I want to reiterate the importance of understanding how your body works, so that you aren’t always blaming yourself for a “lack of progress“. The scale not moving, is not always a factor of  eating right or working out. Especially if you know you’ve been on track and doing all the right things. Sis, there are so many things that determine that number sis. The following post will discuss 1 of the many reasons. In fact, the topic we are discussing today it not common everyday knowledge, but it is 100% factual. This learning arm of Fit, Fyne & Fabulous, we call it EDUCATION NATION! Learning together is where it’s at sis.  I love how the Bible puts it!

Proverbs 1:5
“a wise man will hear and will increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel“

If you’ve ever been dieting, for any amount of time, you most likely encountered a handful of weigh-ins in a row where you don’t show any loss. All of the weigh-ins are around the same weight. Or you could be like me for the past 2 weeks; 4 weigh-ins and the scale read the EXACT SAME NUMBER. Down to the decimal.

So, you’ve seen the same number, or close to, on the scale weigh-in after weigh-in even though you’re in a calorie deficit and are training your butt off. And then all of a sudden, WHOOSH! You drop 3, 4, 5 pounds over night! This has happened to me sooooo many times!

Why does that happen? How does that happen?

So allow me to introduce to some and remind others of the “Whoosh Effect”

The Whoosh Effect answers the question,
“How Do Fat Cells Release Fat?”

One of the stranger phenomenon that occurs when you are losing weight is the so-called “whoosh effect”.  I really wish had a better or more scientific name, lol. But, it’s the name given to a very common occurrence where you are sticking to plan and doing everything you are supposed to do but no weight loss happens for several days and then all of a sudden, like an act of God, and your prayers are answered, you lose 3-5 lbs in a single night!! It’s great when it happens, right?

So what is happening in the days leading up to a “whoosh”? Here is our best guess because it doesn’t appear to be something that has been studied a whole lot. As triglycerides (that’s fat sis) that are in the fat cells are broken down into their component fatty acids and glycerol and moved out of the fat cells to fuel your body, your body begins to fill those fat cells with water. Now that’s not right! Why won’t the body just let those fat cells go FLAT!!!

It’s not absolutely clear why this happens but the prevailing theory is that your body is trying to reach a state of homeostasis and keep your fat cells the same size they were in order to make refilling them with triglycerides easier. The body is sooooo smart sis. It’s engineered to keep the peace, keep things the same! These cells will generally hold that water for a few days and then release it all, once it realizes that fat is not coming back! You will usually find yourself heading to the bathroom multiple times over the course a few hours and find that you have dropped 3-5 lbs in one night.

So at this point, you might ask yourself..
“What Should I Do While I Wait for my Fat Cells to Shrink?

So What Should You Do? Ahhh, sis that’s easy, keep calm and stick to plan! Stick with our highly nutritious meal plans, keep drinking the water, keep getting your sleep. Stay the course and you will reap the benefits. Realize that your hard work is working, just give your body time adjust! Now just like hair, that grows thick and fast for some, and grows thin and slowly for others; fat cells may flatten quickly for some, and fill with water and sit there longer for others!

So sis, just like hair, don’t compare! Don’t compare how long your hair is with how long someone else’s hair grows. Don’t compare on long your legs are with how long someone else’s legs are. It’s the same with weight loss. You don’t know that person’s biological make up that causes their hair to grow and legs to be as long as they are.  Look in the mirror, and love what you see about you!!  What does that mean!

Give your body time to adjust to this new lifestyle, but not just time though sis. PAY ATTENTION!!!  Watch how your body responds for 2 – 3 months of this. Learn what happens when you eat earlier or later. Learn what happens when you drink more water or less. Learn what happens when you eat your carbs earlier vs later. Learn your body, Learn yourself. Love her! That’s the bottomline! The scale is not failing you. YOU ARE FAILING YOU, but not giving yourself the grace to understand the cycles that exist and are happening under your skin. PAY ATTENTION!

DIVA ASSIGNMENT

1. Share below if you have heard of WHOOSH EFFECT before? Have you woke up one day while following your healthy routine, and was 3-5 pounds lighter? Share your thoughts today!

2. Let’s make this post a conversation. Please leave any questions you may have as well!

3. If you enjoyed this post, or if your learned something new today, please don’t keep it to yourself, please help us share this concept with others, especially those in our African American communities where these dialogs are NOT common place!
   Here’s how… Right click on top, and save the image below to your phone and share it on Facebook, IG, Twitter, or all three! To make it easy, you can just use the following words…  “I’m trying to kick my dependency on that darn scale!! Today I learned fat cells never leave my body, & that effects how the scale responds!! Come learn with us: fitfynefabulous.com/wait-for-the-whoosh/ #educationNATION #thefitfynefablife”

4. 

Coach Twy

I’m Nicole Twyman, a native New Orleanian, who has lived all across the US! Although, my small family of 4 currently calls Los Angeles, CA home. I am a proud 40+ year old mom of a wonderfully energetic and theatrical daughter, and a handsome, scholarly athlete!

While I have worked in corporate America as a certified senior project / program / portfolio manager for Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Procter & Gamble & IBM, my passion is service. It has always been my desire to live a life of service to others; which I took every opportunity to explore as an active member of many of my church’s ministries and of my public service sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.

Well, now I am over the top excited to have the opportunity to serve divas through my very own ministry, Fit, Fyne & Fabulous.