Why That Weight Gain Doesn’t Matter

Exercise is one reason for gaining weight one week.

Author note: I'm really sorry for the confusion of this post being on this blog. It was supposed to go on my blog Lose Weight With Alex. There you can find a range of tips for your weight loss, and my actual weight loss journey.
 
If you’re on a weight loss journey, you want it to be perfect. That means consistently losing weight to many people.

The problem is real-life isn’t perfect. There are a lot of factors that go into a good and steady weight loss, and now and then you will see a gain at the scales. In the last 20 months of on a weight loss journey I’ve had the odd week where I’ve gained weight. You can follow my weekly weight losses to see how I’ve done.

The odd weight gain doesn’t matter. It’s important to stop thinking about it as the end of your diet, and look at how far you’ve come. It’s also worth thinking about the reasons for that weight gain. You can then make changes if you need to, or remember that life is worth living!

You Can’t Stick to a Plan 100% of the Time

It’s virtually impossible to stick to any healthy eating or diet plan 100% of the time. You have a life to lead!

I follow Weight Watchers and even though it is designed to fit in with life, there are times that it doesn’t. There are times that I want to have fun and not think about what I’m going to eat or drink to stay within my points allowance.

Sometimes, you just want to be able to forget all about it. It’s only a day or a week at the most in some cases. There are times that it will be longer, especially if there is something difficult happening in your life.

Accept that there are going to be weeks where you go off, and accept the weight gain. It doesn’t mean your diet isn’t working!

Remember About Medication and Hormones

Medication does strange things to your hormones. If you change your medication, go onto new medication or stop taking it, you could find that your hormones change so much that you don’t lose weight one week.

This happened to me during my weight loss. I went on medication for a month and ended up seeing a weight gain. It was confusing at first since I’d stuck to the plan completely, but I put it down to hormones messing around.

Your body won’t always react the way you want, but it doesn’t mean the diet isn’t working.

Exercise Can Affect Your Weight Loss

You’ve done half an hour to an hour of intensive exercise every day of the week. You’re expecting to see an amazing weight loss.

Then you step on the scales and see a 2lb gain. It seems like the end of the world.

That is certainly not the case!

Exercise can halt your weight loss, especially the first week. Your body is just getting used to it, and your metabolism is affected. While exercise is supposed to speed up your metabolism, your weight loss can slow if you’re not eating to counter that metabolism increase. Your body worries that it will not get enough food so clings onto the calories instead of burning them.

Try eating a little more—you should never feel hungry on a sustainable, effective diet—and see how well you lose weight the next week. It’s a case of trial and error to find what works for you.

Gaining weight one week isn’t the end of the world. There are a lot of reasons it will happen, and it doesn’t mean your diet isn’t working. Think about changes in your life, and whether you’ve decided to give into real-life now and then. Look back on how far you have come, and make a promise that you will never go back to that.

Have you struggled with a weight gain now and then? Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments below.

Copyright Alexandria Ingham 2014. All rights reserved.