| |
| |
|
Weight Loss Information |
|
|
|
Are You Losing Body Fat or Water?
"I tried that diet and lost 8 pounds in the first week!" "I've gained three pounds in one day! It must have been the cookie I ateor maybe the mashed potatoes!" These are comments I hear so often that I decided it would be a good topic for an article to help people have a better understanding of the fluctuating numbers on their scale. It is important to understand, when we step on a scale, it is measuring every part of our physical being at that moment in time, which means it measures our fat, muscles, organs,tissue and water weight. Water weight can affect your total weight anywhere from 1-10 pounds and sometimes even more. It is important to understand what kinds of dietary factors can make these fluid shifts happen. To start, many of the high protein, low carbohydrate diets such as Atkins, or the beginning of South Beach can cause a dramatic shift in your water weight. This is because as you significantly cut back carbohydrate intake your body starts breaking down the stored carbohydrates (glycogen) to use as energy, and this breakdown causes the body to excrete large amounts of water. Once the body begins to use stored fat for energy, weight loss slows. This is why most people lose a significant amount ofweight right away on a low carb, high protein diet. Extreme low carb, high protein diets can often lead the body to a state of dehydration because of the significant fluid loss. What is misleading is when a person following a low carb plan eats a carbohydrate-rich food they can easily gain 1-3 pounds. However, this weight gain is just your body replenishing the fluid it lost and is not gained fat. I have had numerous clients struggle with this and they end up yo-yoing back in forth with fluid weight thinking that it must be the half cup of rice they had the night before that caused them to gain that 2 pounds when in fact eating the rice just allowed them to regain some of the fluid they had lost from following a strict low carb plan. The fact is carbohydrates do not affect your weight quite that simply. Excess refined carbohydrates can strongly stimulate insulin production, which promotes fat deposition and increases appetite. This kind of weight gain will happen gradually, not dramatically overnight. Sodium is another dietary component that can lead to fluid gain. Sodium can cause the body to retain fluid, which can lead to these frustrating daily weight fluctuations. Some people are more sensitive to sodium than others. Watch your diet and see if your weight gain corresponds with a high sodium meal the day before. For example, eating out in restaurants can often increase your sodium intake significantly. The best way to tell if you are retaining fluid is to pay attention to your body. If you get indentations on your ankles and lower legs from your socks then you are retaining fluid. If you wear rings and they become tight and leave an imprint in your fingers when you take them off then you also likely retaining fluid. Any kind of puffiness in your skin is a good indication of water weight. The bottom line is that it takes 3500 calories to gain or lose 1 pound of body fat. This equates to an extra 500 calories a day over 7 days to gain a pound. This means if you gained 3 pounds in one day you can chalk it up to fluid weight otherwise you would have had to consume10,500 extra calories that day which is not likely! True weight gain happens gradually and likewise we lose it gradually. Check your weight weekly instead of daily and look for overall trends. If you are seeing dramatic daily changes in your weight, it is likely the ever-changing shifts of our bodies' water weight. Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and owner of Real Living Nutrition Services. Sign up for her monthly newsletter to learn what's new in nutrition, weight loss success stories, healthy recipes, and more. Go to http://www.reallivingnutrition.com for more details.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Find the Right New Year's Resolution to Get into Your Best Shape Ever! Yep, it is that time of year again! Time to moan and groan about the weight we gained over the holidays as we resolve to lose it all in the New Year! If memories of failed New Year's resolutions are haunting you, it is time you found the right resolution for 2005.The reason that most New Year's Resolutions fail is that they are too extreme or time consuming. Helping Your Overweight Child With the rise of obesity and the increasing incidence of type 2 diabetes occurring in children, many parents are now faced with helping an overweight child. This may not be a daunting as first seems and here are some simple, but effective steps to take to help your child develop eating habits and active lifestyle that will assist improve their health. Weight Loss: Customize, Personalize, Spice up! You know you have weighted, err, waited more than enough. So you decide to get yourself started on some weight loss programs and regimens. The Answer to Combining Diet & Exercise for Maximum Weight Loss Put simply, your resting metabolic rate is the minimum number of calories your body needs to survive if you sleep in bed all day. Your body needs energy for hundreds of bodily functions such as breathing, keeping the brain functioning and any movement your body makes. Yoga As An Aid To Weight Loss Yoga is wonderful for nurturing a state of mental and physical well being . It promotes a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and yoga techniques can be applied also to removing excess weight, thus bringing you an extra benefit, that is if being overweight is a problem to you. Gaining Weight After Gastric Bypass? Bad Snacks May be the Cause As I become acquainted with many of our LivingAfterWLS.com community members I'm finding that old snacking habits have crept back in to our lives. Before You Burn - Information About Weight Training Routines For Beginners Information About Weight Training Routines For BeginnersSo you need to lose a few pounds? Perhaps you want to bulk up and strengthen and define your muscle tone? Maybe you just want to add a bit of variety to your exercise program? Weight training routines offer a great way to accomplish these goals. These types of training routines are used by professional athletes, fitness pros, and body builders. How To Avoid Common Diet Scams As our country gains weight at an alarming rate, we are spending more each year on products that promise us easy, effortless weight loss. Each year in the United States, an estimated 35 billion dollars is spent each year on weight loss products. Have You Given Up on Weight Loss? Have You Given Up on Weight Loss? by Greg Landry, M.S I receive several email messages every day from people who have given up on weight loss. Weight Loss With Water It's calorie-free, inexpensive and easily obtained - yet few people follow the old fashioned advice to drink eight glasses of water a day.Most people drink when they are thirsty, but usually not enough and certainly not when trying to lose weight. Atkins Diet in UK The most recent shocking news related to Atkins diet UK is while dieting Atkins, people don't feel the drive to eat more.British population is largely enjoying Atkins dietThough The United Kingdom doesn't have to tackle serious issues regarding overweight and obesity, there are enough British dieting. 3 Secrets Your Diet Book Wont Tell You Are you wondering why you're not losing weight? If you're like me, you've tried every fad diet imaginable, and nothing seems to work - at least not long-term. I've personally tried Weight Watchers (that worked great until my schedule changed and I was no longer able to attend meetings), Atkins (not easy to follow for someone who travels a lot and loves to dine out), and crazy fad diets like the cabbage soup diet, the grapefruit diet, juice fasts, and countless others. Pediatric Obesity: A Look at the Epidemic Obesity in America is at an epidemic level. It is a global issue and the statistics only prove that it continues to rise. Conventional Dieting Wisdom That Works for WLS Patients In many cases conventional dieting wisdom simply doesn't work for gastric bypass weight loss surgery patients. Surgery changes the rules. Does A Quick Weight Loss Diet Really Work? Only if you're trying to fool the scale on a specific date and time.Quick weight loss is advertised by diet marketers all the time. The RESULTS Diet! R.. Weights Before Cardio: Stop Working Against Yourself Just because you're working hard, doesn't mean that you're working smart. I see it every day. Easy Steps To Weight Loss It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan, right? Sometimes there are so many rules, and so many major changes in your life required. Is there another way? Not just another diet or plan, but a whole different approach?Try Small Changes To Lose WeightIf a diet or a complicated weight-loss system is just too overwhelming, try making a small change instead. Lose 104 Pounds In A Year Did you ever think about the fact that losing 2 pounds a week adds up to 104 pounds a year? That's a LOT of weight.Sooo. How To Find Your Ideal Body Weight A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy value of food and the energy used by the body to maintain normal functions. When the calories from food intake equal the calories of energy the body uses, weight remains constant.
|
|
Weight Loss | Weight Loss Diet | Weight Loss Diet Pills | Weight Loss Blog | Weight Loss Articles | SiteMap
Diet Pills: Diet Pills | Hoodia | Phentermine | Prescription Diet Pills Diet Plans: Diet Plan | Medifast | High Fiber Diet | High Protein Diet |
