Is exercise really worth it?!?

[Lakes25]

Ok so I had a cheeky weigh in today (I know I shouldn't have but I did) and I am stressing out! Sunday was boxing for 30mins , Tuesday was a 40 min dvd with abs and HIIT workout ( which I truly did do properly) and yesterday was the first week on the couch to 5k pod cast yet I've gained 2lb!!! I can sit about the house all week and lose 1😡 Does anyone else find this as to be honest to fit exercise in for a gain every week I would rather not!! Thanks and sorry for the rant 😊

[Hidden]

Yes exercise is definetly worth it. It builds muscle which in the short time can cause a little gain to start with in the long time it burns more calories. Keep it up!

[stu25k]

Hi, I would say that its always better to exercise than not to. I personally don't like weighing too often as weight can vary up/down by a few pounds through the week. I pick a single day and time for weigh ins and compare week on week. Another thing to consider is do you also measure body fat %? There are some good electronic scales that do this when you weigh in. You may find that you are losing fat but gaining muscle mass.

The 3 principles I have found work really well for my weight loss programme are a mediteranean style diet, lots of water (at least 2L a day), exercise (exercise bike & NHS Strengh & Flex) with rest days in between and mindfullness. The last of which is often missed but is also important.

I would say stick to it and hope you have better results next week.

[Lakes25 in reply to stu25k]

Thank you, I will and will up my water intake to see if this helps 😊

[bakersdozen]

I actually had the complete opposite my weight was going up and up. I went back to my walks plus I was eating healthy not over eating and presto my weight is going downhill!

[Hidden]

The exact same thing has happened to me this week and I too am panicking/fruatrated. I have stuck to my calorie limit over the week, exercised and yet gained 2 pounds. I have upped my exercise this week so wondering if that is to blame. Just got to keep trying I guess!

[Lakes25 in reply to Hidden]

It is so frustrating as it seems a waste of time doesn't it?! I watch programs like the biggest loser (America) and I love it and they are calorie based with exercise but lose loads, it seems you need to do a hell of a lot more than I do for it to work ( all day every day for them!) yet I can't really fit any more in with three kids and a full time job and a hubby to look after!! Plus with such a sedentary job (desk bound all day) I can't see this weight shifting 😕 Will carry on though and fingers crossed for next week! Good luck for your week 😊 We can only be doing good!

[Fran182716]

Excercise isn't a waste of time but it might help to shift the focus from expecting it to result in weight loss to reaping the health rewards from it. Moderate excercise especially if it's something you enjoy has positive benefits for all your body systems, not limited to cardiovascular, respiratory, joint mobility, digestive processes and mental health. Punishing exercise that you hate isn't so helpful as a rise in stress hormones limit the good effects. I can't remember the source of the information but I remember reading that after tougher workouts we retain more water as our muscles repair themselves which can affect what the scales say. I used to think " well I've ate 2 biscuits so I've already ruined today so no point in exercise" but since I've separated diet and exercise in my head, even when I'm not losing any weight I'm still doing active things I enjoy and I think I'm healthier for that even though still overweight .

[Cooper27]

Exercise is important for your overall health and wellbeing. You can have the healthiest diet in the world, but exercise is so much more important for keeping illnesses like heart disease at bay.

I'd say your gain is down to water retention - your body can naturally fluctuate by up to 7lbs depending on temperature outside, time of the month, time of the day, whether you're dehydrated. That's why it's important to take a waist measurement too. As others say, muscle weight is also a factor.