You Didn’t Gain Fat Over the Weekend

We promise.  Don't freak out if you step on the scale and see that you've gained a few pounds overnight.  It's not fat.   Read through the entire article to find out what you should do differently today if the number on the scale is higher than usual.

It takes time to gain weight, and studies show you would have to consume 3,500+ calories ABOVE your maintenance calories (likely 1,800-3,000) in a day to MAYBE gain a pound of fat.

There are a lot of things that can cause your weight to fluctuate, including:

• Water retention. If you ate a lot of salty food or drank a lot of alcohol the day before, your body may be holding on to water. This is temporary.

• Food in your digestive system. If you ate a big meal or snack before going to bed, the food may still be in your digestive system the next morning. This is also temporary.

• Changes in muscle mass. If you exercised the day before, you may have gained muscle mass. Muscle weighs more than fat, so this can cause your weight to go up temporarily.

• Hormonal changes. Your weight can fluctuate during your menstrual cycle. This is due to changes in hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone.

If you're concerned about your weight, it's important to weigh yourself consistently at the same time each day. This will help you to track your weight over time and identify any trends.   Take your average weight each week to identify weight loss/gain.  

It's also important to focus on other health indicators, such as your body fat percentage, blood pressure, energy levels, how your clothes are fitting and cholesterol levels. These indicators are more important than your weight alone.

Now, the million dollar question we receive often from our clients:

“What should we do differently today to get back on track?”

ANSWER: Absolutely NOTHING.

You did nothing wrong. You’re human. Food has no morale value.

Don’t skip breakfast, don’t “punish” yourself with a longer than normal workout.

Eat a high protein breakfast, crush your water and step goal, and get plenty of veggies and fruit.

KEEP GOING.