Whether we are coming off a holiday and find ourselves greeted with a higher-than-expected result on the scales, or perhaps we have stayed consistent but still find that the needle sometimes moves in the wrong direction, certified personal trainers like McKenna Olsen say that you shouldn’t freak out over short term weight gain. Here’s what you need to know.

Olsen, who was herself an NPC bikini competitor, and a national bikini champion, trains the current stars of the wellness and bodybuilding stage, along with anyone else who is looking to improve their physique. Fortunately, in a recent Instagram post, the trainer took to social media in order to add some much-needed perspective to the subject of scales spikes. “Understand there is approximately 3500 calories in ONE pound of fat,” she explains. “That means if you had gained 2 pounds of purely FAT, you would have eaten 7,000 calories OVER your maintenance calories.” Olsen says that for someone who typically eats 2,500 calories in a day, they would have needed to eat 9,500+ calories to achieve that type of fat gain.

“So, basically impossible, to put it simple,” she concludes. Well, perhaps not that impossible for some of us! But the point is well made, and your two extra pounds on the scales are unlikely to be the result of that many extra calories. But if they are, you’ll need to address your relationship with food before you can win the battle of the bulge.

For those who are working hard, the odd short term weight gain should not be of concern. “To put this into perspective, an average slice of pizza is 300 calories. You would have to eat over 23 slices of pizza ON TOP of your normal daily caloric intake to see just 2 pounds of fat gain happen,” says the beauty. “Unless you had basically just (eaten) about 3 entire pizzas to yourself, plus all of your normal food for the day, you have literally nothing to worry about,” says Olsen, reassuringly for most. But, if that pesky needle on the scales isn’t signalling fat gain, then what’s causing the added weight? “You did not gain 2 lbs of fat overnight. You are likely retaining water and here’s what to do moving forward,” guides the coach.

What Should You Do If The Scale Goes Up

“Focus on getting back into a normal routine with eating vs restricting,” says Olsen, pointing out that going to extremes with the calorie restriction element is an inefficient way to lose weight of any kind, because it eventually leads to “over consuming, which leads to the never-ending yo-yo cycle.” Olsen goes on to say that hydration is important, because it is key to flushing out any extra sodium from holiday food or toxins from alcohol. Finally, she advises that you should “move your body, not to punish but to keep the habit/routine going and the get those endorphins released to put you in a better headspace.”

So, next time you see a scales spike, remember that the additional weight is probably the result of water retention brought about by too many treats, or could even be hormonal and perfectly natural. The important thing is to listen your body and don’t freak out, you got this!

For more great fitness tips follow McKenna Olsen on Instagram