5 Hidden Sources Of Weight Gain

October 16th, 2009 by admin

by Katherine Crawford M.S.

Do you constantly check the scale? Are you constantly discouraged by the readings? Well, please understand that even though the scale is going up, you may be making progress.

It’s usually the case that women are actually losing fat while gaining weight when starting off with a program. Who’s to blame? Water.

The issue most women have is identifying what is causing the excess water gain. So in this article I’ll show you 5 things that could be causing you to gain weight instantly:

1. Food. If you started exercising a lot, you may be eating more. This is normal. And food has weight. So if you eat a big meal, expect an immediate increase in weight. Now if the food is loaded with sodium, you could easily gain a couple pounds very quickly.

2. Carbohydrates. You need carbohydrates to function properly. Without them, your brain would become extremely sluggish and you’d lose most of your ability to recover from exercise. And each gram of carbohydrate that gets pulled into muscle brings 3 grams of water with it.

3. Salt. We all know that salt can increase water retention. But what most women fail to realize is just how much water they can potentially retain-they usually drastically underestimate. The next time you eat a fast food meal or a big meal at a restaurant, notice how much water you HAVE to drink in order to quench your thirst.

4. Water. I’m not talking about drinking water, I’m talking about water hitting your skin. Believe it or not, you will absorb water when you shower or take a bath or enter any body of water. Many athletes have failed their weigh ins because of this skin-absorbing effect.

5. Lifting heavy stuff. By heavy stuff I mean weights. Weight training teaches your muscles how to hold on to more carbohydrates, and remember that more carbohydrates translate into more water coming in. Does this mean you shouldn’t weight lift? Absolutely not! In the long run you’ll be way better off if you do.

I strongly believe it’s in your best interest to NOT weigh yourself frequently. It will take you for an unnecessary emotional roller coaster ride. And if you feel like water retention is an issue, this article is a great starting point to ditch the excess H20!

Regarded author Katherine Crawford M.S., a Harvard exercise expert and former flabby arms victim, is an expert on (http://www.sleevelessin7.com/arm-exercises-for-women-b/) toning exercises for women. Learn how to get toned arms now by exploring her blog on (http://www.sleevelessin7.com/arm-exercises-for-women-b/) best arm exercises.

Disclosure: some of the links mentioned within this post or posts they lead to are my affiliate links and I get compensated for recommending those products.

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