It’s weird isn’t it – how one day you step on the scales and you can be 2 pounds lighter or….
Well, a few pounds heavier.
We all know that we can retain water, partly due to the food we eat and in some cases hormonal fluctuations.
But is there anything else going on?
I think so.
It seems to me that most triathletes will follow a very similar schedule, week to week and in my experience it goes a little something like this:
Monday – Tired from a hard weekends training and maybe some socialising. Weight is average due to high training volume despite slightly BAD eating/drinking.
Tue – Thu – Pretty good diet and some good training. Overall calories will be low and energy expenditure quite high. We are motivated and there are limited social distractions.
Friday – Phew, glass of wine and a takeaway – it’s been a hard week and you deserve a treat.
Sat/Sun – Training hard means a lot of extra calories. Cake stops on the bike, gels on the bike and some alcohol in the evenings.
This cycle leads to a fluctuation in weight where most often we are at our lightest on Friday morning and heaviest around about Tuesday.
The difference can easily be 3-4 pounds with NO fat lost, or gained.
What is important here is how this effects us mentally.
At the beginning of each week you will feel motivated but slowly that drive can lessen as we get more and more tired.
And tiredness as we all know leads to food – sugary, convenient food.
This cycle also means that over the months, for so many people their weight doesn’t change.
Through the week it will but each week just replicates itself over and over and essentially you’re going nowhere.
What needs to change?
Firstly get over the daily weigh ins and consider changing your weight over months not days.
This means that you need focus and drive.
It also means you need belief in your plan – you have got a plan haven’t you????
Not a training plan but a diet plan??
If not, you are going to struggle!
Its why I set up my Private coaching group – The Total Triathlete:
On sign up you get access to a meal plan on the private Facebook page.
You then get to ask me as much about it as you like on the group.
We can tweek it to your needs, to your training.
On sign up you also get a copy of my E-book.
You get a monthly e-magazine.
You get access to S&C support and routines.
All this for £10 a month (12 USD)
You can easily subscribe at any time, no hard feelings.
Join now:
Jamie “Consistency” Leighton