#BodyTalkWithCosmo: Why gaining (or losing) three kilos a month is totally normal

You swear your routine hasn’t changed. Same workouts, same meals, same water bottle permanently glued to your hand. And yet, the scale tells a different story. Up two kilos on Monday. Down one by Friday. Up again after your period. If your weight graph looks like a stock market crash chart, don’t panic—you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just alive, hormonal, and human.

In fact, according to nutrition and lifestyle coach Raksha Lulla, weight shifts, particularly in women, are far more nuanced than the concept of calories in versus calories out. They’re hormonal, they’re seasonal, they’re emotional. And most importantly, they’re normal. Here's what’s really going on, and why you can stop spiralling every time your jeans feel tighter.

Let’s start with the science 

“I wouldn’t say five kilos is normal, but three? Definitely,” says Lulla. “Especially for women. A lot of the time, it’s just water.”

Carbohydrates, for instance, bind to water, so even a slight increase in pasta or bread can nudge the scale up. And your menstrual cycle? That’s a whole hormonal opera. “During ovulation, your body’s preparing for pregnancy. During your period, it’s bleeding and regenerating. Water retention is just part of the show,” she explains.

Hormones and stress aren’t external forces, they're your lifestyle

Many people think of hormonal imbalance or chronic stress as these wildcards that appear out of nowhere. But Lulla reminds us: “They’re not separate from your lifestyle. They’re a consequence of it.” Take cortisol—the stress hormone. It spikes when your sleep is off or your work schedule is brutal.

“It shows up physically,” Lulla says. “Puffiness in your face, belly water retention, fatigue. It’s not fat gain, it’s your body asking for help.” And insulin resistance? That’s not just a diabetes buzzword. “It delays healing and recovery,” she adds, “which can make your skin look dull and prematurely aged.”

Bloating isn’t something to beat, it’s something to understand

The problem isn’t just the puffiness, it’s the panic that follows. The hiding. The shame. The crash diets. But Lulla offers a gentler reframe: “Imagine your daughter was bloated. Would you tell her she’s ugly, or would you ask her what’s going on in her body?” In other words, “It’s happening for you, not to you.” That mindset shift is powerful and deeply healing.

If not weight, then what should we be tracking?

Lulla doesn’t ask her clients to weigh themselves. “They do it anyway,” she admits, “but I’d rather they didn’t.” Instead, she asks them to look for signs that actually matter: Are your periods more regular? Are you sleeping better? Has your partner stopped snoring? Do you feel like moving your body? Are your bleeds healthy in volume and pain-free? Do you feel less guilt around food? These, she says, are the true signals of a body that’s coming back into balance.

It's a problem if the scale begins to measure your worth

“The issue with daily self-weighing is that it’s not about health anymore,” Raksha says. “It’s about worth. And that’s one of the most self-diminishing habits we’ve picked up from the internet.” Weight isn’t the villain. But tying it to your self-esteem? That’s where the damage is done.

The most dangerous thing about temporary weight gain? Quitting healthy habits

Raksha sees it all the time—women on the cusp of real progress, only to abandon the process after a bad weigh-in. “They think motivation comes first,” she says. “But it doesn’t. Action does. And consistent action.” She adds, “You can’t eat the fruit the day you sow the seeds. Sometimes, not even in the same year.”

 

Lead Image: Pexels 

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