Confession time: I had a little pity party this week. 🥴
I mean, can you blame me? I’ve been cruising through my Balance & Burn journey — dropping pounds, losing inches, feeling on top of the world — and then… boom 💥 — I break my foot. Talk about hitting a wall. Week 5 rolls in, and instead of more loss, I see gains. Inches up, weight up. Cue the “what the actual heck?” moment. My gut reaction was to feel defeated — like all my hard work was sliding backward. But before I jumped off the cliff of discouragement, I stopped and asked the better question: Why?
Turns out, there’s actually some science behind it (and don’t worry, I’ll keep it in “human‑speak” 😉):
Inflammation & Fluid Retention
When you break a bone, your body basically sounds the alarm and floods the area with fluid and extra blood to start healing. It’s part of the amazing process of repair — but it can cause temporary swelling and weight gain. You’re not gaining fat; you’re storing fluid while your body fixes what’s broken.
When you break a bone, your body basically sounds the alarm and floods the area with fluid and extra blood to start healing. It’s part of the amazing process of repair — but it can cause temporary swelling and weight gain. You’re not gaining fat; you’re storing fluid while your body fixes what’s broken.
Reduced Mobility
When movement slows down, circulation does too. That means lymph drainage isn’t as efficient, your muscles store fluids differently, and your daily calorie burn dips just a bit. Totally normal, totally temporary.
When movement slows down, circulation does too. That means lymph drainage isn’t as efficient, your muscles store fluids differently, and your daily calorie burn dips just a bit. Totally normal, totally temporary.
Medication Effects
Painkillers or anti‑inflammatories can cause mild water retention (and let’s not forget a charming side of constipation 😬). Both can make the scale give you side‑eye.
Painkillers or anti‑inflammatories can cause mild water retention (and let’s not forget a charming side of constipation 😬). Both can make the scale give you side‑eye.
Stress Hormones
Getting injured hurts — physically and mentally. That stress bumps up cortisol, which makes your body hold water and redistribute fluids. Again, temporary.
Getting injured hurts — physically and mentally. That stress bumps up cortisol, which makes your body hold water and redistribute fluids. Again, temporary.
So, instead of wallowing, I decided to educate myself. The more I learned, the calmer I got. Yes, I hate the science jargon, but when it’s broken down simply, it suddenly makes sense.
And that’s where the tough love part comes in.
I had to remind myself that progress isn’t undone by one bad week. Just like we didn’t gain all our “fluff” overnight, it won’t disappear overnight either. There’s no magic wand, no instant fix — just patience, biology, and the choices we keep showing up for every day.
I could’ve beaten myself up, but where does that get me? Instead, I told myself the same thing I’d tell anyone else on this journey:
Keep Going.
Ask Questions.
Learn.
And if anyone tries to make you feel small for having an off week — guess what? Bye, Felicia. 👋
They’re not your people. Because this is what real wellness looks like — sometimes strong, sometimes sore, sometimes cranky, but always moving forward.
So, whether you’re hobbling in a boot like me or perfectly fine on two feet, remember: you don’t give up just because it got harder. That’s the moment you push through. That’s what real progress looks like.
Because this isn’t about perfection.
It’s about showing up — swollen foot, stubborn scale, and all.
It’s about showing up — swollen foot, stubborn scale, and all.
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