After a few days of holidays, family meals and a bit less routine, many step on the scale and discover a stressful result: A gain of one or two kilograms. Before going into panic or starting an extreme diet, it is important to understand: In most cases, this gain does not reflect a real increase in body fat.
To gain 2 kg of pure fat, the body needs to accumulate a surplus of about 14,000 calories beyond what it burns – an amount that is not easy to reach in a few days, even during periods of increased eating.
What happens in the body?
The first reason – carbohydrate stores and fluids: In our body there are carbohydrate stores called glycogen, stored in the liver and muscles. When eating more carbohydrates than usual, and also desserts, cakes, additions.. these stores fill up. But here comes an important detail that many are not aware of: Every gram of glycogen “carries” about 3 grams of water with it.
That is, an increase in carbohydrate intake can lead to rapid weight gain not because of fat, but because of water. This is also the reason that weight can increase by 0.5 to 1.5 kg within a few days and drop at the same rate when returning to routine.
The second reason – more salt = more fluids: Holiday meals tend to be richer in sodium: Cooked foods, sauces, processed food and even breads. Sodium causes the body to “hold” fluids to maintain balance. The result is a feeling of bloating and weight gain, and again – not fat but water. When returning to a regular diet and drinking enough water, the body gradually releases the excess.
The third reason – stress also affects weight: Holiday periods and especially during complex times like those we have had now in the war, are sometimes accompanied by higher stress. The body responds by secreting cortisol, a hormone that affects, among other things, fluid balance. High levels of cortisol can cause sodium and fluid retention, and a feeling of bloating even without a significant increase in the amount of food.
The fourth reason – there is simply more food in the digestive system: When eating more times a day, in larger quantities, and with fewer breaks between meals there is simply more “content” in the digestive system. The weight we see also includes the volume of food that has not yet been digested. This can explain about another half kilogram without any connection to fat.
What should not be done now? The most common mistake after the holidays is an attempt to “fix” quickly: Extreme diets / prolonged fasting / detox / complete elimination of carbohydrates… such steps may דווקא harm balance, increase hunger and lead to overeating later.
What should be done? The right way is much simpler than it seems: Return to regular and balanced eating, make sure to drink enough (water helps the body release fluids), and add movement: Walking, yoga, strength training both for the body and for reducing stress – in most cases, within a few days the body returns to balance and the weight drops on its own.
The bottom line: Rapid weight gain after a holiday is a common and in most cases temporary phenomenon. It results from changes in fluids, carbohydrate stores and food volume, not from a real increase in fat. Before rushing to “fix”, it is worth simply allowing the body to return to routine.
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Source:
www.jpost.com
