Weight loss is never linear! And weight will ALWAYS fluctuate, whether you’re trying to lose weight, or whether you’re at maintenance… weight will constantly move up and down and it’s for this reason it’s not relied upon as a measurement of success.
That’s not to say you should or shouldn’t track your weight – that’s personal. Many people do track their weight, so I just want you to be aware of the pitfalls of doing so.
Short-term weight variation can be frustrating, but understanding the reasons behind it can help put the ups and downs into perspective… Here are a few:
Water Retention
One of the biggest factors affecting daily weight is your body’s water content. Things like your hormone cycles, sodium intake, carb intake, medications, exercise, and heat exposure can all impact hydration and water retained in your muscles and tissues. This easily explains a 1-3 pound fluctuation daily.
Digestive System Contents
At any given time, you can be carrying 5 or more pounds of food waste and undigested food contents in your digestive tract. Based on your diet, bowel habits, and hydration status, this amount changes, affecting your weight. Eating high fiber foods or becoming constipated also expands digestive contents.
Carb Stores
Carbohydrates require water to be stored in the body. When carb intake goes up, so does stored glycogen in the muscles and liver. All this additional water bound to glycogen can equal a 2+ pound increase on the scale overnight after a big carbohydrate-heavy meal.
Sodium Intake
Consuming foods high in salt causes the body to retain more water to help maintain fluid balance. This translates to extra water weight driving your scale upwards. Weight from high sodium intake can result in a jump of 2-3 pounds.
Inflammation
Factors like illness, lack of sleep, delayed onset muscle soreness, and food sensitivities can all cause systemic inflammation. Swelling from inflammation brings extra retained fluid. Your weight may spike during periods of higher inflammation.
Hormone Changes
Hormone cycles like menstruation can alter fluid retention and cause temporary weight gains of 2-4 pounds due to water being held in tissue. Changes in levels of hormones like cortisol also impact water balance.
If you are going to weigh yourself, make sure you do it regularly and be aware of the trends, rather than fixating on the actual numbers.
How do I weigh myself?
The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning, after you’ve been to the bathroom but before you’ve had anything to drink. Weigh yourself with nothing on, everytime, and track it somewhere, like an app. Overtime, you will start to identify trends and it’s these longer term shifts and patterns which demonstrate fat loss.
In summary, normal hormonal fluctuations, differences in bowel contents, carb intake, sodium consumption, activity levels, and hydration status all contribute to normal weight variances of 1-5 pounds daily. Don’t obsess over the small ups and downs. Watch long-term weight trends instead.
If you’re looking for help with weight loss or tracking in general, please reach out – I’m here to help you.
