Don't Worry: You Didn't Gain 3 Pounds In One Weekend, You're Just Bloated

Chill out . You did NOT gain three pounds in three days.

Lets do the math together. In order to gain three pounds in three days, youd basically need to eat your standard sum ofcalories per day, and add on 3,500 additional calories. Thats about5, 500 calories, three days in a row.

Even if you pander in too much wine, barbecue, chips, cheese, ice cream or whatever is making your stomach hurt today, you did not gain three pounds.Lets talk about why your scale might like to PRETEND you gained three pounds over a three-day weekend. The key here is water retention and bloat.

Salt

If youre eating most of your food out of eateries and airports or youre eating prepackaged snacks, there is usually more refined table salt in your food. This can lead tobloating.

Dehydration

If you are dehydrated, your body actually thinks it needs to hold onto more water to protectyouand keep your organs functioning. So that, my friends, means youll hold on to that water you have, and it may feel kind of poofy in your face, potbelly and arms.

The key to get rid of this poof and bloat is to drink more water, so your body knows it can release its supplying and flush out your system. Drink up!

Constipation

If youre not on your regular pooping schedule or are holding a bit back, that can easily add a pound of weight to yourbody. Wait, what, how much does poop weigh ? I know youre now insanely curious, so I did the research for you. A day or two( or three) of poop can weigh between one and four pounds. Oh my gosh, I KNOW. Add in more fiber and water to help things slide right along.

Carbs or Sugar

For every gram of a carb you eat, you hold on to morewater weight within your cells. So if youve eaten more refined carbs in the last few days, youre holding on to more water. Thats why a lot of people can slim down in four days and lose six pounds by severally restricting carbs. Theyre essentially merely losing short-term water weight.

Alcohol

Its highly inflammatory. When you have more rednes in your body, youll feel a bit bloated. Also, since alcohol is dehydrating( see above ), youll retain more water as a security mechanism to protect your organs and keep your system functioning. Again, drink your water and flush it out. Your organs will thank you.

Red Meat

If youve had red meat lately, it could still be in your digestive tract. A hamburger or a steak can take 24 hours to digest. So yes, its weighing you down on the scale.

Fill your body with the nutrients from real foods and flood your cells with hydration from whole fruits, veggies and water. A true measure of success in your nutrition, diet and weight upkeep is how quickly you are able to make a comeback. How rapidly can you get back to baseline after going off-plan? Do you falter around for a few days, or do you have a scheme in placeto immediately get back on track?

Use this as an opportunity for renewed inspiration. Make fitness plans, go to the grocery store and prep some healthy meal options for the rest of the week.Youll get back to normal soon, I promise.

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Don't Worry: You Didn't Gain 3 Pounds In One Weekend, You're Just Bloated
Don't Worry: You Didn't Gain 3 Pounds In One Weekend, You're Just Bloated
Don't Worry: You Didn't Gain 3 Pounds In One Weekend, You're Just Bloated
Don't Worry: You Didn't Gain 3 Pounds In One Weekend, You're Just Bloated
Don't Worry: You Didn't Gain 3 Pounds In One Weekend, You're Just Bloated