There are several little tips that can help you see better results on the scale come weigh in day. Nothing will erase the dozen donut holes you ate at midnight the day before, but here are some things I have found helpful. These are especially helpful for anyone with stomach / digestive issues like Celiac Disease, Crohn's Disease or Irritable Bowel Syndrome...
MEAL ORGANIZATION / POINTS DISTRIBUTION
If you are going to have a high point day - try to have it as soon after your weigh day of that week as possible. Special events aside, if you know you are going to have a high carb / high salt / heavy eating day - don't wait until 2 days before weigh in and then panic the next day. See the WENDIE Plan for more information on dividing your points in a better way to increase and fuel your metabolism - it works!
LIMIT CARBS & SODIUM SIGNIFICANTLY 2 DAYS PRIOR
Most of us are watching this anyway but how much water your body retains in response to our daily sodium intake can make a HUGE difference on the scale. Switch to a salt free seasoning blend a few days before and limit the amount of heavy starches - potatoes, rice & pasta especially for the few days leading up to weigh in.
INCREASE YOUR PROTEIN
If you are a carb addict like me - removing those carbs needs a substantial replacement and PROTEIN is your answer. On SMARTPOINTS, fish, chicken and lean red meat has gone down in points so add an extra serving of those with plenty of fresh vegetables to your pre weigh day meals to help you feel more satisfied.
LAST MEAL EARLY THE DAY BEFORE
If you weigh in early in the day, try having your last meal by no later than 7pm to give your body time to fully digest and process what you've eaten. I know people who weigh in at 6pm and don't eat until after weigh in but this is certainly not a recommendation as you are likely to binge afterwards.
ELIMINATION
Eating earlier also gives your body time to move things through but be sure to at least pee before hopping on the scale.
WEIGH DAY CLOTHING (OPTIONAL)
Clothing makes a huge difference - from your shoes to bulky sweaters - it all adds up. If you are weighing at the gym or a meeting - try to wear the same clothes each time. Pack them in a gym bag and change at the meeting if you need to. If you are weighing at home - clothing is of course optional - but then you certainly can't blame your birthday suit for adding a few pounds...LOL
WATER, WATER AND YES...MORE WATER
If you don't have enough water for your body to function as it should - it holds onto what you DO give it and can cause major water retention especially when paired with high sodium intake.
I am bad at this one - part of the fun of having MS is muscle weakness and this includes bladder and bowel weakness. Most of us need to drink more water or at least more non-caffeinated, non-carbonated, lower in sugar beverages. But lets be realistic here.
Our body is over 70% water and some nutritionist recommend drinking at least HALF your weight in water a day. In my case - it will never happen...
280lbs ÷ 2 = 140oz = ≈17.5 cups = ≈8.5 bottles = just over 4 liters/day
I am lucky if I drink 40oz of liquid/day. I don't drink coffee, tea, milk or soda so I am left with juice which is normally high in points since I can't do artificial sweetener and water.
Don't get me wrong - I like water with some fresh lemon or lime - but I rarely drink unless it is with a meal and even then it is usually 2 bottles of water a day at most. If I drank a gallon of water a day - I wouldn't get out of the bathroom. I am on medication for that but I don't sleep well as it is and having to get up every hour or two to pee is exhausting to my already broken sleep cycle.
The big reason for all the water is not only hydration but also to fill you up so you don't overindulge. They recommend drinking at least 2 cups of water 20-30min before a meal and again before bed as a bare minimum. Some nutrtitionalist recommend room temperature water and others say to drink it as cold as possible so your body expends energy heating it up. I can't stand room temp water so ice cold it is for me. My water goal is to drink at least 4 bottles/day for now. I might eventually get to 8 as my exercise increases but 4/day is a lot right now.
But there are other ways to incorporate more liquid into your diet. Many fresh fruit and vegetables are high in water content and great additions to your meals.
This week I am going to add watermelon to my menu if I can find some decent ones (being winter and all). It is not only high in water content but also high in fiber. I am going to combine that with a [0SP] vegetable soup made with reduced sodium chicken stock and hopefully that will really boost my fluid intake this week.
What are some of your favorite tricks pre weigh day?
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