5 Hidden Sources Of Weight Gain
In your quest to lose fat and get toned arms, you may get discouraged if you constantly look at the scale. Why? Because scale readings can fluctuate a lot, irrespective of fat loss.
It’s usually the case that women are actually losing fat while gaining weight when starting off with a program. Who’s to blame? Water.
Now you may already be aware of the fact that water can lead to excess and temporary weight gain. However, have you pinpointed the exact source of your excess water gain? If you haven’t, here are 5 weight gain gremlins:
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. Carbohydrates. You need carbohydrates to function properly. Without them, your brain would become extremely sluggish and you’d lose most of your ability to recover from exercise. And each gram of carbohydrate that gets pulled into muscle brings 3 grams of water with it.
3. Salt. We all know that salt can increase water retention. But what most women fail to realize is just how much water they can potentially retain-they usually drastically underestimate. The next time you eat a fast food meal or a big meal at a restaurant, notice how much water you HAVE to drink in order to quench your thirst.
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. Resistance training. When you lift weights, your muscles develop a heightened ability to suck in carbohydrates. And remember that carbohydrates bring a lot water to the party. So please don’t freak out if you notice an almost instant increase in weight from resistance training. Stick with it, in the long run you’ll be much better off.
Please do not get compulsive with weighing yourself every single day. This is a surefire way to de-motivate yourself very quickly. And if you are having some water retention issues, the above tips can be a great starting point for troubleshooting the cause.