There’s a few things you need to know about why the scales go up and down, and why I don’t want them to dictate your happiness..
(Asides from the fact it’s almost 2022 and we all deserve to enjoy our food)
1) Carbs. They’re not BAD, no food is, but they’ll affect the scales more immediately than some other food types.
If you go hard on the roasties, it’s likely that the next day your scale weight will go up (Not your body fat, the weight on the scales).
Carbs are stored as glycogen in the body, and for every 1g of glycogen, we also store 3-4g of water. So we weigh a bit more.
It’s water weight, not fat.
2) POO. We’ve all lost a couple of pounds on a good poo. Fact.
If you’re using the scales as one way (of many) to measure your progress, try and do it at the same time of day, in the same place, wearing the same clothes, and after you’ve been to the loo.
In short, stay as consistent as possible to keep it as stress-free as possible.
3) Salt. Ever noticed the scale leaps up the morning after a take-away?
It didn’t make you instantly gain fat, but it’s likely it had more salt in it than you’re used to.
So, again, your body’s trying to find equilibrium by holding some more water. Not fat.
Time will sort this out, so try and eat your regular foods for a couple of days, stay hydrated, and don’t trust the scales.
4) Water. Re-Hydrated after your workout?
GREAT – always do – but your body’s now got more water stored in the muscles, so don’t worry about what the scales say right now.
5) Ladies – your menstrual cycle will also cause weight fluctuations.
You’re not fatter some weeks than others, it’s just those glorious hormones doing their thing. Yay.
There’s a million other things that can cause the scales to go up or down.
So, don’t let them be the be-all-and-end-all of your progress or your happiness.
If you’ve got a weight loss goal, start thinking about your weekly averages – accept that weight will change one day to the next regardless of how hard you’re working.
The scales don’t define your happiness, your progress, or anything else really.
They are one of many tools that you can use, and you’ll enjoy working towards your goals much more if you try to remember that.
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