So with the current UK weather being hotter than ever I thought it would be worth covering why hot weather can equal weight gain.
Did you know 60% of our weight is from water. Surprised?
As it gets hotter the body adapts to this change through a process called heat acclimatisation to reduce the harmful effects of heat stress. This process increases sweating to improve evaporation cooling to reduce body temperature.
This, in turn, increases our fluid requirements. As the body worries about this need for extra fluid it cleverly retains and conserves it by releasing a hormone called aldosterone which makes the kidneys retain more fluid and reduces the salt in our sweat too. This increased level of salt means even more water is retained by the body, resulting in our body weight going up by several pounds.
What can we do to help avoid this?
DRINK EVEN MORE WATER which seems counter intuitive when you feel bloated and swollen, but this will reassure your body that all is ok and it can calm down on being such a drama queen! We are not lost in the Sahara Desert, water is not in short supply, we are just having a hot spell of weather!
The other tip is less popular, but avoid alcohol which not only piles on the pounds, but exacerbates the bodies panic response making water retention even worse! Yikes!
So if you’re feeling demotivated about your weight loss during this heat, be reassured, that if you’re sticking to your nutrition plan, its not suddenly now not working, its just water weight , not body fat that the scales are recording.
So stay super hydrated and enjoy the sun knowing your body will recalibrate once normal temperatures return!
If you are struggling to stick to your nutrition plan, or lose weight, or achieve your body goals, then why not join our next 6 week challenge? Join us for effective fat burning and muscle defining workouts, a delicious and simple meal plan and recipes to follow and great support with 1-1 coaching and an online Facebook group community of like minded people, just like you!
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