Daily weight fluctuation is natural. The average adult’s weight fluctuates up to 5 or 6 pounds per day. It all comes down to what and when you eat and drink, the type of exercise you do, and even your sleep.
Read on to learn more about how these factors affect the scale and when to weigh yourself for the most accurate results.
Your weight is determined by the number of calories you consume compared to the number of calories you burn.
Eating a healthy, balanced diet that is equal to the number of calories your body uses daily may reduce your chances of significant weight fluctuation over time.
But eating and drinking in moderation every day can be a challenge. If your diet has been slipping, you may notice more weight fluctuation.
Food high in salt and carbohydrates may cause your body to retain water. Your weight may spike until the bloating subsides.
You may be able to minimize water retention by cutting back on sugary drinks and processed foods.
No matter the caloric content, foods and beverages all weigh something. Drinking an 8-ounce glass of water will add weight to your body because it has weight. The same is true for the vegetables in your salad.
However, healthy foods and water pass through your body quickly, so eating a balanced diet can mean less fluctuation.
Foods high in carbohydrates, sodium, and fat take longer to process and expel through waste.
Your body uses foods and fluids for hydration and energy. After it’s successfully gleaned the nourishment it needs from these sources, it will begin to expel the leftovers as mucus, sweat, urine, and stool. This can cause a slight decrease in weight.
Diet plays a major part in daily weight fluctuation, but other factors can also contribute to the scale moving up and down.
Exercise
Expending energy by burning calories can result in weight loss. But if you’re adequately hydrating, you may not see immediate weight loss on the scale. That’s because the water you drink replaces the water you’ve lost via sweat. Water, however, contains no calories and won’t cause weight gain over time.
Exercise burns calories, so you will lose weight if you burn more calories than you eat and drink.
One caveat: If you’ve recently started or switched up your routine, you may notice slight weight gain as you begin to build muscle mass.
Medication
Some medications cause your body to retain water, increase your appetite, or change your metabolism.
This includes:
- insulin
- thiazolidinediones
- beta-adrenergic blockers
- tricyclic antidepressants
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
- lithium
If you think your medication is affecting your weight, make an appointment with the prescribing doctor.
They can help you determine the reason for fluctuation and discuss your options moving forward. This may mean switching medications or making dietary and fitness changes.
Menstrual cycle
Your menstrual cycle can cause your body to retain more water during certain times of the month, resulting in a slight weight gain. You may notice that your base weight is a bit higher than normal on the first day of your period.
Your daily weight should go back to average within a few days of your cycle beginning.
Alcohol intake
Alcohol isn’t processed the same way as other beverages and foods, so it can take longer for your body to eliminate it. It also slows the digestion of other substances, which can lead to water retention.
Beyond that, alcohol contains extra calories that you may not be accounting for in your overall diet. You may also pay less attention to your overall calorie intake while drinking alcoholic beverages.
Illness
Your weight may go up or down due to a bout of illness, like the flu, or a chronic condition.
While conditions like underactive thyroid, Cushing syndrome, and polycystic ovary syndrome can lead to unexpected weight gain, diabetes and Crohn’s disease are often associated with unexpected weight loss.
See a doctor if you’re experiencing other unusual symptoms or have a diagnosed underlying condition. They can determine whether your symptoms are related to an underlying condition and advise you on next steps.
Be consistent when you weigh yourself. Your lowest weight of the day will be after you wake up and empty your bladder.
You may choose to weigh yourself at another time of day, but you must continue to weigh yourself at that time on the same scale for an accurate measurement.
If you want to assess your average weight fluctuation
Weighing yourself throughout the day won’t measure overall pounds gained or pounds lost, but it will help you assess your overall amount of weight fluctuation during the day.
You may want to weigh yourself in the morning, in the middle of the day, and at night to get a sense of your weight fluctuation.
If you want to lose 2 to 3 pounds
You can measure weight loss by weighing yourself at the same time of day — under the same circumstances, such as with shoes off — to determine if you’ve lost any real weight.
You will lose weight by expending more calories than you consume. Losing a small amount of weight will likely require just a bit more restraint than usual. Cutting out extra snacks or reducing your portion size may help you lose a few pounds within the next week or two.
If you want to lose more than 3 pounds
You can use your daily base weight to help measure any amount of weight loss.
Remember that to lose weight, you need to burn more energy, consume less energy (calories), or do a combination of both. Generally speaking, losing
Determining your base weight by keeping things consistent is key. Here are a few tips for measuring your daily weight:
Use a scale as your primary method
Weigh yourself with a scale that you know is accurate, and use the same scale every time you weigh. Make sure the scale is on a flat, hard surface to avoid inaccurate readings.
Weigh yourself at the same time
Try to weigh yourself at the same time every time you weigh. It’s often recommended that you weigh yourself first thing in the morning after you use the bathroom.
Try with or without clothes
Try to weigh yourself without clothes or with just your undergarments. The weight of your clothing can vary, affecting the number on the scale.
Incorporate other measurements
There are more ways than the scale to measure your body composition and overall weight. The way your clothes fit may help you assess weight fluctuation. Measuring the size of your waist, arms, and other areas can also show you how your body is changing.
However, body size isn’t the only way to assess your overall health.
For example, you can measure your fitness level by tracking your heart rate while at rest and when engaging in aerobic activity. Counting your repetitions can help assess your strength, and testing your limits in certain stretches can help measure your flexibility.
Daily and even weekly weight fluctuations are normal and usually aren’t cause for concern.
But if you have unintentional weight loss or gain, see a doctor. This could be a side effect of a medication you’re taking or a sign of an underlying health condition.