LogFAQs > #980029914

Posted this on a diabetes group on FB so thought I'd share here as well.

Not directly diabetes related but a friendly reminder to those who are trying to lose weight and look at the scale and see not much progress or a little weight gain.

It takes about an extra 3500- 4000 calories to gain a lb. of fat. This is above and beyond your daily caloric expenditure.

To put that into perspective, thats approximately a large pizza with multiple toppings.

So if you've adopted a healthy lifestyle, are exercising and practicing portion control, most likely any weight gain or slow progress is due to water weight or storages of glycogen in the muscle tissues. Not fat.

Also some medications can cause water retention and of course hormones can also play a part. So don't beat yourself up, and you don't need to check the scale everyday.
A better indicator of your health improvement is your energy and sense of well being.

Keep exercising and eating well, and don't give up!