You probably didn’t go to the gym with the intention of leaving feeling heavier than when you came, but some of the most strenuous workouts can have this effect. Temporary swelling after exercise can result from a number of factors, including increased blood flow, transient hypertrophy, fiber growth, and carbs and/or glycogen entering muscle structures. To find out more about getting fatter after exercising, read this article.
Do You Usually Look Fatter Or Fluffier After Working Out?
In light of the aforementioned explanations, experiencing bloating or noticing a physical sign of weight gain is completely normal. Unfortunately, this minor discomfort can slow down progress and add to the long list of justifications that would-be exercisers use to avoid exercising.
Those who want to lose weight will be much better equipped to persevere if they have faith that this feeling of fatness is a passing phenomenon.
It has been demonstrated that persistence in the face of setbacks—no matter how small—contributes to long-term sustained weight loss in addition to initial weight loss.
Why Do I Look Fatter After Working Out?
You’ve Retained Water
Your body is retaining water after exercise, which is the main cause of your appearance of fat.
In fact, all the additional factors—which I’ll discuss in a moment—are related to water retention in some way. This is actually entirely normal and your body’s natural way of speeding up the healing process.
Intense exercise causes tiny microscopic tears in the muscle tissues. Again, this is entirely normal. After a particularly challenging workout, this is usually the cause of your soreness.
You gain more muscle and strength because of these natural repairs of the tears that occur during exercise. This damaged muscle tissue will receive fluid delivery from the body as part of the healing process.
Aside from that, glycogen is required by your muscles to power your demanding workouts. A carbohydrate called glycogen is kept in your muscles and liver.
However, the best outcomes come from a glycogen-water binding reaction. This means that once water and glycogen are combined, your muscles will have the necessary strength and energy to finish any type of exercise you’re doing.
You’ll discover that when you first start exercising, your body needs more water and glycogen to fuel your muscles.
However, as you become more accustomed to exercise, say after a month or so, your muscles won’t require as much water and glycogen. Many of you may experience this in your first month of exercising, which may make you appear or feel heavier.
You’re Dehydrated
Dehydration and water retention being discussed in the same sentence seems a little odd.
Dehydration, however, is unquestionably another reason why you might appear fatter after your workout. After an extended or intense cardio session, many people claim that they actually appear to be getting fatter.
They are baffled as to why they appear to have gained more weight after participating in an activity like a 10k run, which should, in theory, result in weight loss.
When marathon runners finish the race, they typically look puffier and bloated.
You might even notice that these seasoned professionals with extremely low body fat levels appear to have a little post-race belly fat.
Don’t be concerned; this is also completely normal. When you’re dehydrated, your body appears to be lacking in water. The truth is that when you’re dehydrated, your body actually retains more water. Your body effectively enters survival mode as a result of this.
Your Cortisol Levels Have Increased
Cortisol, a stress hormone, is another thing to watch out for. And for those of you who appear to be exercising more intensely and for a longer period of time, cortisol is to blame.
The body’s main stress hormone is cortisol, so whenever you feel stressed, your body will produce more cortisol. Although we frequently assume that stress only affects the mind, your body can undoubtedly feel physical stress as well.
This is also the reason why you’ll notice that shorter, more intense workouts seem to have a better effect on your body composition than longer, more laborious ones. Glucose levels in the blood will rise as a result of cortisol.
Thus, all of these glucose molecules will actually push glycogen out of the muscles and into the bloodstream. As a result, you’re depriving your muscles of their fuel and preventing them from working as effectively.
Your Muscles Are “pumped”
In essence, you essentially look twice as big as you did at the beginning of an intense session. Simply put, when you work out a specific muscle group, blood and water begin to accumulate in the working muscles.
In fact, professional bodybuilders frequently use a pair of dumbbells to perform exercises like lateral raises, bicep curls, and tricep extensions just seconds before they take the stage.
They want to make the muscles appear bigger by causing blood and water to rush to them.
You might experience exactly the same thing following a workout. When performing a lot of work, you might have also felt that lactic acid “burn.”
Type Of Training
Those who are focused on strength training or powerlifting may initially question whether their weight loss goals will be accomplished due to initial water retention.
Because resistance-based exercise programs for overweight people significantly lower body fat percentage and mass of total body fat, this concern is unfounded. When combined with a calorie restriction, the effects are even more powerful.
However, a decrease in body fat percentage is connected to changes in body composition and is not always related to a reduction in weight. Fat does not carry as much weight as muscle, which can lead people to believe they are not improving.
Should all resistance training be discontinued? No, not if you want to build more muscle. Cardio is fantastic and can burn fat, but it doesn’t contribute much to body composition changes or the desired strength gains.
Bloating
Common post-workout feelings include bloating and a general sense of heaviness. Water retention, excessive or inadequate hydration, heat, inflammatory muscle conditions, and the release of the stress hormone cortisol can all contribute to this uncomfortable condition.
A good plan is essential to avoid the feeling that one’s stomach looks fat after exercising because nutrition and water intake have a big part to play in many of the aforementioned factors.
While there are many different diets, there are also many fundamental strategies that are less overwhelming for beginners to use at the start of their journey.
Is There A Link Between Exercising And Gaining Weight?
Usually, exercising will just make you feel heavier overall or add a few pounds to the scale, but not necessarily more fat. Even though it’s uncommon, the fat gain can occur if exercise has also increased hunger and a resulting caloric surplus.
Exercise is frequently used as an unjustified excuse to splurge on a fast-food outing or to accept an extra serving of dessert. A caloric deficit, however, will never be possible if a workout regimen is combined with equal parts food indulgence.
Simple mindfulness exercises or more involved strategies, such as a meticulously planned nutrition program, can be used to combat eating problems. Consistency is important regardless of the nutritional plan.
In spite of the fact that anything less than perfection can make people feel like giving up, a 12-month study of 1,000 nutrition clients revealed that those who were only 50% consistent with their program were still able to lose between 5-6% of their total body weight.