Started cycling and am getting fatter... WTF

[celking]

Hi!

Long story short... I have gone from doing semi-regular spinning classes (45 minutes) and cycling to the shops and back (not very far) to cycling 28 miles/45km per day at approx 13-14mph over hilly terrain. I cycle for the purpose of my commute but really I am doing this to get fit and a bit leaner! You can see my journey on strava here: https://www.strava.com/athletes/15807964

I'm confused because I am gaining weight. I haven't weighed myself (because I don't believe in paying attention to one's weight unless you're overweight or obese and I'm not. I'm 5"7' and last time I weighed myself a couple of months ago I was 125 pounds) but I can tell that I'm gaining because I'm struggling to get into my clothes.

I am not overeating. I pay close attention to my diet and am a vegan. In only eat wholefoods. The VAST majority of my diet is made up of fruits and vegetables with some vegan protein shakes, tofu, rice, pasta, corn and bread thrown in.

On the days that I cycle, I eat 2000-2500 calories. On the days that I do not, I eat around 1800.

According to Strava I burn 1000 calories per day on days that I am cycling, so I should in no way be gaining weight! I should be at the very least maintaining my weight or slowly losing weight.

I am finding this very, very distressing. I am female and for my clothes to suddenly not fit, my belly to appear and feel softer and more jiggly and my whole body to look and feel 'puffed up' while I'm putting so much effort into all of this exercise is really upsetting, confusing and discouraging.

Can anyone help me to understand why this might be happening and what I can do to counteract it? I feel like this is water weight but I don't know why my body is holding onto all of the water. I drink plenty of H20 and am in general a very health-conscious person. This is really damaging my confidence to the extent that I don't want to continue cycling because of this ballooning.

Has anyone else experienced the same thing? I literally cannot put on my jeans after a ride and the next day it is not much better. Is this just my body reacting to the extreme amount (relatively - compared to what I used to do) of exercise I'm now doing?

Please help me! Any advice appreciated

 

[speccy1]

This is happening to me I`m just about losing the will to live with the cycling/eating healthily thing, seems you put the work in just to get kicked in the teeth for your efforts.

Don`t know what the answer is........................

 

[Kajjal]

To the first poster, your BMI puts you towards the under weight category so i would weigh yourself again now to compare. It may just be you are now a higher healthier weight due to cycling building you up a bit. Age also comes into it, the older you get the less lean you become.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hi @celking and to CC!
Middle aged female here: regular long distance cycling gives me the munchies.
I have put on a stone since I swapped walking for cycling, so can't really advise on your problem, but you're not alone.
A friend of mine is the same. Our metabolism maybe?
Most of the serious cyclists I know are skinny whippets, don't know why I'm still chubby.
In your case, maybe something not related to cycling?

 

[celking]

To the first poster, your BMI puts you towards the under weight category so i would weigh yourself again now to compare. It may just be you are now a higher healthier weight due to cycling building you up a bit. Age also comes into it, the older you get the less lean you become.

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?

 

[celking]

Hi @celking and to CC!
Middle aged female here: regular long distance cycling gives me the munchies.
I have put on a stone since I swapped walking for cycling, so can't really advise on your problem, but you're not alone.
A friend of mine is the same. Our metabolism maybe?
Most of the serious cyclists I know are skinny whippets, don't know why I'm still chubby.
In your case, maybe something not related to cycling?

Hey, thanks for the welcome and for your response.. For me it's definitely not the munchies because like I said, I'm a whole foods vegan and I monitor what I eat very closely. I basically only eat fruits and vegetables and treat my body as if it were a temple! It is really so annoying because I love and enjoy cycling so much, but this side effect is truly horrid. I hope it goes away soon

 

[Tin Pot]

You can't combat a bad diet with exercise.

 

[speccy1]

To the first poster, your BMI puts you towards the under weight category so i would weigh yourself again now to compare. It may just be you are now a higher healthier weight due to cycling building you up a bit. Age also comes into it, the older you get the less lean you become.

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

 

[midlife]

Sorry but I don't understand the above post?

Shaun

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Hey, thanks for the welcome and for your response.. For me it's definitely not the munchies because like I said, I'm a whole foods vegan and I monitor what I eat very closely. I basically only eat fruits and vegetables and treat my body as if it were a temple! It is really so annoying because I love and enjoy cycling so much, but this side effect is truly horrid. I hope it goes away soon

Hehehe, I did read your OP, I understand you're quite careful with your diet: are you sure the weight gain is related to cycling?
There could be other causes

 

[fossyant]

It's a couple of weeks. Give it time. You may just have bloating, and maybe something in your diet causing it.

 

[celking]

You can't combat a bad diet with exercise.

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

 

[sarahale]

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

 

[Dogtrousers]

It doesn't get easier, you just get fatter, as Greg Lemond is supposed to have said. Or something like that.

 

[celking]

Hehehe, I did read your OP, I understand you're quite careful with your diet: are you sure the weight gain is related to cycling?
There could be other causes

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!!!