Because Fitness Matters
I read an article last week that says the 6th week of the year is when, statistically, most people give up on their New Years Resolution of health and fitness.
For me, I never really got started. I ended the year at a weight of 215 and now I am at 228. How does one gain 14 pounds in six weeks? It almost isn’t possible considering that I rarely eat more calories than I need for the day. I also didn’t do any High Intensity Weight Training.
What I think is happening (my observation) is that our bodies fluctuate dramatically based on what we eat.
I eat a Keto-style diet 90% of the time. High protein with green vegetables. If I stay on this I maintain my weight and lean muscle/tissue. But if I vary the diet, huge changes occur in weight and body composition. According to my body fat scales. (more on this later).
Home Body Composition Scales
I use two different brands of body composition scale and I check them against each other. Then for the “real story” I check them against our Cosmed BodPod, a scientific instrument that measures your body composition. This is a “Gold Standard” device that you are sealed in and it is equal to the old “Water Dipping” (Hydrostatic weighing for body fat) which was the standard but you have to get wet in a pool of water. The BodPod is quick and dry!
Back to what seems to happen when we change our diet. It seems that for my body, it reacts by delivering readings that defy science.
This weekend was my birthday and I spent it with my children at a gem show. We ate “junk food” which for me is any cards, but especially gluten carbs. I am not allergic to gluten but I have noticed that it makes huge changes in my waist circumference, bloating, and body composition readings. Dairy seems to do the same.
I had it all this last weekend and my weight went up five pounds which is really not possible as that would have necessitated 14,000 extra calories over 3 days. I just didn’t do that. But, water retention could easily do that.
The Real Diet and Exercise Program
The point of this is that I am going to START my serious health program on the week that most people end theirs. But I wanted to make note of this drastic weight change that can occur from changing one’s diet. It isn’t fat, and my scales show the opposite. They indicate I gained five pounds of Muscle in the last week. Again, a scientific impossibility.
So, it is a good idea to ignore wild changes, don’t get demoralized, and get onto, or back to, your program.
And use a personal trainer so you can bounce ideas, discouragement and “wins” on them.
