You have been patiently avoiding cupcakes, reluctantly banned alcohol, and eat your fruits and vegetables every day, workout at the gym in the mornings and also squeeze in some time for a run.
You have been doing this for a while now, so imagine your horror when you step on to those weighing scales, and they tell you that you have put on weight instead of losing it!
What just happened? You can rub your eyes and have a look at the scales again. They seem to be adamant about the fact that you have put on weight.
What have you been doing wrong? There is nothing that you didn`t take care of - your diet, workout programs - everything was followed to the last detail.
The answer lies in the fact that over time, when your weighing scale tell you that you have put on more weight, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have put on fat. There are other factors at work here.
Let’s have a look at some of the reasons why your weight has increased, despite you working for hours at the gym and avoiding fatty foods.
1. Increased Sodium Intake
Sodium tends to absorb water, and therefore, your body ends up retaining water, making you put on more weight. However, before you start cutting sodium out completely, know this - it regulates the functions of your brain and maintains blood volume. Your body requires sodium in order to function.
Apart from these two reasons, it is important for several other functions. What you want to do is to strike the right balance and consume around 1500 to 2300 milligrams of sodium, every single day.
2. Irregular Bowel Movements
Of course, if your body is not excreting what it is consuming, where do you think it will add up? It will show on the weight scale in the form of an increase in weight.
Eating high amounts of carbs or too much excess protein can create constipation and bowel problems, and in these cases, having laxatives can help. If you don’t have regular bowel movements, the best idea is to talk to your doctor about it and see what can be done. Remember is is not good to take a laxative over long periods of time, and is best used, under medical advice, over a short time scale.
If you wish to weigh yourself, the best time is in the morning, preferably after any bowel movements to get your most accurate weight.
3. Excess Consumption of Carbohydrates
When you consume excessive carbohydrates, your weight can increase for up to three days! The carbohydrates you eat over time are stored as glycogen, so your body ends up putting on glycogen as well as water weight.
So while the scales may tell you that you have gained fat, the reality is far different from that. You may have put on weight without an ounce of fat.
4. Your Lifestyle Matters!
High levels of stress, sleep deprivation, and carbohydrates elimination can push up your cortisol levels that increase sodium levels in the body. Since sodium retains water, your body will put on more weight.
It has been observed that women put on more weight before their menstrual cycle, because during this time, the estrogen levels are high, which increases water weight.
5. Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
This happens when you have indulged in a rigorous workout regimen or any new physical activity. It causes microscopic damage to your muscle fibers, and while the pain and soreness last around 48 to 72 hours, it goes away within a few days. This results in muscle growth.
This may also be the reason behind your weight increasing on the scales, even though you haven’t put on any fat. The weight gain is due to improving muscle mass, which is a good thing, as an increase in muscle, burns fat faster.
So be sure of the situation, before you worry yourself with the weighing scale.
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