Started cycling and am getting fatter... WTF

[celking]

Hi! How much water do you drink? You could be dehydrated.

Hello there! I drink 4-5 litres per day, so I don't think I could be dehydrated. I don't tend to drink as much in the evenings as in the daytime but it evens out, right?

 

[sarahale]

I don't know it just seems to coincidental... Every time I cycle my legs balloon up straight after and I feel like my body is struggling to get rid of the fluid for some reason.. argh!!!

I'd probably see a GP this doesn't sound normal

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I don't know it just seems to coincidental... Every time I cycle my legs balloon up straight after and I feel like my body is struggling to get rid of the fluid for some reason.. argh!!!

Go see a Doctor, and maybe pop into Boots for a P* test?
Don't know how to put it more diplomatically

 

[sarahale]

Hello there! I drink 4-5 litres per day, so I don't think I could be dehydrated. I don't tend to drink as much in the evenings as in the daytime but it evens out, right?

That's alot, drinking too much water slows your metabolism also

 

[Tin Pot]

Did you read my first post lol? I'm a whole foods vegan - you can't get a diet that's healthier than that! This is why I'm so confused

Yes I did.

 

[fossyant]

Vegan doesn't automatically mean it's healthy. I think you are possibly drinking to much, but it's way too early into starting cycling to cause anything, it can't. Might be worth a trip to the GP !

 

[vickster]

+1 for a lot of water and see a dr. Do you pee constantly as its not exactly sweating weather (assuming you are in the UK)

Diet sounds carb and sugar heavy but lacking in protein. Perhaps ask GP for dietician referral

 

[Bazzer]

4 - 5 litres of water sounds a lot to me and I speak as someone with kidney stones that sometimes go walkabout. As others have suggested, in your position I'd speak with my GP.
As for the ballooning of the legs, I'd raise that with your GP at the same time.

 

[Kajjal]

Sorry I spoke, I`m sorry but your post came over as rude. I`m sorry I barged in

Your not the first poster

 

[Kajjal]

I'm really nowhere near underweight though.. My BMI was around the 21 mark which is totally healthy - 18.5 is underweight so I am a long way off that. I expect my BMI is more around the 22 mark now which for me is the highest it has ever been! I've never had seemingly so much jiggling fat on my body as I have since I started cycling. It has come on in the space of a couple of weeks so it can't be due to age, and also I am only 25! My parents are both thin, it's so unnatural for me to be this big! I can't even wear my jeans at the moment so I am down to a few pairs of loose fitting trousers.

Something makes me think it is probably water weight but still, weight is weight and it looks and feels like fat and it is ruining my confidence.. Something to do with my nutrition, maybe?

I remember being 25 and slim

In that case i would go and see your GP, as other posters have suggested.

 

[Bollo]

You can't combat a bad diet with exercise.

I try Tin Pot. I try.

 

[speccy1]

Sorry but I don't understand the above post?

Shaun

If that was referring to me, I read that as "feck you and your contribution, I`m talking to the OP" What`s difficult to understand?? That part of the post wasn`t needed. Still, it`s always the same when I post my 2p worth, may as well give up......................

 

[midlife]

I wasn't referring to you I was just confused as usual ......

Shaun

 

[welsh dragon]

Welcome. And as fossyant and pat have said, if you eat well, there is no reason for you to put that kind of weight on at all and as l pat says, a visit to you're doctor is in order.. good luck.

 

[celking]

So I've been researching this A LOT online and looks like it could be water retention from having drastically increased the frequency and intensity of my workouts.. Going from doing little exercise apart from walking/the odd gym visit to two and a half hours per day of intense cycling literally overnight has caused muscle tears all over my body and a bad case of DOMS so my body is retaining water while my muscles are being repaired, causing the soreness I feel all over and the weight gain. Also there is the increased glycogen storage. Seems to make sense and the sources I have read say it's totally normal when starting a new exercise regime and should go away in a couple of weeks time.. Phew! I'm going to keep cycling

Hope the above explanation helps someone who may be in the same (distressing) position and reading this