Demystifying Weight Fluctuations
4 Top causes and solutions for temporary weight gain
We all know weight is just a number, yet it can be hard to ignore when it unexplainably climbs higher. That’s the beauty of Shapa, it takes normal weight variances into account and gives you feedback on your overall progress—not just your weight. But we understand how discouraging seeing a higher number feels, so we’re digging deep into the common causes and solutions.
- Wacky Water Consumption
Staying well-hydrated is important for health and weight loss, yet significant changes in water intake can wreak havoc on the number you see on a scale. Since a traditional scale only weighs the body as a whole (bones, muscles, organs, fluid, and waste), it can’t differentiate an increase in water from an increase in fat or muscle. A higher weight from one day to the next can simply indicate your body is retaining water and may eventually level off.
Solution: Keep your water intake consistent each day so it doesn’t cause temporary spikes in your weight and rely on your Shapa scale—instead of a number—to gauge your overall progress.
- Random Weigh-Ins
If you think your weight seems higher in the evening than it does in the morning, you’re right. You can easily weigh five pounds more at night than you do the same morning. Salt, carbohydrate, caffeine and water consumption can significantly affect your weight within a day. Weighing with clothing and without it and weighing on different scales (such as home, the gym or the doctor’s office) can also show variances.
Solution: For the most consistent tracking, step on your Shapa scale unclothed at the same time each morning.
- Intense Training
Strength training and intense workouts can be a beneficial part of an overall fitness plan—and can cause temporary weight gains. The day after a hard workout, people often wake up expecting to see the results reflected in the scale and are frustrated to see their weight actually increase. While the long-term benefit of training can be weight loss, the short-term is often a temporary increase reflecting the body taking on more water to help repair the tiny muscle fibers that are torn and then repaired in the process of building muscle.
Solution: Don’t let the numbers on a traditional scale discourage you from exercise you enjoy. Instead, use your Shapa Age and Color to track your progress and gain recognition for missions you complete.
- Monthly Fluctuations
Hormonal changes around the time of your period can make the monthly cycle even harder for women. Up to a week before your period, your body may begin retaining fluid, and while it will eventually release it, the scale uptick can be disheartening.
Solution: Since Shapa technology accounts for these natural fluctuations, you don’t have to be discouraged by them. Shapa has a feature that allows you to tell it when you’ve had your period and the typical duration of your monthly cycle. With this information, Shapa ensures that your Shapa color feedback in the days leading up to your period doesn’t reflect weight gain due to temporary water weight or bloating.
Everyone experiences weight fluctuations at one time or another, the challenge is to not be swayed by the indiscriminate number a traditional scale offers. Tracking the progress of your health and weight loss journey using Shapa gives you a more holistic picture and will help you stay engaged and motivated.
Looking to sleep better, eat a bit healthier, move more, build a practice of self-care, or just want to feel more energy each day? Let Shapa be your virtual coach. Shapa focuses your program based on YOUR lifestyle and YOUR goals so you can build healthy habits and achieve lasting results. Learn more about the Shapa difference.
