Muscle recovery
After physical exercise, biochemical reactions occur in muscle cells that attract additional water - hence the weight gain. The muscles recover in this way, and this is normal. The process usually takes from one to three days - these figures depend on the characteristics of the body, muscle group and the magnitude of the load. This is also influenced by how intensely a person trains and for how long.
Egor Fukalov
Fitness trainer
Experienced athletes usually do not experience swelling after training, but for beginners this outcome is quite likely. Swelling, for example, can be accompanied by strength exercises, because during such exercise microtraumas of the muscles occur, and this is stress for the body. There is no need to be afraid; as you adapt, this process will normalize.
Dehydration
In the early days after training, you can lose a huge amount of water. If a person weighs, for example, 80-90 kilograms, when he runs 10 kilometers, he will sweat a lot and lose one kilogram along with water.
If you do not “replenish” your water reserves in time, this will lead to an imbalance in the water-salt balance in the body. In this case, the level of antidiuretic hormone, which is responsible for water balance, will increase, and this can contribute to weight gain. Of course, after one workout the weight will not increase significantly, but after several sessions this can happen.
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This can also manifest itself in the form of swelling, which can make you look fuller. The human body on average consists of 50-60% water - it can change body weight by a couple of kilograms. This is where weight fluctuations occur throughout the day.
This is partly why diuretics (diuretics) are so popular - they “drain” excess fluid from the body and give a short-term weight loss effect. But these drugs are intended to treat various diseases, and not to combat excess weight. If you drink enough fluid, the level of antidiuretic hormone and water-salt balance will be normal.
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After the diet
A person who has successfully completed a diet finds himself in a peculiar situation: he has lost weight, but his metabolic rate is still reduced, and the changed hormonal background causes a feeling of hunger and interferes with muscle growth. Dieting also has serious psychological consequences, for example, it can cause a strong fixation on the hedonic aspects of meals. And people who strived to lose weight by a certain date or for a special occasion lose motivation after the milestone is passed and the goal is achieved. Approximately 80-90% of people who go on a diet subsequently return to their original weight. Life “after a diet” is by no means easy.
If a person who has completed the active phase of weight loss wants to maintain the achieved result, reasonable calorie restriction and physical activity are recommended. If he rushes to enjoy all the gastronomic joys that he has been deprived of for so long, he will quickly cope with all the unpleasant metabolic and hormonal effects, but will gain weight again. And the sharper the transition from the diet to the previous lifestyle, the faster the fat will return.
It would be great if metabolic rate and hormonal levels were restored on their own. Alas, this does not happen. Even after a year of successfully maintaining the new weight, the concentration of hunger hormones and the subjective desire to eat are still much higher than the initial, pre-diet level, and energy expenditure is lower. In cases of particularly dramatic weight loss, metabolic adaptations make themselves felt even six years later, and the more successful people were at maintaining their new weight, the more pronounced these adaptations were.
In one study, researchers observed weight regain in athletes after competition. Some regained weight in the first 4-6 weeks after the competition, while others gained a few extra pounds. Unfortunately, they gained fat tissue, not muscle. Unfortunately, restoration of resting metabolic rate is associated with an increase in the proportion of adipose tissue; without this, metabolic adaptations cannot be dealt with. According to the data that experts now have, the easiest way to overcome these unpleasant sensations is to eat high-calorie foods and restore fat reserves. However, that’s not why we lost weight. I would like to restore my calorie expenditure without gaining fat.
It is known that an acute lack of energy affects metabolism and the functioning of the endocrine glands, and an excess of calories has the same effect. With short-term overeating, leptin levels increase significantly, which is accompanied by a sharp increase in metabolic rate. Unfortunately, the hormonal effect does not last long, and the jump in metabolic rate is usually not enough to process all the excess calories that have been taken in, so even with short-term overeating, fat is formed. However, research has shown that some factors that interfere with weight loss are sensitive to short-term energy changes and do not depend solely on fat mass. If energy deficiency causes adaptations that are unfavorable for weight loss, then a small surplus of calories could theoretically help normalize the metabolic and hormonal parameters of a person who has lost weight.
The ability to cope with overeating varies from person to person and is genetically determined. Over eight weeks of overeating (1,000 extra calories per day), study participants gained between 0.36 and 4.23 kg, meaning some subjects gained 10 times more fat than others under the same conditions. Fat formation is dependent on total energy expenditure, and increased spontaneous activity slows down the gain of fat mass. Therefore, many people view this “reverse diet” as a means to combat metabolic adaptations. They gradually increase their caloric intake, their body responds by increasing its energy expenditure, mainly through spontaneous activity, and thus, by consuming several hundred calories more than during the weight loss period, people manage to stay lean.
There are, however, two circumstances that must be taken into account when choosing such a strategy. First of all, this is heredity, because, as stated above, some people are extremely sensitive to even slight overeating and absorb calories like a sponge. In addition, metabolic adaptations respond to both short-term and long-term food availability. If you eat enough to maintain 5% body fat, then you will have that 5%. With good genetics, an additional 600 calories per day and 5% body fat is a perfectly acceptable option. While the metabolic adaptation symptoms that accompany extreme thinness are not particularly distressing, a person may still experience hunger, weakness, fatigue, and hormonal dysfunction. In addition, a “hungry” physiological environment is not favorable for muscle formation.
It is necessary to increase the calorie intake after the active weight loss phase: in order not to suffer from the symptoms of metabolic adaptation, the body must be convinced that there is no loss of calories. Intake should be increased to maintenance values, which, in any case, are less than the number of calories consumed before the diet. If the goal is to maintain the achieved weight, the caloric intake should be increased gradually. If, having said goodbye to fat, you need to build muscle mass, the calorie content is increased faster and by a larger amount. However, you should not count on a quick effect. Lean people who engage in weight training are known to experience minimal muscle gain immediately after weight loss.
On the post-diet path of a person, various traps lie in wait, and the main one is hyperphagia (a constant feeling of hunger or overeating). Hyperphagia can be combated in different ways, a detailed discussion of which is beyond the scope of this article. It is very important to avoid treats in particular. There are many specially designed dietary products that are low in calories, but have a delicious taste and aroma. In those who have just lost excess weight, they cause bouts of gluttony - proven in rodents.
In one such study, rodents were kept on a starvation diet, and then one group was given a standard food, and the other was given exactly the same food, but with a tiny, very, very tasty morsel. No matter how small this addition was, it caused increased eating of regular food. It is impossible, of course, to literally compare the eating behavior of rats and the pleasure that a person who has lost excess weight at the cost of long-term malnutrition receives from a meal. But it is known that many people on a diet have dishes that they love so much that once they start eating them, they cannot stop eating them. Such temptations should be avoided, especially when transitioning from active weight loss to weight maintenance.
Changes in body weight
Many people hope to leave the gym weighing at least half a ton less. But this will not happen immediately after training; rather, on the contrary, the numbers on the scales will creep up.
Body weight is the sum of the weight of not only adipose tissue and muscles, but also bones, fluid, and internal organs. Immediately after training, some of these indicators may change - the muscles are restored, fluid accumulates in the tissues, and no one has yet canceled diuresis. For example, if a person drinks plenty of water during and after training, then weight may increase. But as soon as he sweats or visits the restroom, his weight returns to normal.
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Why doesn't weight come off when exercising?
Beginners who engage in regular exercise in combination with a specific diet often wonder why they don’t lose weight when they exercise. The reason for this common phenomenon is that through regular exercise, the body builds muscle mass, which can spread throughout the body. It replaces gradually burned adipose tissue, etc. muscles are heavier than fat, you are unlikely to lose weight at first.
Muscle growth
The appearance of additional body weight during regular exercise is often associated with an increase in muscle mass rather than fat, the abundance of which has various negative effects on human health. This will help you make your body stronger and healthier than before. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry too much if you notice that the weight doesn’t want to go away, because... you gain muscle instead of fat. But at the same time, it is necessary to adjust your diet, diversifying it with healthy foods rich in various substances.
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Lack of calories
When using a low-calorie diet to lose excess fat, people often end up consuming much fewer calories than necessary for normal body function. This is a very serious mistake, because... The appearance of a deficit of the required number of calories will lead to a slowdown in metabolic rate. It turns out that a low calorie diet will affect the increase in fat reserves in your body, because. The body will try hard to conserve energy. At the same time, you will feel tired and lethargic.
Basic metabolic disorder
The human body needs a constant supply of energy. Its sources are consumed food and stored fats with a very small amount of carbohydrates. When a person, through volitional efforts, reduces the amount of food he eats, the body begins to draw energy from internal reserves. But when it cannot or does not want to extract the required amount of energy from them, the body begins to reduce its expenditure. A mandatory precursor to this is the appearance of hunger, so appetite may increase after exercise. As a result, basic metabolism is disrupted.
Monotonous workouts
Why doesn't the weight come off with regular hour-long workouts? If you are faced with this problem even if you go to classes 4-5 times a week, then this is due to the fact that you are doing monotonous exercises. To solve it, use the following recommendations:
- If you like to walk in the garden or somewhere in the park, you can walk briskly for about 1 hour, 4-5 times a week. Results may appear in approximately 3 weeks.
- You definitely need cardio exercise after strength training, which will help you consolidate the results by burning some excess fat.
- When improving your physical fitness, be sure to increase the intensity of your training. To do this, take advantage of forms of exercise such as dancing and aerobics.
Hormonal disorders
Some people who regularly perform all the necessary physical activities, overcome pain with fatigue, and eat only healthy foods, experience a lack of any significant results. Reasons may be related to health:
- disorders of the thyroid gland;
- taking hormonal contraceptives;
- menopause in older women;
- taking certain medications, such as birth control pills.
Calorie surplus
Let's be honest, some people train just so they can have a blast at McDuck or FSC. After a workout, many people reward themselves, with a clear conscience they go to compensate for the calories burned and abuse “healthy” snacks.
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What complicates the situation is that after intense exercise, severe hunger sometimes appears, which few can resist. All this can lead to weight either staying the same or growing.
Egor Fukalov
Fitness trainer
After physical activity, an increased appetite actually appears. After all, a person spends a lot of energy, and protein synthesis increases in the body in order to restore those tissues that were destroyed during the training process.
Abuse of proteins and carbohydrates
Many beginners believe that they need a lot of protein. It is clear that protein is an important part of the sports diet, but it should not be abused. In addition to putting stress on your kidneys, too much protein can also affect your weight.
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As for carbohydrates, only professional athletes need them in large quantities before a race, for example. So if your run lasts less than two hours, you don't need excess carbohydrates.
In general, ask any expert and they will tell you that weight is not the main indicator of success. Focus not on numbers, but on changes in body quality. Buy scales with a body composition analyzer - they show the percentage of fat and muscle, bone tissue, water, and visceral fat content. Some models even determine what caused the weight change: muscle, fat or water. Don't obsess over your weight and look in the mirror more often - this will give a more accurate picture of your appearance.
Peculiarities
The total calorie content of the diet is 1800–2000 kilocalories. The diet is designed for people leading a sedentary lifestyle, but in combination with increased physical activity, this type of diet allows you to lose 2–2.5 kg in a month.
The main emphasis in this diet is on limiting the consumption of sugar and foods containing it, quickly digestible carbohydrates, animal fats, and foods that stimulate the appetite.
The maximum amount of salt is 5 grams per day, you can drink up to 1 liter of clean water. Butter is not prohibited, but in limited portions - up to 15 g per day. Vegetable oils are added to dishes. Consumption of flour products is limited to 150 grams per day, but if the weight does not go away for a long time, then the amount of bread and other flour products is reduced to 100 grams.
For cooking, you can use boiling, poaching, stewing, steaming, and occasionally baking and frying without adding fat is allowed.
You need to eat at least 5-6 times a day.
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