So, you’ve been working out daily and eating clean for the past week.
You feel better than you ever have! You have so much energy and you’re kicking ass in your exercises.
It’s the end of your first week in your new routine, and you excitedly jump on the scale to see how much weight you’ve lost.
“Wait…how could I have gained two pounds?! This is horrible! I’m supposed to be losing weight, what am I doing wrong?!”
Don’t panic! Continue reading to find out why you may see the number on the scale trickle up within your first couple weeks of working out!
Water Retention
When you first start a new workout/diet regime, your body goes into a bit of a shock.
If you’re new to exercising or you haven’t exercised in a long time, your muscle fibers are being stressed. This stress comes in the form of micro tears and inflammation.
When this happens, your body retains fluid around the tears in order to heal it.
So how can you alleviate the bloat? Drink more water! Sounds counterproductive, but when you drink more water you flush out your system and help the muscle fibers heal quicker.
Make sure you’re also eating a healthy diet packed with protein to relieve any soreness and prompt a quicker recovery. Don’t overdo it! Give your muscles the rest they need to become stronger!
Poor Diet
It’s great that you’re following a workout routine, but do you have the right diet to match?
If you’re still eating junk food filled with sugar and fat, you could possibly be putting on the pounds even if you’re exercising.
Since you’re increasing your activity level, the “hunger hormone” ghrelin is released, making your appetite increase as well.
If you’re not monitoring your portion sizes and food choices, you could over eat and put on some pounds.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Working out, eating right, and getting enough sleep are all crucial players when it comes to weight loss. If one of these are off, it could impact your results.
If you’re not sleeping enough, your “hunger hormones” ghrelin and leptin go out of whack. When this happens, you experience intense cravings which could throw off your progress.
Plus, if you’re not feeling well rested, you’re much less likely to exercise the next day because you’ll be too exhausted.
One study suggests that just 4 days of sleep deprivation can cause your body to hold onto unwanted fat. If that’s not motivation to hit to bed earlier, we don’t know what is!
Ultimately, your weight is just a number. Don’t obsess over weight fluctuations! In fact, don’t even think about getting on the scale for at least 2 months into your new workout and diet.
* Remember, it takes a couple of weeks of being in your new routine for your body to adjust. You should see your weight go back down to normal after the initial starting period! Maybe you will have even lost a few more pounds!
Instead, focus on how you feel. Are your clothes fitting looser? Do you have more energy? Do you feel stronger? All that matters is how YOU see your progress, the scale doesn’t define your efforts!
