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shrkntz said: "[b][color=#ff6600]Q: My husband and I have both noticed that on weeks when we exercise more, we tend to lose less weight on the scale than if we don't exercise as much. Why is this?[/color][/b]
[b]A:[/b] Stop the presses! Exercise is still your friend! First off, the scale only gives you a limited picture of what's happening in your body. It only tells you total body weight, but nothing about body composition.
You need to understand that exercise induces a series of normal biological changes. Habitual exercise promotes an increase in muscle enzymes that allows you to store carbohydrate more efficiently. This is a desirable effect since this muscle carbohydrate (called glycogen) allows you to exercise longer and harder without running out of fuel. Carbohydrate is very "hydrophilic" meaning it attracts water. So a little extra scale weight is a result of water binding to your muscle glycogen. Also, an exercise bout stimulates a slight increase in volume of plasma (the fluid portion of your blood) so this too may add a bit of weight.
Don't let this minor change in scale weight discourage you from exercise. Carry on with your fitness regimen and focus on your long-term weight loss goals. Over time, you will see a drop in body fat that will eventually be reflected on your bathroom scale."