The Weightroversy: Why Your Weight Fluctuates So Much
By admin
No, rest assured, you DO NOT get fat overnight.
Yesterday morning we had our weekly weigh-in and body fat check in at boot camp. One of my clients has been really kicking butt at workouts, eating right and staying motivated.
When she stepped on the scale, she was pretty confident that she would see some changes. And she did… 5 pounds heavier.
At first she just shrugged it off and moved on but I could tell it was weighing on her mind (no pun intended… hahaha). So at the end we talked about what was going on.
She isn’t the first person this has happened to, there have been plenty of times when I have weighed myself one day, the hopped on it again the next day and seen an incredibly high number looking back at me.
What gives… it doesn’t seem to ever happen to my husband. Did I really gain freaking 5 pounds in a single day?
Why does weight fluctuate so much?
Because weight sucks.
Okay, that’s not really the reason but I will be honest, I hate gauging fitness success by weight since it doesn’t take body composition into consideration. But that’s all explained in this post.
It’s not crazy for a woman’s weight to fluctuate as much as 5-10 pounds. Our weight, as annoying as it is, fluctuates not only day by day but hour by hour.
Reasons You Weigh More Today
PMS.
I don’t ever weigh my clients if they’re on their period or getting ready to start within the next day or two. Water retention, constipation, and extra chocolate fixes can cause the number on the scale to go up more than we want to see, especially when we’re already moody as is.
Too much sodium.
Two weeks ago I had a client upset because her weight had creeped up. She then told me she had been eating Ramen noodles for lunch. Ramen = crazy sodium. I told her to cut them out and of course the following week she was 5 pounds lighter.
Sodium holds on to water… two cups of water weighs a pound. Hold on to extra water and see the weight go up. To avoid water weight, drink more water (crazy but true) to help flush out the extra sodium. Also eating potassium rich foods (potassium) is a diuretic and can help out: bananas, spinach, beets, and cantaloupe are great choices.
Storing away carbs.
Don’t let the word “carb” lead you to think I am anti-carb. I used to be, but as a vegan it’s something I have to rely heavily on. The trick is to get high quality carbs.
Here’s the deal… your body wants to store carbs away for energy and it really loves to. Storing up to 15 grams at a time. When you eat more than what your body needs, the carbs get stored in your muscles and liver… where they hang out until your body needs the extra burst of energy. But it’s not just the carbs (aka glycogen), each gram of stored carbohydrates also puts away about 3-4 grams of water….
So you get the extra weight from the stored glycogen and water. Fun times.
Avoid refined and processed carbs like pasta, white bread and of course pastries. Focus on good carbohydrates like whole grains, oatmeal, quinoa, and fruits.
Just Give The Scale Closet Time
So the next time you think your weight is way off, think about these three things before you let it get you bent out of shape. Also remember, the scale stinks… and it’s better to rely on things like how your clothes feel, body composition and overall confidence in yourself. To help take it in that direction, just give your scale some alone time by placing it in a closet or someplace you won’t see it. Out of site, out of mind.
And if you do weigh yourself, always weigh in the morning. This is the time you’re more likely to see a number you like or at least can tolerate looking back at you.
- Do you weigh yourself more than once a week?
- What’s a normal fluctuation for you?
The post The Weightroversy: Why Your Weight Fluctuates So Much appeared first on Lifting Revolution for Women – Change Your Life With Taylor.