If you incessantly check your weight, you may be losing motivation very quickly. Keep in mind, however, that even though your weight may be going up, you could be making substantial progress in the right direction.
In fact, many women actually gain weight while losing fat when just starting off with an exercise program. Especially if there is a lot of resistance training involved. Why does this happen? Because of H20 which increases weight instantly.
You probably know that water can do this. But do you know how the water is getting into your system? Let me shed some light by providing 5 hidden sources of fat gain:
1. Food mass. This may sound obvious, but in my experience many women overlook the fact that once they eat food they gain the weight of the food. And it can add up over the course of a day. So don’t be surprised if you are significantly heavier at night. Also, if the food is heavily salted you can easily gain five pounds in no time.
2. The hydrate in carbohydrate. Carbohydrates hydrate you because they pull lots of water into your body. Each gram of carbohydrate that goes into your muscle must bring 3 grams of water along with it for the ride. So don’t be discouraged if you gain a lot of weight after a high carb meal!
3. Table salt. It’s everywhere, even in the places you least suspect. And you are most likely underestimating the effect it’s having on you just like most women. In my experience, most women are aware of the dangers of salt, but few actually have an accurate estimate of just how much extra water they are carrying.
4. Showering. That’s right, water can get pulled in through the skin. This is one of the main reasons many amateur wrestlers miss their weight class-they take a nice long shower right before showing up and the scale gives them a much different reading! Does this mean you should stop showering? Absolutely not, but it doesn’t hurt to know the facts.
5. Lifting weights. Lifting weights will cause you to gain weight unless you are on an aggressive diet. But don’t freak out, the weight gain will eventually plateau and in the long run you’ll be much better off than the cardio bunnies. Where does the weight come from? An increased storage capacity for carbohydrates and water.
I strongly believe it’s in your best interest to NOT weigh yourself frequently. It will take you for an unnecessary emotional roller coaster ride. And if you feel like water retention is an issue, this article is a great starting point to ditch the excess H20!
Writer Katherine Crawford, a fitness expert and recent arm fat sufferer, instructs on how to get rid of arm fat. Figure out how to get sexy and sculpted arms by visiting her website with arm exercises for women right now!