“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!
WHHHAAAAAAT?!?!”
Is the
common response I get when we do an assessment with a new female personal
training client after a month of training. Invariably, the scale has gone up a
few pounds and their frustration level goes through the roof because they feel
like they’ve been “doing everything right.” Most of the time it is true.
I go
through a quick variation of the following information with them, they feel
better about it, and 4 weeks later they squeal with delight when the scale has
shown a significant drop. Why does this happen?
When
someone starts transforming their body with diet changes and exercise an almost
infinite number of changes start to happen under the surface. This will be an
explanation in the simplest, non-scientific, terms possible.
The following statement is important, so focus: For the
weight on the scale to go down from fat loss, you would need the fat mass to
decrease while everything else remains exactly
the same. It’s very difficult for this to happen, as the processes
that bring about fat loss also bring about increases in fat-free mass. In fact,
you have 3 main areas that can gain mass (water, muscle, and
bone), and only one that can lose – fat.
The first
thing that happens when you start to exercise is that previously unused muscle
begins to fill up with water, glycogen (sugar, for fuel), and other nutrients.
Your body can hold a tremendous amount of water, even up to 75% of your body
weight can be water.
The next
thing to increase is the muscle tissue itself. Everyone has heard the (usually
mis-spoken) phrase “muscle weighs more than fat.” Muscle is of course more
dense than fat, meaning for the same amount of weight it takes up significantly
less space, or volume. As a result, someone can look remarkably “better”
(better is in the eye of the beholder, if we’re talking about appearance) but
weigh more on a scale.
.
Finally, bone is the slowest tissue to change. Bone density
does increase with weight training, and is in fact one of the major benefits of lifting. In the discussion of fat loss, changes in bone density do not
have an appreciable impact on scale weight.
Changes to fat tissue begin to happen after body water changes,
but before significant increases in muscle tissue. Within as little as two
weeks of training and eating appropriately for fat loss, fat tissues begin to
decrease.
Where the body selects to remove fat is impossible to
control. Reductions may be virtually un-noticeable because they are
distributed so evenly, or a significant change to one area could happen all at
once.
Realistic expectations for fat loss are an average of 1lb of
fat mass per week for men, slightly less for women. Many factors affect this,
and it’s important to note that a 1lb per week average could mean 2lbs in one
week, and none the next.
Tracking
multiple measurements will help you stay calm even in the face of an adverse
measurement. Ideally, track body weight, electronic body fat, and circumference
measurements head to toe. If everything is moving in the wrong direction, it
might be time to consider a change. But, if one metric is undesirable and the
rest are looking positive then you know to stay the course.
Change is
Good!
All of these
changes that happen under the surface are good things. Your body is amazingly
good at regulating itself. There are processes in the body that are regulated
so precisely they defy science to replicate that consistency. If you take care
of the inputs – just the right amount of good food, an appropriate amount of
challenging exercise, and plenty of sleep, your body will take care of the
rest. It may take more time than you expected, or it may take much less. Keep
going!
