Weight loss is rarely linear…. 📉

I’ve had to remind a few clients of this recently so I thought it was worth re-sharing. Most people measure their fat loss progress by stepping on scales. This can create an all or nothing mentality and can impact not only your happiness but your behaviour. If the scales don’t go down when you’ve been ‘good’ then what’s the point? You may as well throw in the towel and enjoy that cake!

Weight loss is rarely linear. It’s normal for your weight to fluctuate on a day-to-day basis. There will be days where your scale weight goes up, just like there will be days where your weight will drop, and there will also be days (maybe even weeks) where your weight will stay exactly the same. Your weight can fluctuate up to 6kg during the day depending on what you eat and drink, and how you exercise. If you drink 2-3 litres of water a day that’s up to 3kg. Then how much do you pee, sweat and breathe out over the day? It’s impossible to measure. Our bodies are mainly water so changes in hydration cause significant weight fluctuations.

In addition a bowel full of food, a big meal the night before, fibrous or salty meals, and menstrual cycle hormone changes can all influence weight and cause greater daily fluctuations so real change can be hidden. Exercise can affect the scale both ways; if, after a workout, you’ve refuelled properly your muscles will be full of glycogen and water. On the other hand if you’ve sweated loads your weight will drop due to dehydration. Alcohol does the same; it’s a diuretic so will dehydrate you initially, but can cause cravings for salty foods leading to water retention.

For many of us, seeing that weight go up, despite ‘being good’, can make us give up. It’s vital to trust the process and think long term. This graph is real client data. Look at how the weight fluctuates and look at the overall trend. By trusting the process and not giving up when the scales went up they’ve continued their weight loss over time.

We’re conditioned to focus on weight but instead try to use other measures e.g. items of clothing and how they fit, or cm measurements etc. If you must step on the scales then look at averages over time rather than daily variations and focus on long term trends.

🤗 xx

Why you think you’re struggling with weight loss …. 🤔

If you’re struggling to lose weight you may look to things like your age, metabolism, stress levels, hormones, lack of sleep, amount of water you’re drinking etc as the reasons why you can’t achieve your goals.

It’s true that all these areas can and do have an effect and some will certainly impact on things like your appetite and ability to ‘stick’ to a calorie deficit. However it’s actually rare that these are the main reasons behind stalled progress. They do however get a lot of attention – why? Because they are much easier to accept than ‘You’re eating too much’. It’s a lot easier to focus on the idea that your metabolism, hormones or stress levels are preventing your weight loss rather than a heavy social life being the issue.

Of course things like snacking, increased portion sizes and booze can be a response to lack of sleep or stress, or hormones, but it’s far better to focus on these habits instead. Why? because they’re the direct cause, they’re tangible and easily identifiable and they’re the thing that need to change. Rather than trying for some vague notion of ‘increasing sleep’ or ‘reducing stress’.

Obviously nutrition and weight loss can be complicated but if you try focusing on things like reduced portion sizes, fewer or lower calorie snacks, less booze you will see progress. Managing meals out or reducing them (it’s extremely hard to eat out multiple times a week and maintain a calorie deficit without some proper planning), and increasing general activity (note this isn’t just exercise sessions but general activity – walking, fidgeting, moving more!) are also things which are tangible ways to help make progress. You will probably find that despite any issues with sleep, stress, hormones etc you will be able to make progress. Certainly my clients can and have done! So if they can, so can you!

🤗
Xx

What actually happens when you lose weight fast… 📉

We seem to be conditioned into expecting extremely rapid weight loss when we start a new diet or exercise regime. Social media is also full of promises of diets that will help you ‘lose 5kg in a week’. I can see why it’s tempting and I can also see why it’s nice to lose large amounts of scale weight when you start a new diet, and why it’s easy to feel disheartened if you don’t.

First things first, remember weight loss is not the same as fat loss. You’ll see lots of diets promising x kg loss in a week etc. What these diets – be they juice cleanses, ‘detoxes’, 7 day challenges, fasting, keep etc , don’t explain is that if you did indeed see that amount of loss in a week then it wouldn’t be fat loss. The harsh reality is that most of that weight loss is actually water weight, stomach contents, and a fraction of that is also muscle , and only a little bit of actual fat. Plus if it’s a particularly restrictive diet or is using pseudoscience to back it up it can also mess up your relationship with food and mental health.

Weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing. It’s quite easy to manipulate water weight by consuming fewer carbs (as 1g carbs binds approx 3g water), reducing salt intake or using diuretics (which increase the amount of water and salt excreted in the form of urine). This is how some athletes cut a few kg in the week before a competition.

So what should you do?

Do not crash diet – please! Instead try to make sustainable longer term changes to your calorie intake. A moderate calorie deficit will allow you to lose sustainably and steadily (an average of <1% body weight/ week). Shift your expectations away from big scale losses as a measure of success each week and instead look at long term trends and changes in things like clothes size, or measurements or progress photos rather than the scales.

🤗xx

Reverse lent! 😇

We may be a week into Lent already but regardless of your beliefs or faith Lent has traditionally become a time when people give up various things they consider ‘bad’. Now whilst there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that at all sometimes it can become more of a negative rather than positive experience.

So how about instead of giving up things, you turned it around and tried taking something up or giving something to others?
You could do some voluntary work, or you could give things to charity. For example, try setting up a box and popping one item of clothing or something you don’t want anymore in it every day for each day of lent, then donate to charity at the end!
You could give your time to someone – it could be something simple like helping a friend or neighbour, or calling someone for a chat. Or you could take up a new hobby or challenge during Lent – try something new like gardening, knitting, drawing, or perhaps a fitness based challenge – trying new classes, walking every day, working out 3 times a week etc.

What do you say? 🤗
How about a reverse lent?
Xx