When on our weight journeys, the scales can sometimes feel like they are anti supporting our hard work and goals. They can fluctuate daily going up and down, or even for periods of time plateauing. However we notice our inches are changing.
The scales don't share the bigger picture at times, and taking measurements is just as important, if not more so;
Neck
Chest
Upper Arm
Waist
Hips
Thighs
Calfs
Why at times do the scales not show but the inches do. This can be down to numberous reasons.
Starting to exercise or increasing activity
Hormonal Changes
Water Retention
Inflammation
Never let the scales demotivate you or make you upset, focus on other indicators i.e:-
Clothes fitting more loosely
Need to tighten your belt
Going down clothing sizes
*Increasing your activity, or attending the gym will result in you losing fat but gaining muscles known as body recomposition. This is when the scales can plateau or even gain due to muscles being denser, taking up less room than body fat.
Strength training combined with reduced calorie intake, focusing on high protein supports muscle gain and fat loss often this slows down your weight journey, but improves your health and well-being.
*We can experience water retention for numberous reasons;
Stress
Menstration
Medication
-Stress caused by any reason can increase our hormones that cause water retention.
-Menstration has common side affects of bloating and water retentio, during the menstural cycle.
-Unfortunately medication has a double edge, we need to take it to support our health and well-being but it causes fluid retention i.e;- lowering blood pressure, controling blood sugars and managing inflammation.
Water retention tends to only be temporary and disperses through the body naturally and then your journeys continue.
Plateauing can commonly happen after several months of managing our food intake, and to make a shift you need to be 100% focused ensuring you are tracking everything with full accountability within your deficit.
There are many reasons that the scales are not your friend but the tape measure is, and in time if you keep up the activity the scales will shift in the right direction, and the water retention will disperse shifting the scales agian in the right direction, and managing stress and just as important inturn sleep, all of which will support your journey.
Never comfort eat your emotions that the scales bring you trust your journey and get out your tape measure and the scales will follow in your success.
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