Gain Weight Instead of Losing It from Exercise

1. You Might Be Over-Exercising

When you exercise too much, your body may start to break down muscle. This slows down your metabolism and makes weight loss harder. Overtraining also increases stress hormones and weakens your immune system. You need to rest and let your body fully recover, especially with 8 hours of good sleep each night.

Suggestion:
Plan your rest days based on your routine. Try not to exercise all 7 days a week.

2. You Always Do the Same Exercise at the Same Intensity and Time

If you keep doing the same workout, your body gets used to it. To save energy, your body will burn fewer calories, even if you work hard. This slows down weight loss.

Suggestion:
For example, if you run regularly, try interval running, switch between slow jogging and fast walking. Change your speed and intensity often.

3. You Eat Too Much

Even if you exercise, if you eat more calories than you burn each day, you won’t lose weight and you may gain weight instead.

Suggestion:
Control your daily calorie intake while you exercise. Eat less, move more.

4. You Exercise While Strictly Dieting

Even if you exercise, a strict diet is not helpful for long-term weight loss. Eating too few calories puts your body into "survival mode." When you don’t eat enough, your body lacks energy and starts burning muscle instead of fat, slowing down metabolism, making weight loss harder, or even causing weight gain.

Suggestion:
Plan enough rest and avoid working out every single day.

5. Your Exercise Intensity Is Too Low

If your workouts are too light, like slow walking only, the calorie burn is too low and weight loss will be slow or ineffective.

Suggestion:
Along with low-intensity cardio, add strength training 3 or more times a week. Strength training helps build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat, boosting your metabolism.