Weight Fluctuations? What Gives?

What I hear:

I gained a pound this week! What am I doing wrong?

My weight stayed the same this week! This is not working.

I only lost two pounds this week! I want to quit. 😦

I lost 5 pounds in 10 days – woohoo!

What I say:

What you should do at this point in time… RELAX!!!

You did not gain three pounds of fat overnight – it is impossible, and you did not lose three pounds of fat overnight either.

Body Weight Fluctuations of 1-5 Pounds a Day are Perfectly Normal.

1. Sodium: Think of your body like a pendulum scale. If you eat more salt than usual one day, your body will react by trying to balance the scale by retaining more water. Eat less salt than usual, and you have the opposite affect.

2. Alcohol: This diuretic causes dehydration in the body, which leads to water retention. The water retention is a result of your body wanting to make up for the difference in water levels drinking alcohol has caused.

3. Carbohydrate Intake: The body turns the majority of eaten carbs into glucose for immediate energy. Glucose that is not used for immediate energy, turns to glycogen. Glycogen is stored in the muscle tissue and liver, which is stored with water. Eating a low-carb diet often leads to weight loss as you use up your glycogen stores and the stored water is released. In the long run, fatigue can set in as your quick energy source (carbs) is depleted and not replaced.

4. Strength Training: Lifting weights or doing body weight exercises causes trauma to muscle tissue. This is how the muscle rebuilds itself and makes you stronger. But in order to rebuild the muscle fibers, your muscles retain water to help speed up the process in the cells.

5. Restroom Usage: 1-3 pounds a day of body weight change can be seen by using or not using the restroom. I’m not going to go into detail here, because I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.

6. That Time of Month: Most women are probably familiar with this one already. Experts believe that water is retained when hormones fluctuate, especially about one week prior to your monthly visitor. Once your cycle is over, the water is released.

7. Stress and sleep: High cortisol levels affect water balance in your body by regulating anti-diuretic hormone (ADH). ADH tells your kidneys how much water to hold back and pump back into your body.

PRO tip: Don’t stress about the number on the scale. It does not define you (up or down). Subtle changes are normal and should not affect you emotionally (for help with body image click here).  As you can see from the above, daily weights are mainly fluid shifts within your body. If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t think of it as a quick process (quick means fluid). Think of it as a long term goal where you slowly see progress over many months. You will see ups and downs along the way. This is totally normal as it’s not a linear process. Stay the course because your consistency is what maters most.

How do you fill your cup?

Life gets crazy sometimes and your routines get thrown for a loop. For a few months I tried to fit my previously uber consistent morning workout (read “me time”) into the day full of everyone else’s needs and wants. I will say I “got it done” for the most part, but didn’t find it as enjoyable as my morning wake up call.

I’m happy to say I’m back in the routine and looking forward to grinding it out early with my fellow early bird friends. That doesn’t mean getting up early has been easy, but once I get ME in first and I have the whole day for everyone and everything else, it makes me very happy! And that’s what it’s all about.

Coping with Stress

Managing stress is a big part of healthy living. Stress can be defined as something different to everyone. It may involve family, time, money, health, pets, work or just making ends meet throughout the day. Often we get stressed out over responsibilities, obligations or pressures we place on ourselves on a daily basis.

In times of stress, your body goes into “flight or fight” mode. When this happens your body releases the stress hormones adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol. Hunger levels are decreased when adrenaline is present as your blood flows away from the internal organs to your larger muscles to help you defend yourself.

However, cortisol is left once the effects of adrenaline wear off. Cortisol increases blood sugar to help you fight off the stressor. Too much cortisol (think chronic stress) can increase your blood pressure, slow digestion, impair hormone function and decrease immune function. Ever notice you get sick after a stressful week?

Another way your body can be stressed is by eating a restrictive diet. Not eating enough is stressful for your body and results in the same mechanisms as the “fight of flight” mode.

Once the stressful event is over and our stress levels fall, our glucose levels remain high and that glucose gets stored as fat. Most notably visceral fat (abdominal fat).

How to Cope:

Don’t let the little things stress you out. Remember to breathe. Think positive and stay clear of negative thoughts. Don’t get caught up in a cycle of beating yourself up.

Here are some other tips to beat stress:

• Make smart food choices
• Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption
• Get enough sleep
• Regular exercise
• Meditate or practice deep breathing
• Make time for your hobbies
• Keep a diary of your feelings to help recognize the factors that trigger your stress
• Talk to a friend
• Spend time in nature
• Unplug from electronics
• Listen to a comedy routine or think of something that makes you laugh

best 25+ stress funny ideas on pinterest | work humor, working mom on Stress Reliever Quotes Funny – Broxtern Wallpaper and Pictures Collection

Taking a Sick Day

Seems like this has been a doozy of a year for sickness. Schools are closing for deep cleanings, Influenza is taking a toll and there’s a cough going around that last for weeks. What’s your Game Plan when you start feeling low energy, congested, sore throat, stomach bugs etc.?

First off, try to rest as much as possible. You want your body to be able to use all of its resources on fighting off the foreign invaders.

Second, fluids are important to replace those you may have lost due to vomiting or diarrhea and to help loosen mucus if you are congested.

There are some foods which can have anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties.  These include foods such as avocado, salmon, ginger, and blue, red and purple produce like berries and pomegranates. You could mix up a fruit smoothie (fresh or frozen) or make ginger tea to get in some fluids at the same time.

Oatmeal, bananas, and crackers are bland foods which are easy to eat when you’re not feeling well. Basic broths and chicken soup also taste good and can provide fluids, electrolytes and protein.

The steam from hot tea, as well as soups and broths, acts as a natural decongestant and help you stay hydrated.

Spicy food can help to clear up your sinuses due to the capsaicin found in foods like chili peppers which stimulate mucus secretion. Beware though as they are not so easy on the stomach.

Finally, please wash your hands with soap often. This will help keep the germs from spreading. Germs can get in your body through your eyes, nose and mouth.

The best advice is to take it easy and REST. Focus on fluids and eat as best you can. Soon enough you’ll be back to your regular routine and felling 100%.