POSSIBLE OR IMPROBABLE? Your workouts could be triggering your weight gain.

Possible! We're NOT saying you should avoid exercise in order to lose weight. (Sorry, lazy people!) But the truth is this: Research shows that people grossly overestimate how many calories they burn during exercise. Not only that, but physical activity often makes people hungry. And since we tend to think we've burned more calories than we really have, we can end up consuming MORE calories than we've burned. Remember, it all comes down to calories consumed versus calories burned. So don't use a workout as an excuse to pig out. Be realistic about how many calories you are really burning while exercising. Use the data provided on cardio machines (don't forget to enter your weight, age, etc., and no fudging the numbers!) or check out online resources (like Fitness Partner) to get a good idea of the effect your workout is actually having on your calorie balance. Then you can make adjustments to make sure your workouts help you achieve your goals.

I had to really learn this the hard way!  I mentioned in the past how I trained for the marathon and ate just about everything and anything!  At that time I was burning a lot of fuel!  Low and behold, after the marathon, I kept eating like I was still training and not counting the calories or my mileage, OOPS, the pounds accumulated really fast! You have to rely on everything to keep a healthy, new lifestyle!