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. The weight of food. Although this sounds simplistic, many women overlook this factor. If you eat a big meal, you’ll instantly gain the weight of that meal. Period. Food has weight, and if the food goes into your mouth you gain that weight. And if the food is loaded with salt expect additional water weight.
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. 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. 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.
The take home point here is to NOT obsess over the weight scale readings. I see far too many women get discouraged because they are gaining weight. Only if they knew that they were also losing fat!
Regarded author Katherine Crawford M.S., a Harvard exercise expert and recent arm fat sufferer, is an expert on toning exercises for women. Learn how to get sexy and toned arms now by exploring her website on best arm exercises.
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