Making changes to your diet and exercise routine can help you lose weight. When you reduce your calorie intake and increase calorie burn through physical activity, the weight should come off. However, you may find that the scale tips in the wrong direction after dieting and exercising. Speak to your doctor if you have concerns that a medical condition could be causing the weight gain.
Increased Appetite
Exercising can cause you to gain weight by increasing your appetite. After you exercise, you may be eating more calories than you burned during the workout session. To keep calorie intake under control, choose low calorie snacks, such as a piece of fruit or veggie sticks, to help feel full for longer.
Forms of Exercise
The type of exercise you do can also affect whether or not you gain weight. If you are doing regular sessions of resistance exercises with large amounts of weight, the muscle mass you build may give you more definition but also increase your body weight. Types of activities that burn the most calories include running, dancing, cross country skiing and stair climbing. However, you should not give up resistance exercises completely, even if you are trying to lose weight. Resistance exercise helps increase your metabolic rate and burn more calories in the long run.
Fad Diets
If you have recently lost weight, you may find that you regain weight at a much quicker pace. You are especially at risk if you followed a fad diet or fast that requires you to eat very few calories to lose weight. When you don't eat enough calories, your metabolic rate decreases and you'll put on more weight once you resume normal eating.
Risk Factors
Certain factors are associated with weight regain after dieting and exercising. According to a report published in the July 2005 issue of "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," Brown Medical School researchers found that people with reduced depression levels and a higher level of dietary restraint were less likely to gain weights than their counterparts. Being able to control emotional eating can also prevent gaining weight after completing a diet.
References
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;" Long-term weight loss maintenance; Rena R Wing et al; July 2005
- "Time" magazine; Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin; John Cloud; August 2009
- "The New York Times"; Exercise = Weight Loss, Except When It Doesn't; Jane E Brody; September 2006
- HelpGuide.org: Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting
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