You’d think that with the amount of time and sweat equity you’re putting into your workouts and training that you’d maintain or lose weight easily, but you’re finding the opposite is actually happening. As the number on the scale climbs higher and higher, so does your frustration. It actually can be pretty commonly among athletes training heavily to see weight gain.

So let’s start with a few reasons why this may be happening:

• You’re underestimating the calories you’re burning. Heavy training can be really stressful on the body, and your metabolism may compensate for this extreme stress by slowing down the rest of the day in order to conserve energy. 

• Or, your body is just becoming much more efficient with your workouts and it’s not burning as many calories as it did when you initially started training. 

• You’re not eating enough at the right time. Some athletes get into the diet mentality that if they don’t eat around their workouts that they’ll lose weight. However, this can backfire in the worst way with uncontrollable food cravings later in the day and night, leading to overeating or binge-eating that leads to weight gain. 

• You’re not getting enough of the right nutrition. During heavy training, it can feel like a full-time job to fuel your body and calm that ferocious appetite. Putting together a healthy meal or snack can be lower on the priority list when you’ve got a job, family, social life and hours of workouts scheduled. You may be opting for the easy, quick food choice that falls short in providing your body what it needs to continue recovering from your workouts. 

What you can do to help prevent the weight gain:

• First of all, don’t fixate on the scale. This can do a lot of harm to your mental health and motivation if you start stressing over the number seen on the scale. Focus on measuring your success with how your clothes fit, and your athletic performance. 

• Make sleep a priority. Not getting enough sleep can lead to weight gain, no matter how well you eat and how often you exercise. Sleep deprivation impacts your appetite, mood, food cravings, hormones, etc. Heavy training already causes enough stress, sleep deprivation will only do even more harm to your metabolism. 

• Keep the fires stoked. What I mean is to plan to eat every 2-½ to 3-½ hours. And, most importantly fuel before and after your workouts (and during, if applicable). Everyone’s schedule is going to look different, but here’s sample schedule:

6:00 a.m. – Wake up and pre-workout snack

7:30 a.m. – Post-workout breakfast (meal)

9 a.m. – Snack 

11:30 a.m. – Lunch (meal)

1:30 p.m. – Snack

4 p.m. – Snack

6:00 p.m. – Dinner (meal)

8:30 p.m. – Snack

9:00 p.m. – Bedtime (goal of 9 hours of sleep)

Plan ahead so you know what you’re going to eat throughout the day. I know this is easier said than done. However, having an arsenal of food pre-planned will ensure that you’re not only keeping your body satisfied, but you’ll be more likely to be providing it the right nutrition it needs. 

Take home message: You’re not alone. This happens to a lot of athletes. Instead of getting frustrated, put together a plan in place to take care of your body and enjoy the journey and the work you’re putting into your training. 

Want help? I’m here as a resource. I’ve got services that are designed to help you specifically with these types of concerns, to make your life easier and to see results faster. Reach out at alex@alexlarsonnutrition.com.