Why the Scale Went Up (and It's Not Fat Gain!)

00:00 Scale's number doesn't define your progress.

05:18 Focus on overall progress, not scale number.

06:54 Focus on holistic health, not scale numbers.

In this episode, you'll hear: 

1. Everyday Fluctuations: Discover why things like late night snacks or not “going” could make the scale creep up.
2. Body's Natural Responses: Learn how your carbs, water intake, and strength training are teaming up to throw curveballs at your weigh-ins (but in a good way!).
3. Mastering Stress and Inflammation: Unpack the surprising impact of short-term inflammation and the crucial role of cortisol in your day-to-day health journey.

Transcript

0:00

Welcome back to the menopause method. My name is Cam Allen and it is an honor to be your tour guide through everything menopause. Today, we're gonna talk about the scale. Have you ever stepped on the scale and it felt like it was betraying you overnight? Let me tell you a secret. It's not about fat gain or muscle loss. And there's plenty of reasons why the scale goes up, and most of them actually have nothing to do with weight gain, fat gain, muscle loss. Okay. So that's what we're gonna talk about. I need you to understand that the scale is a tool, but don't let it ruin your day. It only tells part of the story of you. It certainly doesn't reflect your health or your progress. And understanding why that number fluctuates will help end the frustration and keep you focused on the bigger picture. You know, because we've all been there, you step on the scale, and the number doesn't agree with what you think it should say. Does it influence your mood for the day? Do you let it make you have a bad day? Or and it's no big deal. So let's get to it. Why in the world does the scale change so much day to day? First of all, we're gonna talk about normal everyday reasons the scale goes up, and we're gonna start with an obvious one, bathroom business. Maybe you are constipated, and you haven't gone number 2. You're literally holding on to waste, and that would cause the scale to go up. That's one reason. Another reason, maybe late night eating. Eating dinner later than usual means that there's still food which weighs pounds in your system, and it hasn't been fully digested. Speaking of meals, maybe this is why the scale went up. Did you eat out? Oftentimes, when you eat out, you're exposed to seed oils, which makes me personally feel puffy the next day, and also they tend to be higher in sodium, which causes water retention, which would cause the scale to go up. So those are some of the everyday reasons why the scale would go up. Now let's talk about your body's natural response to stuff that you do. We're gonna start with carbohydrates. Did you ever notice that the word carbohydrate actually has the word hydrate in it? Carbs store water in your cells. For every gram of carbs that you eat, your body holds on 2 to 3 grams of water. That's amazing. Carbohydrates literally hydrate your cells. So for example, if you ate more bread, pasta, rice, or something like that, just understand that the scale is going up just because it's water weight. Speaking of water, this might be something new. Maybe you've had too much water. Well, that makes sense because you have a large amount of water in your system actually weighing you down that can temporarily cause the scale number to go up. But did you know that dehydration can also lead to water retention and your body conserves fluid? So if you're over hydrated or dehydrated, both of those reasons could cause the scale to go up. Now if you've been listening to this at all, you know I'm a huge fan of strength training. And when you lift weights, that is another reason why the scale would go up. That does not mean you're gonna get bulky. That is not what's happening. Lifting weights actually causes micro tears in your muscles, which leads to water retention because they're repairing and growing stronger. And I want you to hear this is a good thing. It means you're actually building muscle. So beyond, like, your body's natural response to carbohydrates and strength training and water, what else is there? Well, we have to talk about short term inflammation. So short term inflammation, your body is trying to heal itself, and that's what causes it. So here are some things that cause short term inflammation. Lack of sleep. Has that ever happened to you? You wake up the next day and you feel groggy and you just feel puffy. Yeah. I can relate to that. Food sensitivities, when you eat things that aren't, like, good for your body, alcohol, I know, sugar, processed foods, and, believe it or not, stress. All of those things causes short term inflammation in your body. Your body is literally sending out the army to heal itself, and it causes inflammation. Like, think about it when you you've ever heard a knee or something like I'll use a knee because I've had knee things. When your body is swelling in that joint area, it's sending protection to that area to heal it. So inflammation temporary inflammation is a sign of healing, but why are we doing that? There's also environmental factors. Believe it or not, loneliness and pollution causes stress on your system, causing temporary weight, fluctuations. Chronic stress, however, that's when your cortisol is elevated beyond normal. That causes water retention and also to increase the scale number. Let's talk about cortisol cortisol for just a moment. The right amount of cortisol is actually anti inflammatory. So if we're too high, that's no good. We're gonna cause that's gonna cause weight gain. We're gonna hold on to water. And if it's too low, our get up and go is, like, gone, and we're not benefiting from the right amount of cortisol, which is anti inflammatory. But if you're too high or you're too low, then what happens is the inflammatory response kicks in. So how do we get past this? So, you know, we've talked about a lot of reasons what's going on. Just realize that we can reframe the scale data, and it's not a judgment on you or your worth or what kind of day you should have. Fluctuations are completely normal. Weight gain anywhere from 2 to £5 a day is normal due to hydration, food intake, going to the bathroom, all of those things. The bigger picture is the focus on the progress markers. Like, for example, how do you feel? Are you gaining strength in the gym? Are you able to have more energy throughout the day? And how are your clothes fitting? Like, are they less snug around the waist? Those things really matter more than what the scale has to say. So let's talk about some actionable steps to, like, shift your focus to the number on the scale to something else, something greater. First of all, if you use a scale that is awesome. I would encourage you to get a smart scale. A smart scale breaks it down and tells you what your weight is made up of, like how much is muscle, how much is fat, how much is water, how much is bone. All of those things are really awesome. There's nothing more encouraging to see the number on the scale stay the same, but when you dial into that, you see that the fat is going down and the muscle is going up. So this weight may not change, but what's inside, what makes up the weight is changing, and there's nothing better than that feeling. So look at trends over time. If you choose to weigh yourself, do it every day at the same time. You know, be consistent on that, and then look for trends over time. There are many healthy habits that will help you focus your shift on living a healthy vibrant life versus just the number on the scale. Things like sleep, staying hydrated, figuring out the best ways you can handle and manage your stress, and then, you know, 80 20 when it comes to processed food. One of my favorite things about health coaching is helping women celebrate their small victories. Anytime you can look at yourself and see your progress as a non scale victory, for example, lifting heavy weights or doing more reps in a set, improving your stamina, having more energy, doing everyday activities and feeling better about yourself. Those things, being more confident in your skin, you literally cannot put a number on those. Finally, educate yourself. Learn what causes your fluctuation so you can stay empowered rather than discouraged. I'll use a personal example here. On occasion, we eat Chipotle, and it doesn't matter what I eat at Chipotle. Whether it's a bowl or a burrito, it doesn't matter. The next day, the scale is gonna go up possibly because I'm eating more carbs, possibly because it's very salty. But I know if I choose to eat Chipotle, the next day, the scale is gonna go up. So that's one of my triggers. I've also noticed if I lift heavier weights than normal, like if I'm really pushing it, that the scale is gonna go up the next day. I view that now as encouragement because I know that my muscles are repairing themselves and growing back stronger. So the bottom line is if the scale stresses you out, just remember it's only one piece of the puzzle. Learn to focus on building those habits and moving your dial to better health because the number on the scale is just a number. If you're finding the menopause method helpful, please hit the subscribe button and consider leaving a review so other women can find this information as well.