The one thing almost all women have in common is the obsession with jumping on the scales. It is an age old battle, forged in the sands of time.
Although weight is a way of measuring progress it is not necessarily the best or most accurate way especially for girls.
The problem with weighing yourself is you’re only seeing the number on the scales, then judging success or failure on what that number is telling you, however the number isn’t telling you the full story.
Our bodies are made up of muscle, water, fat etc.
As you progress through your cycle your hormone levels change and with this comes a fluctuation in weight.
Oestrogen which rises in the 1st phase is a “water retainer” whereas progesterone which is predominant in the 2nd half of your cycle is a diuretic. As these hormone levels change you will hold and release water depending…literally day by day.
This has a direct impact on your weight and inevitably the number on the scales. What you may not be seeing is your body is losing fat whilst your weight stays the same or goes up.
If you are going to weigh yourself, stick to a specific day and time of the week and monitor it weekly (this reduces the fluctuation taken in to account by your period). Then measure your weight against the same day of your cycle each month eg: Day 1 of period in April vs Day 1 of period in May.
TIP: Weigh yourself in the morning before food and water.
Instead of getting hung up on what the scales are telling you measure your progress by…
How you feel –energy and mood
How your clothes fit – loose = shape is changing
Measuring tape
Body fat analysis (ask your PT)