I love numbers. They may be frustrating, but they don’t lie. Especially the numbers that show up on a scale during weight loss. These may also be puzzling, because weight loss never seem to go a neat straight line down.
To avoid weight loss frustration many weight loss experts suggest not to go on a scale every day. It’s to prevent getting demotivated from a sudden weight gain overnight. But of course! The last thing you want is to work hard at your goal, only to see your scale going in the wrong direction.
Daily weight loss fluctuations are normal, but…
But don’t sweat it. Daily weight fluctuations aren’t usually tied to fat loss. These few pounds you gained overnight may have nothing to do with hips getting fatter, but with water retention due to various reason from extra salt in the diet to weather changes in your region.
Armed with the above knowledge I decided not to worry about minor daily ups or downs, but to pay attention only to big multi-day spikes, which i provoked myself by testing a few food groups along the way.
My three weight loss snags came from…
I started my weight loss test around December, after already losing a few pounds. I wasn’t in a hurry. The purpose of the test was to see which of the food groups I ate weren’t weight loss friendly. I tested several possibilities: veggies, yellow cheeses, dairy, yogurt, fruits, chocolate, and bacon. Some of those produced the multi-day spike I was looking for.
What are those ABCs on the chart?
- Arrow A: visited friends that cooked “healthy meals”. These “healthy meals” turned out deadly for me: standard condiments with salt and sugar, ready-made spices loaded with chemicals, veggies mixed in PUFA sauces, and excessive portions spiked my weight from 133 lb to 138 lb in a matter or three days. I felt like sh… Not because of what the scale was saying, but mostly because of the fatigue, heaviness, and fogginess I felt afterwards.
- Lesson from A: Not all home-cooking is healthy. Not all “healthy” home-cooked meals support health or weight loss.
- Arrow B: I had a few days of yellow cheese “binges”. After they produced an obvious spike I said goodbye to all dairy. I did it with deep sadness. I love dairy, but it turned out to be THE weight stopper for me. After swapping it for bacon (I love fat!!!!) my weight loss restarted
- Lesson from B: The biggest weight loss problem may come from food you love the most, not the calories you ingest
- Arrow C: Tested chocolate; Oops! Even 30 grams of Hershey’s almonds repeated over 4 days wasn’t something my body wanted to tolerate. It ballooned within a few days and needed a week to revert back to normal.
- Lesson C: Treat treats as rare treats, not regular desserts.
Why my weight loss lessons are your health lessons
Obesity is linked to many diseases and many of us are on a weight loss journey to get healthier. But being slim and being healthy isn’t the same. As real live shows even slim people can be quite unwell. We tend to forget that slimming down does not guarantee good health.
Then, why not aim to be healthy, instead of slim. But how? Easy!
In weight loss you count calories. In health you eliminate foods that disagree with you. Now, that’s a thought!
