Weight, Workouts are Fluctuating Things

It is an interesting thing how we can play tricks on ourselves when it comes to how we think about our bodies and our workouts. I think that I used to have a perception that my weight and body shape would stay at a target level, or if it did go in a direction, that it would be the way I didn't want it to go and the only way to bring it back would involve drastic measures. Even after knowing at a thinking level that weight and body shape naturally fluctuate, I would still get caught into the mindset that if I hit a stretch where I'm not doing much of a workout for a couple of weeks (maybe coupled with eating a lot, such as over the holidays or while traveling), and I put on a couple of pounds or don't fit as well into clothes as I did even 10 days ago, that I would almost feel like I've lost the battle of staying where I was, so I'd let myself go even a little longer without getting back into my good daily lifestyle habits.

But, weight and body shape are fluctuating things, and not only is it not possible to keep them exactly the same for long stretches of time, it is not desirable either. The cells in your body are constantly regenerating - building up the new and breaking down and releasing the old. So, the good news is that if you've let things slip a little and are starting to see the evidence of that, you can facilitate the process back the other way with a little bit of moderation and exercise.

Some strategies to ease bringing your weight and body shape back where you want it:

• Look at how much water you're drinking on a daily basis - the best thing that I have found for myself is to drink 2-16 oz glasses of water first thing in the morning. My body just seems to love it, and I end up eating less throughout the day. I think that a lot of eating throughout the day is because my body is a little dehydrated, which seems like hunger or a need for comfort (do you know anyone who eats to feel better... )
  
• How much sleep are you getting? When I'm not getting enough sleep, my workouts aren't as good, I don't drink as much water, and I don't eat well. Also, not getting enough sleep seems to kick my body into survival mode, so it is even harder to get my body to make the changes that I want.
• Changing the time of day that you are eating and varying how much you eat. By changing the time of day that I eat, my body gets out of the habit of telling me when to eat because of habit and ritual, and more when I need to eat because I am authentically hungry. Additionally, I especially try to push back when I have a protein shake for breakfast, and on weekend days when it works in my schedule, I'll put off breakfast/lunch as long as possible - sometimes until 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Of course, I also try to get even more sleep in the weekends - I try for 10 or 12 hours. And, yes, I can be hungry when I get up from that, but I drink 2-3 big glasses of water (32-50 oz), and that often takes care of it.
  
• Eating just one big meal/day. Most days when I am at home or the office, I feel good with very small breakfast and lunch (which also helps me drink a lot of water throughout the day), then a big dinner. This is sometimes more difficult to do when traveling, especially when changing time zones. But, if my noon meal is the big one, then I try to stay with just an appetizer or salad or trail mix for dinner - just enough food that I won't be too hungry to sleep. This also helps me to eat slowly and drink lots of water while I'm eating, which helps my body cope with the stresses of traveling.
• Start again with a little bit of exercise. The tendency after being away from working out is to overdo it and to make up for 10 days of inactivity with 1 super-workout (which may make you too sore to workout again for several more days). So, instead, just ease back into it - do 1/2 what you would normally do with a lower weight. If you're not sore, great! Maybe you'll want to do a little more the next day.