One of the things that make the least sense and that many continue to do on a recurring basis when exercising (before and after) is weighing yourself on the scale. We say that it does not make much sense, because you will not weigh the same if you weigh yourself before exercising and if you weigh yourself after doing so.
Surely, there will be many or some who think that, if you weigh yourself before exercising and it marks X weight, when you finish exercising and after an hour or a few heavy exercise sessions, when you weigh yourself, the scale will mark less. Error… always, the scale will mark you as a general rule more. It is not difficult to draw conclusions. They can occur for many different reasons. For this reason, you have to forget about weighing yourself after exercise. Always in the morning, fasting (without having eaten anything) and once a week. That will be the most reliable weight.
Instructions
- As a hobby many people before starting to exercise, weigh themselves on the scale and after finishing the exercise session, they weigh themselves again. They are supposed to think (and many still do) that, having exercised, sweated a lot, moved and burned calories… they should weigh much less. Sure, what happens? That it is not like that and they see that they weigh more.
- From there, mixed feelings and unease begin… but we must not fall into that mistake.
- Well, knowing that after the exercise it is not advisable to weigh yourself because the weight you mark will not be realistic. That weight, you should not take it into account at all.
- But having said that, why do you weigh more after exercising?
- Beforehand, you have to know that each body is a world. Therefore, the factors can be many and disparate. But broadly speaking, the reasons can and are generally the following:
- Fluid retention, hormonal changes, and the diet you have had, the amount of liquid you have drunk, menstrual cycles in the case of women, increased muscle mass, etc.
- There are little tricks or changes that you should do if you are one of those people who weighed themselves after exercise. Beforehand, stop doing it. Choose a day of the week and always weigh you on that day. In the morning, I just woke up fasting (without eating anything). And of course, without clothes. Only in underwear. That weight, write it down and compare it every week. In this way, you will really know if you are losing weight or gaining it. Also think that each week can vary depending on many and various factors… therefore, really, it should be taken into account every fortnight or once a month.
- Another factor that makes you weighs more after exercise, drink fluids. Of course, if you sweat while exercising, you should stay hydrated. Therefore you have to drink. If you drink, you retain fluid and weigh more. If you drink up to three liters of water or any liquid, no matter how much you sweat, when you drink water, you recover what you lost.
- Another fact that those who weigh after exercise do not know. If you have done sports or exercise such as strength training(for example) your glucose and water levels will increase. Basically what does it mean? Well, while this type of exercise has been practiced, the body has undergone changes and in cases of strength exercises there may have been breaks in the muscle fibers, hence the body retains fluids.
- And speaking of muscles, if you exercise and lose fat, you can also gain muscle mass. Keep in mind that muscle weighs. And if you gain muscle, it shows on the scale. Eye. It does not mean that you are fatter. In fact, you can weigh more on the scale or the same and be physically slimmer and much better off. Don’t confuse muscle with fat.
- The body needs time to change. Think about how long you’ve been with the bad habits. Either because of the food issue or because of the lack of exercise. Now the metabolism must change and it needs to do it at its own pace.
- To take into account general and/or basic rules. Instead of becoming so obsessed with what the scale says and what number you see, consider what you should do. Exercise regularly, stay hydrated and eats healthy. The only key is to do a calculation that never fails (there are no tricks). If you want to lose weight and weigh less, eat fewer calories than you expend. So simple.
- Not eating is not the solution. The body needs fuel, but not just any kind of fuel. Do not forget vegetables and proteins, which are so necessary for you to lose weight and your body has the energy to keep up. It is highly recommended to eat vitamins and/or protein shakes if you have trouble eating after exercising. Do not forget not to do it because in this way the muscles are “fed” and you will avoid being more fatigued than necessary and injuring yourself.
- In the case of women, hormonal changes must be taken into account and valued. For example, menstrual cycles. Where weight is increased, fluid retention is increased; the abdomen is somewhat more swollen, etc. Each woman can vary, but generally, it is like that. Therefore, this data also influences weight gain on the scale and after passing the menstrual cycle, the weight returns to the same as always.
What do you need
- A scale.
- A clear and realistic goal.
- Always weigh yourself in the morning, fasting and on the same day of the week.
- Evaluate hormonal changes in the case of women. Where weight and volume will increase, but later, it will return to the initial weight.
Tips
You have to be clear that it is never good to obsess. Going to the extreme of weighing yourself in the morning and then doing it again after a workout is worrying and unhealthy. In fact, as another fact, stress is also related to weight gain. There are many cases of people who for one reason or another are stressed and weigh more (due to fluid retention) and they lose that stress, relax… and boom. Lose weight. It is not worth martyring yourself guided only by the number on the scale.
In the case of women, other factors such as hormonal changes also influence them a lot. The weight that the scale marks during those days may not be real and reliable at all. In some women it can increase weight by up to three kilos. And after passing the menstrual cycle, return to the initial weight. Therefore, it is not necessary to take it into account and let the body of each one go at its own pace.
There are other factors that are more important, such as the tape measure. Measure yourself once a month and write it down. Compare the centimeters that you have increased and/or lost and you will be able to check if you are on the right track and if you are losing.
You have to be clear that it is never good to obsess. Going to the extreme of weighing yourself in the morning and then doing it again after a workout is worrying and unhealthy. In fact, as another fact, stress is also related to weight gain. There are many cases of people who for one reason or another are stressed and weigh more (due to fluid retention) and they lose that stress, relax… and boom. Lose weight. It is not worth martyring yourself guided only by the number on the scale.
There are other factors that are more important, such as the tape measure. Measure yourself once a month and write it down. Compare the centimeters that you have increased and/or lost and you will be able to check if you are on the right track and if you are losing.
