I’d load up at the salad and veg bar (and take a few pieces of fruit for the road)
I’d make sure I had my ‘2 litres of water’ with me
^^^ I would previously JUST drink coffee and the odd bit of water around an exercise session)
Oh, and I’d pack the old ‘green tea’ in a hot flask to boost ones metabolism.
I’d go for my 5k run (I was actually training for a half marathon at this time)
Do my weight training the next day…
Then I’d do some high intensity exercise the day after…
I’d also play a 90 minute football match the day after that…
YET…
I’d be 3 pounds heavier!!!
^^^ MIND….BLOWN!!!
I mean, it was September 2013 and I’d just started all of these positive new habits at university.
Yet, I gained weight!
And it was similar for Fit For Life Body Transformation member (Lisa) 4 months ago – and in fact – a new member is experiencing this now.
So why can the scales go UP when you’re dieting?
1) You’ve started eating more fruit and vegetables –
Fibre is hard for your body to breakdown.
^^^ It can make you gassy and bloated
This also means you hold more water.
So, consider that you’re probably going to eat different amounts of fibre everyday – which can impact your weight!
The good news?
Over time, your body will probably get better at handling your increased fibre intake, you’ll feel more full and stop craving more sugary, higher fat snacks foods which could help you lose FAT so you fit your clothes better!
2) You’ve started drinking more fluids –
Yep, another positive habit could be making you put on more weight (at least in the short term)
^^^ Be it from tea, coffee, water, squash (or even diet coke…)
(One note on caffeine – it’s a diuretic so increased caffeine can mean you excrete more water)
I mean, you exercise one day and maybe not the next.
You may sweat a lot one day (weather / exercise) and not so much the next.
The good news?
Over time, your body will better regulate this increased fluid intake, you’ll feel more full and satisfied, and stop mistaking thirst for hunger (and Ben & Jerry’s time)
3) You eat more salt one day compared to another –
Perhaps you started preparing your meals?
Maybe you’ve started keeping higher protein snacks in the fridge, like smoked salmon, turkey ham, eggs, cheese, natural yoghurt?
Maybe you’ve been making some wraps with some cold meats for on-the-go?
So you’ve been trying to increase your protein intake (which helps you get that more toned, leaner look and keeps you more full up)
But by doing so you may have increased your sodium intake – making you hold more water and increasing your weight!
Or it could be as simple as swapping supermarket rotisserie chicken one-day for a home roasted chicken the next?
^^^ the salt levels may be completely different.
Perhaps you ate out at a restaurant <<< who probably don't care about the salt intake as long as you don't complain...
Unless you’re anything like the the wife’s grandad who complained that his gammon was ‘too salty’.
4) You ate higher carbs than normal today or a few days prior –
For every gram of carbs stored in your body…
You pull about 3-4 g of water into your muscles which can mean you gain water weight!
5) Sleep –
Some members of my Fit For Life Body Transformation programme will report LIGHTER body weights on the weekends.
Why?
Because they can sleep in (a bit) more
^^^ unless I’m knocking on their door at 715 as the wake up call…scary thought, I know
So consider this:
If you’re in bed for a bit longer during the night. Perhaps have a lay in. You may get up a few more times in the night and actually PEE more than normal.
AKA
Get rid of more water.
So, if during the week, you say, get only 5 hours of sleep a night…
You’ll pee less during the night (and / or first thing in the morning)
And the time between your last meal on the day before and your weigh in is shorter
^^^ Meaning your body may still be digesting the food!
6) You weren’t consistent with time and day –
Did you weight yourself at the same time?
Did you go to the bathroom before weighing yourself in the morning?
Same underwear / pyjamas?
7) You’ve started a new exercise programme –
This is a new stimulus on your muscle.
It ‘stresses’ your body.
But when you rest…
The magic happens.
Your body repairs the muscles (you may feel a bit achey)
Now, this process burns calories and will help you LOSE FAT!!!
YET…
This ‘magic process’ AKA muscle soreness / recovery may mean that you increase your body weight (at least in the short term)
Why?
Because you’re holding more water in the muscle to help your body REPAIR!
Which is a bit like your immune system when you’re struggling with hayfever.
OR
Your skin when you’re sunburnt!!!
8) You haven’t done what you said you would do –
This one HURTS.
It makes us reflect on what WE have (or have not) actually done.
Have you done the work?
Have you done what you said you would do?
9) Menstrual cycle –
You know better than me…
That pre-menstrual phase ‘bloat’ can leave you holding more water (and craving carbs…)
To sum up:
It’s for these 9 reasons why the scale is NOT your dictator (it’s one of many) and not your boss.
And why – in my opinion – :
* Progress pictures (for your own personal reference, even if you scroll back through your Facebook photos)
* How you feel (energy, digestion, exercise habits)
* How you feel when you look in the mirror
* How you fit your clothes
Are the best tools you can possibly have…
Which is exactly what we do in Female Fat Loss Mastery
Because…
‘Who cares how much I weigh if I feel confident on the beach in a bikini”
^^^ As body transformation member, Lisa, told me
And as I’ve learned through coaching more and more…
If you do the work.
Make small – manageable – adjustments along the way
You’ll learn exactly what your body needs to lose FAT (not just weight) and feel more confident ‘on the beach in a bikini’
And at times…
The journey will be tough.
I’ve been there many times, too…
Where I’ve weighed myself, phoned up Specsavers and asked for a full refund
Matt ‘requesting an eye test’ Fruci
PS. I want to leave you with this one piece of advice:
Measure your progress using PROCESS goals at the start.
These could be things like:
* Increasing your steps
* Trying a new exercise class
* Increasing your veg and water intake