That pesky Week 2 Weigh-in

If you watch "The Biggest Loser" regularly, you know about the dreaded Week 2 Weigh-in. 

Contestants worry about their second trip to the scales because many times their bodies have adjusted to the stress of working out and eating better, and the weight loss is much less dramatic.

Sometimes they even gain weight, despite heavy exercise and healthy eating. It can definitely play mind games.

I had my own Week 2 moment today. I hopped on my scale after another 35-minute, 500-plus calorie workout and ... nothing. No weight lost since last week. This has happened to me before, so I tried to take in stride. But I know a lot of people can relate. It's frustrating no matter when it happens, but it can be especially disappointing so early in the game.

There are many reasons why we stop losing weight in the middle of an exercise plan. Here's a pretty good breakdown of the potential culprits.

When starting a new exercise/diet plan, there is often some trial and error. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. 

For me, it's usually it's a matter of finding the right balance of calories in/calories out. There have been times in the past when I wasn't eating enough to accommodate my body's needs. But once I bumped my daily intake, the pounds just starting falling right off. Logic would seem to dictate the opposite, but not so. In fact, eating too few calories can actually cause you to gain weight. That's why it's important to know the needs of YOUR body.

This time around, I think it's a combination of a few things for me. I tend to want to stay below what my calorie calculator says, so it's possible I'm not eating enough. I'll up my calories a bit for the rest of the week and see what happens. But I'm also not sleeping as much as I should. I also could stand to drink more water. Although water is pretty much all I drink these days, my body might not be getting all it needs. And I'm still probably eating more salt than I should. Those last two factors can lead to dehydration (as mild as it might be), which makes your body retain fluids -- and keeps the scale from showing a lower number.

I'll make some changes this week and see how next week's weigh-in goes. I sense this is just a temporary bump in the road.