12/04/2026
Welcome to Day 28 of my 100 Day Challenge — this is my Week 4 summary. I’m Dr Shari Hall, 61 and post-menopausal, and this channel is about real life: fat loss, muscle, mindset, and showing up honestly.
Today’s question is: What do you do when the scale goes up… even though you feel like you’ve done everything right?
Week 4 numbers (no glossing over it)
This week: 85.7 kg
Waist: 104 cm
That’s up from 101 cm last week.
I could skip measurement week. I’m not going to. Because these numbers — as confronting as they can be — are still information. They’re telling me something. And if you’ve ever had a week where your body felt like it was pushing back, this video is for you.
What’s been going on (the honest part)
I’m tired. I’m sore. My mindset has been low this week, genuinely low. I’ve been carrying a lot emotionally that has nothing to do with this challenge and everything to do with being human.
I’ve also been eating very low carbs for weeks — high protein, higher fat, training 4x per week, and running a calorie deficit. And this week, I re-fed — I ate more carbohydrates than I have in a while (things like rice, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots). And my body held on to it.
The calm, educational piece (Dr Shari mode)
This is why I’m not calling this “fat gain”.
When you’ve been in ketosis or near-ketosis and you reintroduce carbohydrate, your body replenishes glycogen in your muscles and liver. Glycogen binds water, so the scale and measurements can rise quickly. Add the stress load of consistent training, a deficit, and emotional stress, and the body can hold water even more readily.
My body isn’t broken. It’s responding exactly as a body is designed to respond — protecting me, holding, stabilising. It’s just not doing what I wanted it to do this week.
The real talk:
I’m also practising what I said on Day 25: listen, recover, return.
If I’m genuinely depleted, pushing hard isn’t discipline — it’s just more depletion. So I’m choosing the smarter path: lower stress on the system, better recovery, and coming back strong.
Four weeks in — I’m still here. Still honest. Still learning.
Today’s workout — Upper Body B (Week 4)
If you’re following the plan, here’s the Upper Body B session for Week 4:
Warm-up: 5-minute spin + band pull-aparts x 15
Block 1 (3 rounds) (rest 30 sec between moves, 75 sec between rounds)
• DB bench press (flat bench) — 2 x 10kg DB (12)
• Self-anchored band high row — Blue band, (20)
• Reverse lunge + lateral raise, 2 x 4kg DB — 12 each leg (raise as you stand)
Block 2 (3 rounds)
• Hammer curls 2 x 6kg DB (12)
• Triceps kickbacks 2 x 6kg DB (12)
• Incline push-ups (12)
Core (optional): dead bug 2×10 each + side plank 2×30 sec each
Optional: easy walk 20–30 min
Looking ahead (Week 5 intention)
Next week I’ll be reassessing my approach: lower stress on the system, smarter fuelling, and more grace — without quitting, without spiralling.
If this resonates, leave a comment. And if you know someone who needs to hear that the scale doesn’t always tell the truth, share this video with them.
*Personal journey — not medical advice. Please seek professional guidance before starting any new diet, exercise, or supplement routine. Results vary.
Music by Shari Hall (available on all streaming platforms):
Because of You and Flyin’ (from FAITH ©2014 Shari Hall)
Referred to: The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel van der Kolk, MD)
Welcome to Day 28 of my 100 Day Challenge — this is my Week 4 summary. I’m Dr Shari Hall, 61 and post-menopausal, and this channel is about real life: fat lo...
