Over the past couple weeks (okay, week and a half) I have been doing some intense workouts. Actually, after Easter, I set a goal that for 30 days I will wake up early and work out. So, I started out totally gung-ho....maybe a little overeager, because I started "Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred".....first day, I did the workout in the morning, no problem. Well, that first morning workout was followed by the first night of kickboxing classes. Again, no problem......until the next day. I was SO SORE! And continued to be sore for the next 3 days (needless to say, for the following 3 days my morning "workout" consisted of stretching out my sore muscles).
So after several days of this, my muscles are still way sore, but feelin' relatively good (My favorite phrase being "hurts so good"), the rest of my body doesn't feel so good. How can that be? I've been working out like a crazy person and eating healthy food, so why do I not feel much healthier right now? Well, I found the answer!
runner's blog
My minor freak out - especially when I saw a 5 pound gain in a matter of a few days - was quieted by the above blog:
- You can gain anywhere from 2-4 pounds after an intense workout or event.
- When you're muscles are sore, it means there are tiny tears in the muscle. In order to repair themselves, they retain water. This is why you may feel bloated or "sloshy" for a few days after a hard workout.
- After an intense workout, the glycogen in your body is depleted, so when you eat sugar (from either simple or complex carbs) your muscles soak up a lot of it (along with all the water) right away.
- Once your muscles start to heal and feel better, they start getting rid of some of this as waste, causing you to lose the weight you "gained".
Oh yeah, and any time you start a brand new workout, especially if it's more intense than you're used to, your metabolism is known to go a little wonky at first. So don't get discouraged! Keep on keepin' on with the workout! It will pay off!
