How to regulate weight day after day

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With the arrival of good weather and heat many people suddenly realize that it is time to check their body and try to run for cover, perhaps by joining the gym last -minute or undergoing DIY crash diets.

But not everyone acts this way and those familiar with the Ongaro ™ Method ️ know it: there are people who are attentive to the changes that occur to their body throughout the year, and maybe you are one of them, too. if you have no particular weight problems.

Or you have embarked on a path of change with the help of a professional and you are careful to monitor your weight periodically because you are strongly motivated to get results.

You are in one of these cases and you are planning a medical, sports or nutritional checkup examination, in which those in charge will make you step on the scales and weigh you, or simply want to check yourself same with the home scale, but at this point something happens: the number on the instrument is not what you expected.

You are dumbfounded and disappointment appears on your face. How is it possible?

Just the day before or the same morning the weight was lower (or higher) by a few hundred grams, is it possible that the weight has changed in the meantime?

Don’t panic.

Most weight changes that occur in a single day are temporary, and are not usually related to body fat.

Minimal weight changes are absolutely normal from day to day and even within the same day, but they are fluctuations fictitious , which do not depend on a change in the percentage of fat or muscle mass.

The causes are many, let’s see what they can be.

Weight gain and water retention

Our body is mainly made up of water and when the level of hydration not is optimal tends to retain the liquids it has available, causing what is called water retention water , with consequent fluctuations in weight .

A certain degree of water retention can be determined by the following situations:

  • diet: taking too much sodium from food causes an excess of this molecule in the extracellular fluid inside our organism, which, by keeping the concentration in balance, it is forced to hold more water outside the cells, causing retention, swelling and increased pressure.This is why it is important to pay attention to the salt content in foods , especially what we add directly or that “hidden” in unsuspected foods such as packaged sweet foods and drinks;
  • glycogen reserves : our body stores carbohydrates in the liver and muscles in the form of glycogen, to which it binds about 3-4 grams of water per gram of glycogen.If we decrease the intake of carbohydrates from the diet and put the body in a position to use the stored glycogen, we will therefore see a sudden decrease in weight due to the consequent loss of water linked to it .

    This also explains the opposite effect, that is weight gain even with small amounts of carbohydrates following restrictive diets: liver and muscles will try to store as much glucose as possible, and with it also water. That’s why low-carb diets seem so effective at first;

  • physical activity : if prolonged over time or of high intensity, causes consumption of muscle glycogen and loss of water . In the same way, it predisposes the muscles more to retain water in the post workout following the intake of carbohydrates.Drinking water during exertion and sweating also cause fluid changes;
  • hormonal changes : for example, the menstrual cycle leads to a temporary form of water retention that disappears with the arrival of the cycle;
  • posture assumed : Sitting or standing in the same position for too long will cause the body fluids to shift in the lower body due to gravity. It is important to get up and move often to keep blood flowing . If you have a sedentary job, schedule moments to get up and walk a bit;
  • drug use : some side effects may include water retention.

changes in liquids can shift the number on the scale, but this shouldn’t should scare us , because yes deals with situations reversible .

There are also other factors that can cause temporary fluctuations on the scale.

If our digestion is slow or in the presence of constipation, we may notice an increase in weight due to the variation of intestinal contents, for example following a substantial dinner.

Don’t forget that different scales can produce different results at different times of the day, which is why there is no need to despair if the result varies when we do a nutritional check : the important thing is that to evaluate real weight changes the results of the same tool are always compared.

The principles of weight maintenance

Having clarified all those elements that can quickly (but temporarily) increase or decrease weight (advice for further information: how to gain weight), let’s see instead what are the behaviors to keep under control to avoid real negative changes in the composition corporeal.

The good habits to keep are:

  • eat full, filling meals , rich in vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, according to Harvard’s one-course scheme;
  • check the portions with the help of a scale or by comparing them with everyday objects, or by measuring hands. Once you have the right portion, it will be easy to eat the right amount of food even outside the home;
  • do not skip meals (not even breakfast!) and maintain a certain regularity throughout the day;
  • plan meals in advance , starting with the shopping schedule: this will facilitate our adherence to a balanced diet or eating style;
  • choose (and limit) daily temptations , consciously deciding when to be allowed to cheat;
  • raise awareness about the reasons that drive us to eat, to understand if it is physiological or emotional hunger. Likewise, do not look for excuses to avoid physical activity;
  • build good muscle mass through constant training , in order to increase metabolism: muscles have a higher metabolism than fat.

Not having full mastery of more than one of these aspects will inevitably lead to real and unwanted changes in our weight .

How to maintain weight over the long term

Once you have established the principles of long-term weight control, how do you know how often you should check your progress on the scale?

The answer is not that simple.

In a study in which 1,042 adults were monitored over a year it was found that people who weighed once a week or less did not lose weight, unlike those who weighed themselves almost every day .

Research in general indicates that the gesture of weighing yourself every day is more successfully associated with weight loss than less frequent measurements. In fact, self-monitoring gives people a certain responsibility, is immediate feedback and can serve as a source of motivation.

However, there can be drawbacks: the reality is that not everyone is ready for constant checking and weighing themselves every day can become distressing or even have a negative impact on motivation.

The deleterious psychological effect occurs above all on some population groups and in some situations, in particular among younger subjects, people of normal weight, those who have lost less weight or who weigh themselves for a short period, and when the self-monitoring is not done as part of a more structured intervention.

This can lead to results opposite to those desired, such as a decrease in adherence to the path, obsessive behaviors and emotional states associated with binge eating.

In essence, keeping your weight under control is important to achieving your goals, but if daily measurement causes you more anxiety than motivation, then this is not the case .

To see your progress more efficiently, weigh yourself once a week, at the same time and in the same conditions : for example, in the morning, in your pajamas, before breakfast.

This will allow you to control your true weight, without driving yourself crazy in the process .

The scale is not the only tool with which to measure the success of your program or your performance, there are also other factors to consider.

Blood pressure, blood glucose levels, body fat percentage and waist measurement are measurable elements that you can keep an eye on.

No less important is asking yourself a few questions: how is your energy level? How do you feel physically? Are you sleeping well?

Are you fully aware and satisfied with your habits?


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