Today's Tip: Working Out but Gaining Weight? You aren't alone...

So over the past few days I had the same question come up more than once..."I finally started working out and I'm actually eating right too, but instead of losing weight, I gained 2lbs in a week!" Yes, I believe that would cause some frustration so let's talk about it for a minute.

First of all I reassured the two clients who talked to me about this that A) this is normal and B) give it a little time.  I told them both that they are making some pretty big changes and their bodies will need a little time to adjust.  Taking away Coke, cutting back the sugar, drinking more water, eating better foods, doing strength training all are fabulous!  But if your body is used to the opposite, chances are it is in a bit of a shock :).

In an effort to provide a more "scientific" answer, I consulted with my fabulous trainer friends who also reminded me to tell these clients that when you go from being fairly sedentary to doing strength training, you may have some inflammation in your body that you aren't even aware of.  Their bodies are likely holding onto extra fluid for a bit because they are trying to repair the muscles - this is a good thing!  It will go away after their bodies begin to adjust - and that it is quite common!

Of course, this isn't always easy to digest and push through, particularly for women.  For some reason, many of us girls tend to live and die by the scale and need that immediate weight loss to stay motivated! But here's where you need to reach out to your support system...have people on your team to encourage you to push through - to keep your goal in mind. It helps tremendously if you are working out with a partner, a trainer or a team of people to help keep you on track.

Here are two great articles that explain this in detail if you are looking for a more "technical" explanation.  My advice?  Hang in there and give your body time.  You didn't put the weight on in a week, and unfortunately, it's not going to come off in a week either :).

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan

http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/fitness/ask-the-expert-why-do-you-gain-weight-when-you-start-working-out