Monday scale shock after the weekend
Monday morning after a wedding or a big Sunday can show 1-2 kg more on the scale. It feels like disaster, but it is mostly water. Extra salt holds water, and extra carbs refill your glycogen stores - which bind 3-4 g of water per gram. To gain 2 kg of real fat you would need about 15,000 extra kcal, which a weekend cannot do.
You ate freely over the weekend - a wedding, a biryani, some mithai. Monday's scale is up 2 kg. Your heart sinks. Before you undo the whole week, let's look at what that 2 kg really is.
I gained 2 kg of fat over the weekend.
mostly falseMostly false. Two things hold the weight: salt and carbs. Extra salt makes your body hold water, and extra carbs refill your glycogen, which stores 3-4 g of water per gram. That is 1-2 kg of water, not fat. To gain 2 kg of real fat you would need about 15,000 kcal above what you burn - not a weekend's worth.
Shake off the Monday spike
- Drink plenty of water on Monday - it sounds odd, but it helps flush extra salt out.
- Go back to your normal plan. Do not starve Monday to 'make up' for the weekend.
- Ease off extra salt and pickles for a couple of days; the water follows the salt out.
- Give it 3-4 days. Most of the Monday spike is gone by Thursday if you stay normal.
The bottom line
Monday's 1-2 kg spike is mostly water from extra salt and carbs, not fat - gaining 2 kg of real fat would need about 15,000 extra kcal. Drink water, return to your normal plan, ease the salt, and give it 3-4 days. The spike leaves; your real progress is still underneath.