A quarter of gym users gain weight when they start exercising, according to a new study.The new gym-goers pile on the pounds because they allow themselves a treat after working out.The survey found that 39 per cent of people burn as little as 300 calories during each visit to the gym making them susceptible to weight gain if they then treat themselves to a high-calorie snack.The poll found that regular gym sessions gave dieters a feeling of complacency which made it more difficult for them to stick to their recommended daily calorie intake.Diet firm Forza Supplements polled 1,000 gym users on their diet habits.It found that 26 per cent of gym users actually put on weight after starting regular exercise.A further 49 per cent said their weight had stayed the same while just 27 per cent said that they had lost weight.The survey revealed that most keep fit fans go the gym between three and four times a week - exercising on average for between 40 minutes and an hour.Four out of ten users burn between 300 and 500 calories in a session - though a quarter manage only 200 to 300 calories, 10 per cent just 100 to 200 calories and four per cent less than 100 calories.More than a third of people allow themselves a treat after going to the gym - most typically a chocolate bar such as a Kit Kat–233 calories for a four-finger bar–or a glass of wine–190 calories.Another reason going to the gym can make you fat is that users have far bigger appetites than people who do not exercise.The poll revealed that 53 per cent said their exercise sessions substantially boosted their appetite. Many gym users also exercise regularly ahead of a night’s partying.Almost half of fitness fans said they would work-out prior to a big night out to ‘compensate’ for the calories they would consume later.And 42 per cent of gym goers felt that by exercising regularly, they had earned the right to deviate from controlled diet plans.Many celebrities admit to using the gym to earn ‘brownie points’ prior to a night’s partying.Many dieters struggleLuisa Zissman, runner-up in The Apprentice, said: “Who hasn’t had a guilt inspired exercise session? We all do it - work out furiously in the gym to get ‘brownie points’ ahead of a night on the town.“You know you are going to consume a stack of calories by boozing and drinking - so why not burn off a load beforehand.”Forza Supplements managing director Lee Smith said the survey showed many dieters struggle to lose weight despite exercising.He said: ‘Battling the bulge is the toughest thing many of us do.“Lots of people go the gym because they know they have no control over their eating habits.“They figure, ‘I am going to pig out anyway so I may well do my best to limit the damage’. Many gym-goers underestimate the level of exercise the need to do to shift fat.“To lose a kilogramme of body fat, you need to burn about 8,000 calories–that is around 80 miles of running to cover just one-kilogramme in weight.”
