Gain Weight From Running? It’s Possible
In 2006, I fractured my right hip and left ankle and spent four months off my feet, using crutches to get around only when I had to. I’d just run a marathon and thought for sure the abrupt drop in exercise would result in instant weight gain. But a funny thing happened; I lost about 10 pounds—and without ever feeling hungry.
Within a month of resuming running, the weight had piled back on.
There are numerous physiological reasons why I lost weight once I stopped exercising, and some of them are explained in a recent New York magazine article (“The Scientist and the Stairmaster,” Sept. 24, 2007) that questions the role exercise plays in many weight maintenance and weight loss programs. As author Gary Taubes puts it: “The one thing that might be said about exercise with certainty is that it tends to make us hungry. Maybe not immediately, but eventually. Burn more calories and the odds are very good that we’ll consume more as well.”
Sure, if you reduce the calories you take in and increase those you expend, you will lose weight, at least initially. But the article explains that our bodies will attempt to do an end-run around that initiative and override willpower through the hormonal regulation of fat cells. As Taubes explains:
Ultimately, the relationship between physical activity and fatness comes down to the question of cause and effect. Is Lance Armstrong excessively lean because he burns off a few thousand calories a day cycling, or is he driven to expend that energy because his body is constitutionally set against storing calories as fat? If his fat tissue is resistant to accumulating calories, his body has little choice but to burn them as quickly as possible: what Rony and his contemporaries called the “activity impulse” physiological drive, not a conscious one. His body is telling him to get on his bike and ride, not his mind. Those of us who run to fat would have the opposite problem. Our fat tissue wants to store calories, leaving our muscles with a relative dearth of energy to burn. Itís not willpower we lack, but fuel.
Taubes also contends those who do lose weight after adopting a strenuous exercise regime probably also made a concerted effort to eliminate the kinds of foods that stimulate insulin production. “Rare is the person who decides the time has come to lose weight and doesn’t also decide perhaps it’s time to eat fewer sweets, drink less beer, switch to diet soda, and maybe curtail the kind of carb-rich snacks—the potato chips and the candy bars—that might be singularly responsible for driving up their insulin and so their fat,” he wrote.
So if you find you’re gaining, or at least no longer losing, weight while upping your mileage, it may be what you’re consuming after a workout or later in the day or week.
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I lose weight every time that I stop running. If I lift heavy at the same time that I stop running, then I might manage to maintain my weight, but if I am not active if I take an extensive layoff from running then I can lose 5 or 10 pounds in a week or two (after a week or two of not running, of course.)
The weight comes back once I start running again. Since I have no desire to lose weight, I just keep running.
[...] unfortunate relationship between running and weight gain . – Complete [...]
So are you saying Flamin’ Hot Cheetos perhaps AREN’T the best apres run snack?
In my own experience, I usually don’t eat a lot of junk foods, and pay attention to things like fat/protein/carb ratios and sort of keep an eye on caloric intake without becoming obsessive, but not exercising/running and experiencing some weight loss leads me to think I’m losing muscle.
I too was concerned that I’d pile on weight when I had to take a few months off witn an ankle injury.
I was just a few months away from having to fit into a very small bridesmaid dress too!
However I started to feel much less hungry straight away and even when I did fancy some junk food the “Well you can burn it off in the morning,” devil wasn’t on my shoulder so it was easier to resist and stick to fruit instead.
Not something I hope I’ll have to go through but it was good to find out that a few weeks off wouldn’t instantly lead to a waistline explosion!
I experience this same thing while training. If I just run shorter runs during the week and scale back my long run on the weekend I drop 7-8lbs in a few DAYS. If I resume my long runs again, it’s right back. So what I think is that it is possibly due to glycogen storage in the muscles and liver??? I must store a lot because 8lbs is a lot to me. I wrestle with the concept of if it is water weight, muscle inflammation or fat storage. However, I have never dropped 8lbs of fat in a few days. I have dropped that much in water that fast. My weight fluctuations wildly since I started running and I just don’t know if I want to even bother stepping on that scale! At least my clothes still fit like a glove…if that means anything. In fact my husband says I look leaner than a few weeks ago even. Interesting but the scale has this girl freaked sometimes. Ironically, when I have had to take time off from running and the scale dropped those 8lbs, I felt puffier and my clothes were tighter. I don’t get it. I am blaming my muscles and the fact that they apparently LOVE to store up that sugar!!!! This could be a great performance benefit but I am not so sure of that yet.
I too gain weight as soon as I start running again. My friends think I am crazy when I tell them this and always say “you must be eating more or differently”. The truth is that I’m not eating more or differently. When I stop running I will drop 5-8 pounds in a matter of a week or two. Can anyone really explain this? It is annoying and makes me want to stop running but yet again. Help!!
I’m a 28 year old female and totally relate to this! I have just been running myself into the ground 40-50 miles a week on 1500-1700 calories a day in attempt to lose weight and gained 10 to 15 pounds. Have always told my friends while training for a marathon that I’m likely to put on 10 pounds and they always think it’s nuts. I thought that if I really regulated my calorie intake, I would lose, but not true. I also cannot explain what happens, and I definitely know in my case I am gaining fat for sure because my clothes fit tighter and I feel puffier all over when I’m running high miles. Have always been my thinnest after being sick and unable to work out for a couple weeks. Then people always ask how I’ve lost weight, and it’s usually because I’m not working out and not really all that hungry. Very bizarre. Actually just decided the other day to stop running so much to drop a few pounds. How ironic, huh? My clothes have been too tight, and they’re fitting better already just after a week off. Hahaha. Oh well, too bad I love running, because it would be nice if I could be slimmer when I’m running!
Wow! its quite comforting to read your comments! Im a 21 year old student and Ive been running since I was 9! Recently I’ve upped my mileage to around 60 a week and would say I eat well, and probably not enough! Although I love running sometimes I think I only do it to stay slim, but since I’ve increased my running I actually seem to have put on weight! I do think a lot of the time, however, I eat a little more so I have the energy to run! Ive had a few niggles lately so thought it would be a good opportunity to have a couple of weeks off and see what difference it makes to my weight! glad to hear im not on my own in this though
I am 19 and recently started running about a month ago. I’ve never been a good runner so I decided to start training this summer. I only run about 3 miles a day in the mornings. I normally run every day of the week, sometimes only 5 days. I have not changed my eating habits at all and I am gaining weight. I keep track of what I eat and stay around 1200- 1300 calories a day. My diet consists of fruit veggies whole grains and lean proteins. Why am I gaining?
I started training the end of May to run a half marathon, and have put on about 2-3 pounds. Not much, but I thought that I would lose weight! It’s great to hear that it is normal to gain because I thought that I was going crazy! haha. When I do lots of yoga I tend to lose weight, note to all of those out there who are interested in weight loss exercises. Heated Yoga and Ashtanga tend to do the job.
Well it seems to be unanimous. Over the last three months I’ve lost 15 pounds. I did by 1) stopping exercising and 2) vegan diet. As of two weeks ago, I felt so motivated and happy w/my new body (my mood improved) that I was ready to start being physical. I’ve been backpacking and running- burning up those calories. I kind of knew I might gain some weight b/c last year I gained 10 pounds and was a very active person (biking or running an hour a day 4-5 days a week then going to work where in the restaurant where I’m active all night long). Well as of two weeks ago I’ve gained five pounds back. Grrreat. I feel better though… l love the endorphin rush so much that I don’t plan to stop running.
Also, my dad through-hiked the Appalachian Trail and told me that it’s quite common for men to lose weight and for women to GAIN weight, even though both genders are expending in the upwards of 6,000 calories a day! I’ve heard before that for men, exercise is more effective in weight loss whereas some women’s bodies go into “stress/defense mode,” and start storing fat, muscle, water, etc… from a biological standpoint think of it as women were not the hunter/gatherers… they don’t need to be lean to outrun dinner… they’re supposed to stay in the cave, care for the babies, and cook! haha. whereas when men increase activity, their bodies respond with fat loss. This may not be a little far-fetched, but I think it’s an interesting concept.
this may be a little far-fetched, not “this may not be a little far-fetched”
I should have proofread my post…
Im 21 and am training for the chicago marathon.
2months ago i had a lot of free time on my hand, and i didnt change my eating (cereal&yog, fruit, veggies, wholegrain bread, wholegrain pasta, beans, tuna, quorn) but i started going to the gym for 2-3 hours every day only cardio and i am devastated to know i have put on 1 stone (i am now 1lb off being overweight) so i am 10stone. which is bad for my height. i feel terrible, bloated and fat, all my clothes are tight and stuff. so a few weeks ago i stopped my gym membership because ive started training plan, which is 30-40miles per week but i hate only being able to do that amount (build up gradually) because i like to workout every day, but to workout every day i would have to do less than an hour and when i am used to doing such long workouts i feel like im going to put even more weight on because ill be burning a lot less calories…no?
i dont understand
they say only lose wight if you burn more cals than you eat, but 40miles is only 4000cals ish – i would burn more than 2000 per day in my gym workouts but gained weight. i just feel like my body works against me, and i dont see the point. especially now its summer time and i feel disgusting and ont even want to go on holiday an d get in a bikini!
x
This is so comforting to read – but also a bit depressing! I am really in to my running at the moment, getting my mileage per week up – I used to only manage about 6 miles a week, now I am doing between 13 – 20 dependent on how busy I am – and like the rest of you I am putting on weight too!
And I get married in 8 weeks and have been keeping up the running to maintain my weight!
I don’t know what to do – does anyone know of any exercise that will help me to lose weight as opposed to gaining it!? All of my clothes feel the same and I checked my measurements and they are also the same so why do I weigh more!?
x
By the way, I also have not changed my diet – I always eat wholegrain, good protein and loads of fruit and veg every day!
SOG knives…
Interesting ideas… I wonder how the Hollywood media would portray this?…
I’m feeling the gain also. My clothes are NOT fitting, I am looking dumpier, not more fit, and I am eating the same, or less. I have definitely gained muscle, both in my arms and legs, and possibly some around my middle, but even lifting weights, I never gained this much (~8-10 pounds). I have also noticed that I am full more quickly from my food, so that also contributes to my eating less…
I used to be a personal trainer, and I do know that the body does tend to go into stress and defense mode from exercise. I can’t say I have ever heard of this kind of weight gain, but my money is on that idea. Water weight sounds plausible, but not to this degree? I would be interested to find out more about this “runner’s hormone”, and about the “runner’s stomach/runner’s middle”?
Too bad the running feels so good!
It’s interesting to see such a common problem. The culprit in my opinion and from my experience is 1) increased appetite, and 2) muscle gain. When you up your mileage through running you are actually tearing and rebuilding muscle, which weighs more than fat. Doesn’t mean that the weight gained is purely muscle, but it would be a good percentage of it.
For those who are concerned (ie- have not changed their diets but have seen a weight increase while running), i suggest going for long walks instead. I’ve noticed that whenever i run, i gain muscle weight. However, when you walk you’re only burning fat (not increasing muscle), so a good amount of weight falls pretty quickly when you go on a pure walking regimen. Also, when you walk you’re more at ease mentally, so you have less of an impulse to binge afterwards.
Hi all, I have the same problem, I started running as found classes at the gym to expense and I love to run however I have gainned 10 pounds and gone up a dress size !! I just do not know what to do as I love to run but I do not want to gain anymore weight any ideas ???
HI Kelly.
I also saw weight gain when I first began running. Before that, I had been working out daily for about an hour on cardio equipment.. A few months after running, I noticed I had put on some weight.
What I think happened was that I was only running between 3 and 5 miles, which was less than the previous hour-long workout. I had basically reduced my workout time each day. Yet, my eating had increased because I felt hungrier from running. So I ate more. A LOT more.
What worked for me was 1) make sure I included the crosstraining on my off-days, and 2) be more careful of what I ate. I had the thought in my head “I can eat what Iwant because I’m running now”, and that is not true at all.
Also, take a look at what you are eating. Has your diet changed at all? I know that I thought I needed LOTS of carbs, but in reality, if you are running averages distances and not doing marathon training, you are probably ok with normal amounts of carbohydrates. Make sure you get protein in there as well as your veggies.
Sorry I don’t have some really easy answers here, but know that this is something that many runners end up experiencing. You are not alone. Good luck!
Standard Disclaimer:
I am not a physician. This is not medical advice. Seek professional medical advice from a trained and licensed medical professional before beginning any diet or exercise program. Any exercise activity contains inherent risk. Do not stand forward of the white line while bus is in motion. Close cover before striking.
Jon (was) in Michigans last blog post..If you are reading this
I am so happy yet discouraged to read some of your emails! I am happy that I am not the only one going through this. I have been running for over three months and built myself up to running approx. 3 miles four times a week. This isn’t a ton but its something. I have not however noticed a difference and have been eating the same amount to less than before and have gained weight. I took about 11 days off of running and lost weight but thought maybe it had to do with the medication I was on for anxiety, so I lowered my dose so it is the lowest amount possible and yet again after starting again the other day, gained the weight back that I lost while not be active. This is very frustrating and I have been searching for the reason as to this weight gain with little success. I am thankful however to coming across many of your comments- it makes me feel better that I am not the only one in this situation:)
I feel relieved that others are going through the same predicament as myself, but not better about the situation. I too, have increased my running from about 18-20 miles a week to about 30 miles a week and have begun to notice a weight gain coupled with a horrible bloated feeling. At first, I began to attribute it to quitting smoking but than I started to keep a food diary and my caloric intake has remained the same! I am filled with mixed emotions as the desire to continue to train for a marathon is exciting, yet the “fat, puffy” feeling is making me miserable…..any tips?
Thank you! Thank you! I am not going crazy! I’ve always been a moderate exerciser and decided to train for a 1/2 marathon. 2 months into it, I am up to 20miles a week and 8 lbs heavier! I feel incredible so I’m going to have to let the scale go until I’m finished training and enjoy the weight loss after training.
I am a 22 year-old now “retired (haha)” athlete and this blog has made my day. One week ago today I had ankle surgery and am now looking at a few months of inactivity and being on crutches… boo! Months ago, when I found out I needed this surgery, I decided to up my workouts and was soo frustrated when a) i put on a few lbs, b) plateau-ed, and c) couldn’t lose ANYTHING! I even tried to vary my routine by buying workout DVDs instead of just running and lifting. Before reading this I was afraid that my sudden drop in exercise would cause me to gain weight, but it is refreshing to hear that I may lose it. THANKS!
P.S. For anyone looking to get toned, I suggest trying kickboxing. I started it about a year and a 1/2 ago — AMAZING! You will work muscles that you never even knew you had, AND, even if you aren’t losing weight it sure does tone your body
Thank god I found this site – I’m not going mad afterall and have just read lots of these posts to my other half to show him I’m not going mad!!!
I’m training for the London Marathon, for the past 6 weeks I’ve done a minimum of 1/2 marathon for my long run, now I’m up around 22 miles, plus a couple of 10 runs during the week.
I noticed I’d put on weight about 8 weeks ago, so I’m now following Weight Watchers – haven’t lost a thing, still a stone heavier than I was before I started running – there MUST be a scientific explaination to this.
I’m sick of people telling me muscle is heavier than fat…..I know what FAT looks like! Yes i’ve certainly built muscle on my thighs, but that doesn’t account for the big band of fat around my middle.
Relieved to find this site, but still want an explaination! Everyone I’ve ever known who’s run a marathon has seen the weight drop off!
I actually thought I was going mad until i found this page. Ive put on a stone weight since last year after increasing my running duration.
I feel bloated, fat, full, and heavy most of the time. I was contributing my weight gain to an under active thyroid!! (wont know until later this week whether I have it or not)
My main problem is i love to run and feel even worse when i stop exercising (even though when i stop running i lose weight). Its a mental kick. I feel low at the moment because i havent been able to run in over two weeks due to illness. I feel heavy because im not exercising, yet i know when i go back running i’ll feel heavy and muscly again.
I also find when im running i want to everything in sight! I do contain myself but im never satisifed as such. Like others on here, I started running to lose weight in the first place. I cannot believe it causes the opposite. I do find it keeps me a good shape. (provided i dont go overboard.. aka running for 2 hrs everyday – ive cut down to an hour 3 times a week now). Its ridiclious though. I fit into size uk6-8 clothing and people always comment on how tiny i look and that i need to put on weight. They are shocked to learn im 9.5stone!!
Whats the explanation? Can it all be attributed to muscle gain?
I read before running was great to tone the stomach muscles? I have crohns disease so i have a certain natural amount of roundness in that area. I remember that got me into running a year ago. It baffles me as to why this is happening. Its not fair. Sitting on your a*s makes u slimmer?
I absolutely relate. I was injured (3 stress fractures and 2 ruptured tendons) after training for a marathon a 1.5 years ago…resulting in 9 months off of all exercise except upper body weights and seated yoga exercises. I was in a cast and on crutches. I initially freaked out believing that I would gain tons of weight. Imagine my surprise when I lost 27 pounds! I wasn’t overweight before the injury but was well underweight during and after the injury. I ate extremely healthy while training and decided that I would simply listen to what my body wanted (no restricting!) and employ the principle of moderation. And when I analyzed my diet, I was eating just as many calories…ingesting more fat and on no cardio. I attributed the weight loss on the theory that the human body will expend many calories to heal the body…therefore minimizing weight gain. I was happy (I’m generally more of a pessimist/somewhat depressed) and I felt healthy and balanced.
I started to train for another marathon 6 months ago and have put on 15 pounds. I know that some of it is muscle, but my body fat has increased from 19 to 27 percent! And it seems that I am constantly stressed, depressed, and I carry around that “puffy” feeling. My husband is very objective and observant and says he hasn’t seen me be unhealthy with my eating. I love to run but when I holistically evaluate quality of life when I am running verses when I’m not…not running wins out. Still there is that nagging feeling (or compulsion) to get out there and pound out miles…who knows what to do!
Hello everyone,
i was so proud of myself, my motivation and have loved to go on my runs.. unfortunately, gaining weight instead of losing it myself…. i still plan to run some. i do know of one exercise d.v.d. in particular that i did a year or so ago and it WILL HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT….. in fact, i lost the d.v.d. and then bought another one off of ebay. the exercise i am talking about is called ………..”YOGALATES…….. it is a mixture of yoga and pilates….. it is most definitely a miracle worker….. if you use it as stated….. do all exercises at least 3 times a week and you WILL get the body that you want….. LOUISE SOLOMAN is the creator of these wonderful d,v,d’s….. there are several in the yogalates line….. any one will work, if you just stick to the plan of exercise……. stick with it at least a month and you will feel so relaxed, less stressed, and looking forward to each session……. the one i use is ….. YOGA AND PILATES TOTAL BODY TONER…… with 4 exercises….. i do the first 3 …. workout one is for abs, workout 2 is for upper body, workout 3 is for lower body and after a couple of months you can then advance to workout 4.. optional for total body workout in one session…… i hope you may enjoy this as much as i do…….. 
i know EXACTLY what you all are going through….. i, myself, have been battling this same situation myself. i wanted to get in shape, feel physically stronger and took up running in the past few months. i immediately felt so wonderful, especially after that first “runner’s high” lol
IT’S ME AGAIN EVERYONE…… I MISSPELLED HER NAME…. IT IS LOUISE SOLOMON……….. SORRY ABOUT THAT !!!!!!!!
YAHOO! I’m not going mad. I just completed the Cork City Marathon a week ago, and in my 18-week training I gained almost a stone. Complete frustration. I’m going into a health club tomorrow to get a personal trainer’s advice about how to “get toned” after running “only” 400 miles in the last four months. INSANITY!!!!
Well, this makes me sad. I’ve began running again recently and have already gained 4 pounds in 4 days– I’m NOT overeating either. It made me so upset. I guess reading these makes me feel better, but I’m thinking about stopping running… sigh. I love it though