Obstacle Mud Runner - issue 09

obstaclemudrunner.co.uk 28 ForEliteAtheletes toFunRunners 1 Salt intake If you eat more sodium than normal in a day, your body tends to hold onto more fluid in an effort to balance your sodium levels. This often happens accidently when starting a new nutrition plan. Many people add salt to meals to add flavour without adding heavy sauces etc. 2 Lifting weights Weight training can increase both muscle mass and water retention. Whilst your weight gain is not likely to be an increased muscle mass (not in a few days anyway), weight training will result in fluid retention in the muscle as a response to repairing the microscopic tears caused by your workout. This does not mean you should avoid weight training. Far from it. Lifting heavy things is the most effective long term fat loss techniques you can employ due to it’s positive effect on your total fat free mass and increase in resting metabolic rate. Do more of it! 3 You’re constipated Not much to say here. Lots of protein with little fibre will slow down your bowel movements. Eat more fibrous foods such as lentils, beans, berries and green veg to get back in business. 4 Too many carbs An increase in carbohydrate will also increase the amount of fluid you hold on to. Additional fluid plays an essential role in the way your body stores glycogen. Even if you are in a calorie deficit, if your daily allowance contains a higher percentage of carbs you will still retain more water weight. HEALTH : WEIGHT the quest for fat loss Reasons your scales are tricking you (and how to stop them) 7 Here’s how it goes: You want to lose weight for your upcoming race so start training hard and eating less. You weigh yourself after the first few days and the scales say you’ve dropped a pound or two, you’re pleased. Get in there! The next day, after a seemingly good week of nutrition, you get a sucker punch right in the (hungry) stomach when you jump on the scales to find you’ve put a pound back on! What? How has that even happened? I’m over this dieting rubbish. Pass me the McMuffin. It’s no surprise that people react in this way. After all, weight loss can be pretty damn hard (note – I said hard, not complicated). You put in hours of graft at the gym, hit the road every day and resist the bombardment of tempting foods only to find you have put on weight. I would be disheartened too… if I wasn’t aware of the following; This is by far the most common reason people give up on their fat loss quest.