Can Cardio Workouts make you Gain Weight?
The Subconscious Fat of Cardio Workouts
Yes, they can. Cardio workouts can make you gain weight, and this often happens at a subconscious level. In other words, I’ll give you some Subconscious Fat to watch out for if you want to lose weight.
First, let’s define cardio: Cardio workouts, also known as aerobic exercises, are any activity that increases the heart rate. Sometimes there’s a target heart rate one wants to achieve to burn more fat and calories.
Mr. Skeptical blurts out. “Is that you in the picture?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“You look like an idiot. I can tell you’re posing for the camera. I can tell you’re faking that you’re tired from a cardio workout because there’s no visible sweat.”
Why does he always highlight the stuff I don’t like to share? “It was a posed picture. I’ll discuss cardio today, so I wanted a pic of someone on a treadmill. I admit that. Are you happy?”
“Just making sure our readers know what’s going on. I’m ensuring there’s no Subconscious Fat on your end.”
He’s such a jerk!
Moving along, let’s discuss a common scenario: A 30-year-old woman is excited about starting a training program. She meets with a trainer three times a week to lift weights. She wants a thin upper body, meaning she wants to get rid of some of the flab under her arms and reduce her belly, but she wants a bigger booty. (Booty is slang for glute muscles or the butt.)
So, the trainer trains her three times per week. Two sessions per week are dedicated to the lower body, while one workout per week is for the upper body. She’s also encouraged to do cardio maybe three to five times a week because she does want to lose weight overall.
This all seems simple enough, but the problem is eating. If this 30-year-old woman hasn’t exercised in a few months, then all this exercise will shock her body.
Mr. Skeptical turns his head abruptly and puts his hands on his hips. “Really? A shock. Doing exercise is shocking now?”
I sigh. “The 30-year-old woman hasn’t exercised in months, so her body is not prepared for what will happen.”
Mr. Skeptical has a smirk on. “What’s going to happen?”
Okay, before I answer that, let’s look at the body from higher up.
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 feet.
Our bodies have innate intelligence. Innate intelligence is the power that runs our bodies, keeping us alive. I learned this concept in chiropractic school, and It’s the foundational base of chiropractic philosophy.
“I don’t see chiropractors as real doctors,” says Mr. Skeptical.
I suppress thoughts of homicidal strangulation to respond. “I’m not going to get into that with you. If you don't want to see them as real doctors, then don’t. I don’t care.”
Anyway, innate intelligence is the power that heals. So even if you put nothing on a small wound, the body's innate intelligence will heal the tiny cut under normal circumstances. If the laceration is too big or there’s too much blood loss, medical intervention is critical and can save your life, but your body will still try to heal.
The body's innate intelligence always tries to bring the body back to homeostasis. Homeostasis is a fancy word for ‘bringing things back to normal.’ For example, if you eat a sugary treat, your innate intelligence will release more insulin to handle the increased sugar.
If one starts to work out like crazy after not doing so for a while, the body will react. The innate intelligence of the body has already adapted to a sedentary lifestyle. So if that person starts working out a lot, there will be consequences.
Mr. Skeptical folds his arms with his eyes squinting at me. “Yeah, I’m still not convinced that doing things like jogging or swimming can make you gain weight.”
“I’ll give you an example. The other day a client told me he took two months out of his life to train for a marathon. He was doing it to lose weight. How much weight do you think he lost?”
“I’m guessing not a lot because you’re trying to prove a point.”
“He lost an ounce of weight.”
“Well, maybe he gained some leg muscles in the process.”
“He likely did. However, the point is that you can’t work out bad eating. The client mentioned how his appetite skyrocketed after he started training for the marathon.”
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 feet.
One of the hormones that bring the body back to homeostasis is cortisol. It gets released when there’s stress. What do you think the stress hormone does?
“I feel that’s a sarcastic question. Like if you are saying I’m dumb.”
He’s twirling his cane up in the air, looking up with his turned-up nose, looking like a snob. I sigh and say, “Despite thinking you are the center of the world, I’m not writing this for you.”
“Well, I feel a lot of readers will empathize with my sentiment.”
“I’m going to ignore you now.”
Studies have shown that increased cortisol is related to fat retention in the body. One can look at the International journal of sports medicine, Schwarz, L., & Kinderman,
“Cortisol is upregulated in endurance exercise. This sacrifices muscle in favor of protecting body fat.”
Another study by Moyer, A. E., Rodin, J., Grill, Cummings, N., Larson, L. M. & Rebuffe-Scrive, M,
“Higher cortisol levels contribute to faster and longer lasting body fat storage.”
The body's innate intelligence will compensate for the exercise you do by increasing cortisol and making you store more fat. Unfortunately, your body will also release gherkin. This hormone will make you hungrier.
Scientific studies have shown that these hormones don’t get released in similar quantities in individuals when they exercise more. Some people train more, but they only get slightly hungrier. Others get hungrier with way more cortisol and gherkin released into the body.
Some see working out as a stress reliever, while others see it as a stress maker. That attitude can make a big difference.
What if you see working out as a stress-maker?
Could that be your Subconscious Fat?
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
If you perceive exercising as anxiety-producing, you’ll likely produce more cortisol and gherkin. This means that you’ll crave food more. Consequently, you’ll have to be more disciplined in what, when, and even how fast you eat.
This may take work.
It’s one of the reasons I tell my clients to eat multiple small meals a day. I recommend to my clients not to even allow themselves to get hungry. Instead, eat high-protein small meals, preferably 4 to 6 meals daily.
Mr. Skeptical cuts in, “Well, it doesn’t seem to make sense to eat so much if you’re trying to lose weight.”
“Well, I’m suggesting multiple small meals a day.”
“I don’t like it. What if it’s inconvenient to eat multiple small meals a day?”
“For many people, depending on their job and lifestyle, it may be difficult. Therefore, I recommend protein bars, protein shakes, and small bags of walnuts, almonds, pork grinds, or beef jerky to have a ready-made snack or meal.”
“What about fasting? Fasting is supposed to be the best and healthiest thing for humans.”
He has an irritating tone. I try not to roll my eyes at him. “Fasting can be great, but it’s likely not a smart thing to do when one starts to work out.
“Hmmmph. I don’t know. I’ve heard such great things about fasting that I think you’re missing the boat.”
“Well, I’m glad you brought fasting up. Do you know what athletic group of people use fasting to gain weight?”
“No, I don’t. But I’m sure you have some smart-ass answer.”
I admit I have a smug face, for there’s nothing better than putting Mr. Skeptical in his place. “Sumo wrestlers.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Really…” He looks up and away.
I wait, hoping he’ll dig himself into a deeper hole. I want him to say, ‘I figured they’d eat ten times a day.’ Or something like, ‘I assumed they’d eat non-stop all day.’ He’d be wrong on both accounts. And it’d be so satisfying to hear him say it. So, gratifying knowing he’s wrong and I’m right.
But Mr. Skeptical is too smart for any of that. He’s looking at me, waiting for me to talk. I say, “Sumo wrestlers eat only twice a day. Their body's innate intelligence goes into starvation mode so that they're ravishingly hungry by the time they eat. They then eat a huge amount and quickly too.”
“So I suppose one could argue that they’re fasting because they only eat twice daily?”
Mr. Skeptical did air quotes for and emphasized the word fasting. He stopped just short of rolling his eyes. But I have more info as ammunition. “Sumo wrestlers wake up at around five AM, skipping breakfast and then training for up to five hours non-stop. Then as you can imagine, when they finally eat, they are famished. So, they eat fast, a lot, and even include drinking beer with their first meal. Then they sleep for a few hours.”
“It seems they’re looking to gain weight.”
“Yes, Mr. Obvious, they are looking to gain weight. But, of course, gaining weight in that sport is an advantage, yet many consider eating only twice a day a form of intermittent fasting.”
“I don’t appreciate your sarcasm, sir, calling me Mr. Obvious.” He picks up his cane and points it at me threateningly. “I’m Mr. Skeptical, and don’t you forget it.”
“Hmmph. Yeah, I may have to get rid of you one day.”
He glares at me, standing up and yelling, “You’ll never get rid of me, for I’m a figment of your imagination, or at least you think I am.” Then, he storms out of the room.
Ha, I got rid of him!
At least for a little while.
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
Here’s a quick list of How to begin cardio and Not gain weight.
1. Eat multiple small meals a day.
2. Eat more protein and healthy fats over carbohydrates and sugar.
3. Eat slowly, allowing your body to realize it’s full.
4. Be aware when eating with others, you may subconsciously eat more.
5. Do a cardio workout that is stress-relieving, not anxiety-producing.
To conclude how cardio can make you fatter, remember what sumo wrestlers do. They eat only twice a day, but they eat huge portions of food. They also eat together as a group. Scientific studies have shown that eating with others leads to consuming more food. They likely have lots of cortisol produced; training and competing with other men who are just as big or bigger than you would be stressful.
When you eat a huge meal, the stomach will expand, making it more likely to have cravings to stuff yourself again. This is one of the reasons I avoid all-you-can-eat buffets. However, if you go to one, take some time to observe the other customers. I’d bet many of them are overweight.
Fasting is a great and healthy practice, but not when starting a new and more intense workout program. If you’re going to do cardio, be aware of what and how much you eat.