I’ve stopped worrying about the scales
So I got this message on a post on Facebook from Sandy last week:
And thought
What better time to reiterate this point at a time when things are opening back up and some of the ladies are just starting on their health and fitness kickstart post lockdown
In fact, here’s a few messages I got from some of the ladies after week 1 🙂
Anyway, here are 9 reasons why the scales can go up and down…
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 got a takeaway <<< who probably don’t care about the salt intake as long as you don’t complain…and it tastes good.
Unless you’re anything like 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!NOT FAT…
5) Sleep – Some of the ladies will report LIGHTER body weights on the weekends.
Why?
Because they can sleep in (a bit) more
^^ unless I’m knocking waking them up for our early morning sessions, of course (sometimes in lycra dressed as Mr Motivator…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 weigh 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 muscles. 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 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?
^^ something we do in our Kickstart programme is keep you accountable to doing the things you probably know you need to do
9) Menstrual cycle
You know better than me…
That pre-menstrual phase ‘bloat’ can leave you holding more water (and craving carbs…)…
Not to mention peri-menopause and the menopause. ..
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
AND
*FOCUSSING on the process by tracking the habits you are doing..
Are the best tools you can possibly have…
Aka
What if you just did the things you know you needed to do for one more day?
What if you were one day away and you stopped?
Matt