food that is high in oil and sugar. Eat an egg and drink a cup of warm milk normally, and there will be no problem. There is no need to go to extremes.

It's easy to distinguish whether you have gained a "good weight" or a "bad weight". Don't stare at the jumping numbers on the scale. Weigh yourself once every Monday morning on an empty stomach after going to the bathroom. At the same time, measure your waist and leg circumferences, and then take a full-body photo with consistent lighting. Compare the changes in the three weeks: If your weight has increased and your circumference has decreased, congratulations, you are heading in the direction of "dressing to look thinner and taking off clothes to gain weight." Don't worry about the number, just keep practicing. If your weight has increased and your circumference has increased, and the baby fat on your face has obviously rounded out, then you should go back and take a look at your food records to see if you have "rewarded yourself" too many times after training.

I was worried about this when I first started weightlifting. I gained 4 pounds after practicing for a month. I almost sold my fitness card at that time. But one day when I looked through the photos on my friends circle, I realized that the loose swimming ring on my waist was almost gone. Now my scale only runs once every half month, and I don’t take that number seriously at all. After all, the purpose of fitness for us ordinary people is to wear small skirts without getting stuck in the waist, climb the fifth floor without gasping for breath, and have normal physical examination report indicators. We are not going to participate in weightlifting competitions and be classified according to weight. Why should we worry about the fluctuation of one or two pounds?