Why do I gain weight when I exercise?

[goatgirl]

It seems like everytime I add exercise to my healthy eating I tend to gain weight instead of lose.  After several weeks of trying to be patient and give the exercise program (mostly aerobic walking) a chance, I tend to get frustrated and give up exercising because my goal is to lose weight not gain it.  Does this happen to anyone else?  Am I not giving exercise enough time to see the benefits?  Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Andrewjohn]

dear the same happened with me i have been going to gym daily and eating health diet but my weight is increasing with the muscles.but now i am walking morning and evening before go to the gym and after eating.now i slowly decrease my some weight.

[SevenVoyager]

Don't get discouraged if you gain weight when working out.  I'm 5'8 and not long ago I used to weigh 155 lbs., wear a size 12/14 in bottoms, and need a large in shirts; my measurements were 40-32-38.  Then I started working out--doing circuit training, running, and using a stationary bike--and yes, I gained a little while I was doing it.  But now, after working out consistently for 5-6 days a week, I wear a size 6/8 in bottoms and need a size small (sometimes XS!) in shirts; my measurements are 38-28-39.  

But guess what?  I weigh 151 lbs.  That's only a four pound decrease, but that's four inches off my waist and much, much smaller clothes.  And my hips are a lot bigger now than they were--but in a good way, because I had no butt and hips at all before.  I also had tiny chicken legs but now have muscular thighs and calves.  I used to be an apple shape with a lot of fat, and now I'm an hourglass with a lot of muscle.  But I've only lost four pounds.  

Weight means nothing!  It's all about body shape, muscle mass, and fat percentage.  Don't stress about weight--concentrate on health and fitness!

[vwsurfer]

No a pound is a pound, why would muscle weigh more than fat??? A ton of feathers weighs the exact same as a ton of bricks, a ton is a ton, so if your gaining weight , you are probably losing the fat but making your fatty muscles more pronounced. Get it?

[Barb135]

Interesting article.  I'd seen it once before, but it's been a long time.  

It's true that a lot of us are deficient in vitamin D, and supplementing is usually okay.  

In order to avoid having people think they can simply supplement with vitamin D and lose weight, I do think it's important to note the following statement by the researcher in the article:
"But she cautions against going overboard with vitamin D—there are levels where it can become toxic in the system—and reiterates that there is still no definitive link to weight loss."

I take 2000 iu of vitamin D daily and have seen no difference at all in my weight.

[honeyangel]

The majority of the population is low on Vitamin D - being low on this can inhibit a person's ability to lose fat - and to see results when exercising and altering diet -
http://www1.umn.edu/news/features/2009/UR_CONTENT_165066.html
Research this!

I, personally, began to see a difference in my weight when I started taking 2000 iu of D daily.  Before starting to take D, I did not check my levels through a blood test.  I just assumed I was low.  You can however check with a standard CBC.  Last time I went to the doctor and checked, I had adequate amounts of D, but I was still on the low side!  
I do not want to tell anyone what level is ok for them to take, (and I know that excess levels of vitamin D can be toxic) - but it is worth exploring.  
Good luck!
Another note:  my dad is a physician and I talked to him about this issue before starting to take this vitamin.  There are other health benefits to taking vitamin D.  

[postmena126]

I lost 10 pounds and went on vacation for a week.  So, I decided to power walk, pulled out the juiceman and eat mostly vegetables and fruit.  Got on the scale and noted a three pound gain.  I drink plenty of water, love the stuff, I drink it up until I go to sleep.   I eat up 1200 calories a day,  I plateaued after the ten pound lost for two months, so I was ADDED exercising, so that is why I started power walking.  I have gained back three pounds, however, I do believe it is water weight, because the three pound gain happen over night.  Oddly enough as long as I was doing aerobics, I did not gain.   Last summer I gain 8 pounds walking and it take 3 months to get that off.