Have you gained 2 lbs, 3 lbs (or more) in a single day? Don't freak out! Daily weight fluctuations are completely normal. Did you notice the scale go up and down throughout the day? Or find you’re heavier at night than first thing in the morning? Possible causes include a high-sodium intake, hormonal changes, fluid retention, carb-rich meals, or even simply more stomach content.
Luckily, the extra pounds go away fast. Just because the scale says you're gaining weight, it doesn't mean you're gaining fat.If you could actually gain or lose 2-3 pounds of fat in a day, you could theoretically lose 60-90 pounds in a single month!
What Body Weight Fluctuations Really Mean
Believe it or not, the scale is not your most honest friend. It only tells half-truths. It shows your total body weight, not the amount of muscle, fat, or bone mass. A single high-carb meal is enough to cause fluid retention and increase your pounds on the scale. However, it’s often just water weight. A heart-pounding workout or a few minutes in the sauna can flush out excess water within minutes.
Your body weight fluctuates throughout the day for a variety of reasons. Women, for instance, can gain up to 10 pounds before or during their period. This happens due to the increase in estrogen levels and the reduction in progesterone levels.
Another common culprit is sodium. Salty foods, such as chips, canned tuna, and snacks, cause your body to hold water.
The same goes for carbs. One gram of carbs holds three to four grams of water. This means that you'll gain about two kilograms after eating 500 grams of carbs. Most likely, you'll experience this issue the day after.
However this doesn’t mean carbs are evil or cause you to gain fat, simply that they cause temporary fluid retention. When it comes to long term weight gain, or loss, calories are king.
What the Scale Really Tells You
As you see, you can't trust the scale. It simply doesn't tell the whole story. Your total body weight is more than fat. It also comprises of lean mass, bones, soft tissues, water, and blood.
For example, the human body is about 70 percent water. Bone mass makes up over 12 percent of your total weight. Any of these variables can change.
Poor sleep may cause your body to retain water due to the increase in cortisol levels, so catching more Zzz’s can help. Beware that certain medications, such as painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, cause fluid retention, so the scale might go up.
Use the scale to track your long-term progress, not to judge yourself.
You may decide to refrain from weighing yourself daily. Do it once or twice a week, first thing in the morning.
The scale will show you over time weather your weight is trending up, trending down, or about the same. It won’t always reflect accurately from weigh in to weigh in.
Best Practices Include:
- Weighing at the same time, preferably in the morning prior to eating or drinking.
- Weighing more than once a week, somewhere between 2 times a week and everyday
- Averaging your weeks weigh-ins to see your trend over 2 – 4 weeks
- Consistency in nutrition, don’t change you plan every time the scale doesn’t show you what you want. See what the long term trend is before adjusting your eating habits.
Here is the truth. I see so many who are being successful at achieving the purpose of their goal. You're feeling better, you're clothes feel loose, you're getting stronger. But the scales just not moving (or even going up!)
It's can be easy to get discouraged, beat yourself up or just plain want to quit, but don't! Remember the scale doesn't tell you the whole story, don't get so distracted by the metics you miss the point. If you're getting better, feeling better, don't get derailed. Fluctuations are part of the road to success, keep crushing the process.