Understanding Post-Fast Weight Fluctuations!

Today's blog post topic is a biggy for many that have just started living a Fasting Fit Lifestyle and a refreshing reminder to all my fasting lovers that are already living the powerful Fasting Fit Lifestyle. It's about that scale-weight jump afterwards, yes, that post-fast scale weight jump, that freaks you out.

First things first, congrats on completing your fasting journey! Whether you took on intermittent fasting protocols, extended fasting protocols, or just rockin OMAD for a week or two, you've shown incredible dedication and perseverance, but especially you have shown full self-respect towards your health and have taken action in providing complete self-care for your health.

"Your Health is Your Wealth", and this statement is 1000% accurate.

But now, you step on the scale and, ... wait a minute, ...it’s jumped up?! What the heck?!??

Don’t worry, I'm here to demystify this puzzling phenomenon and keep the fun in your weight loss journey!

Okay, What's Happening Here?!

Glycogen and Water are a dynamic duo. During your fast, your body used up all its glycogen stores first for energy. Glycogen, a form of carbohydrate, is stored in the liver and muscles along with water. When you break your fast and reintroduce food, your body starts replenishing those glycogen stores. And guess what? For every gram of glycogen, your body stores about 3 to 4 grams of water! So, a few pounds of water weight can come back pretty quickly and "Jump the Scale". Moral of the story, best is to NOT consume dense carbohydrates when breaking your fast, but to only reintroduce dense carbs once the body has rebalanced itself and has reached a powerful "playground" scale weight to play with. More on the "PowerfulME Playground" topic a little later, ... let's keep reading.

Now, understand that your "Digestive Tract" reloads when breaking your fast. While fasting, your digestive system gets a much needed vacation. When you start eating again, your stomach and intestines refill with food and waste, adding that extra weight that wasn’t there during the fast. This is very normal and absolutely necessary for your body to function powerfully! 

Hence why I keep stating during my coaching sessions, that it's important to first reintroduce lighter weight proteins, water concentrated fruits and veggies when breaking your fast.

Note that you also consume extra "Sodium" in your foods which causes extra Water Retention. Remember that many post-fast foods, especially if you’re celebrating with something salty, leads to excess water retention. Sodium holds onto water, causing that temporary increase on the scale. But, remember that it's only water weight and NOT fat.  

Coaching Tip: If you consume lots of water the very next day, and go for a brisk power hour walk, or 20 min sauna, the body will release that extra water retention and the scale weight will drop beautifully again.

My dear lovelies, you gotta stay super grounded and keep your "smart cap" on while on this incredibly powerful journey.

Here are a few point below to help you further:

1. Mindful Eating
Enjoy your food, but try to ease back in gradually. Your body will appreciate a gentle transition with nutrient-dense, hydrating foods like berries, green veggies, and lean proteins.

2. Hydrate, Hydrate and Hydrate
Drink plenty of water! 2-3 ltrs per day. Hydration helps your body process and flush out excess sodium, balances water retention and keeps your bowels regular.

3. Keep Moving
Light exercise helps your body adjust and redistribute fluids, but keep it light while on a fasting journey and ensure a 1 hour medium-paced power walk the next morning, especially after breaking your fast.  These movements make a massive difference.

It's actually my secret weapon to ensure a non-scaled weight jump post-fast, but that's not a free ticket to eating poorly.

4. Meal Timing

- Avoid Breaking Your Fast After 8 PM: Give yourself at least 3 full hours without food intake before going to bed. This allows your body to digest and process the food properly, preventing overnight weight gain from undigested food.

- Why Timing Matters: Eating and drinking too late causes your tummy to remain full. If you jump on the scale first thing the next morning, your body weight will reflect that extra food and liquid, which is completely normal, but can be misleading and freak you out.

- Mind Games Be Gone: Understanding this prevents unnecessary stress. Knowing that late-night eating artificially jumps your morning scale weight, will help you maintain a healthy mind-set and stay motivated.

5. Scale Overview
Remember, the scale is just one measure of progress.  Also the scale needs to take a lot into perspective for an actual true reading and understanding. Always, first look at how you feel, how your clothes fit, and your overall energy levels. 

Your body is an incredible machine, and it’s normal for weight to fluctuate! And don't forget to also take into account your monthly hormone cycle, that's water retention in default each month, and this goes on for about 10 days during luteal phase.

This is 10 days of absolute scale weight confusion. Uuuuurgh, let's not go there now, we can chat about that at another time.

But, let's rather focus on Celebrating Your Success!
You've achieved something amazing by completing your specific fasting journey, you have crushed loads of body fat and now all you gotta deal with is a bit of scale weight fluctuations afterwards. The post-fast scale jump is a temporary thing and a very natural part of the process. Celebrate your accomplishments, after all you've smashed a lot of your body fat, your physically slimmer, healthier, increased your mental focus, your skin is glowing, your eyes are whiter and sparkling, you've strengthened your body and .... drumroll please,.... you're now fitting into your favorite pair of jeans and you're rockin your cute pair of shorts. It's just a big "Hello Me, I've missed you!" scenario. It's that over-all "glow" that shines beautifully and everyone notices it.

Let me share a little bit on my "PowerfulME Playground" that I coach within the Maintenance Group Coaching Program, as well as my 1:1 Private 2-Week Coaching Packages.

In these packages, I emphasize the importance of creating your own "playground" to maintain your weight loss effectively. Here's a quick breakdown on how it works:

1. I Help you Build Your Playground 
To keep your weight stable, allow yourself a 5-pound range to "play" within. For instance, if you've reached your goal weight of 135 lbs, your playground should be between 135 lbs and 140 lbs. You'll likely maintain an average weight of around 138 lbs.

There is more to this, but this tip will help you in the interim.

2. Adjust for Precision  
If you prefer to maintain exactly at 135 lbs, set your "playground boundaries" between 133 lbs and 137 lbs. This way, you'll hover around your target weight more consistently. Extremely powerful!

Creating your very own PowerfulME maintenance playground helps you stay flexible and realistic, making weight maintenance a fun and achievable goal. I help you build your safe playground. Let's keep playing and having fun and keep those gains in check ladies!

Stay positive, and keep the fun rockin in your Fasting Fit Lifestyle. 

Should you wish further guidance and help, you can book a 1:1 Private 30 min Consultation with me by clicking HERE or secure a 2-Week 1:1 Accountability Package with me which include 2 x private 30 min consultations.

Kindly note that my coaching schedule is limited and to avoid disappointments, please ensure to secure your slot with the PowerfulME Office Team ASAP and they'll ensure you're ready to get Rocking and Rolling For Success!

Client Testimonials

Veronica - Maintenance Coaching: During the Maintenance Coaching I’ve been intrigued by how my body responds to various food combinations. I’m thrilled that I’ve managed to maintain my weight by applying the protocols and nutrition tricks that Coach Michelene taught me. I’m planning to integrate these teachings into my routine over the next few weeks until the next leg of this journey begins. Here’s to continued progress and applying these invaluable lessons! 🌟

Juliah - Private 1:1 Coaching Package: I can't thank you enough Coach Michelene for your guidance and your exceptional expertise, you're absolutely the best , without you I could not have made it .I feel absolutely great and I m still focused on moving forward utilizing the tools you i stilled during the two weeks journey. Thank you again.Feel free to share your thoughts or any tips you’ve found helpful, I'd love to hear from you!  Or should you have any questions about the various coaching packages offered, do not hesitate to give my Office Team a shout. We are always here to help you further.

Much love always,

Ciao!

Michelene Adamo

Power Punch Message From Michelene

The human body is a magical machine, you sweat when you're hot, you smile when hugged, and your tummy fills up when you eat.