Weight Fluctuation

by Adam R June 08, 2020

How can the scales change so much in just 1 day!?

If you’re trying to either lose weight or gain muscle and weigh yourself every day it’s common to see drastic changes from day to day. People can sometimes freak out at this and worry that they have taken a step backward from their goal when in fact that may not be true.

Here’s why. Weight loss/gain is not a linear process. It’s a process that happens over time and there are ups and downs. Your body adapts to many different things throughout the day. There are so many variables when it comes to your weight on a daily basis that you should not be discouraged if one day the scales read ‘badly’ for you.

Here’s a few things that can cause the fluctuation:

1. If you eat more carbohydrates in a day than you normally would then you will hold more water weight as a result- this does not mean that you have not still stepped further toward your goal of fat loss (for an example) It simply means that your body is heavier that day because of extra water weight.
2. Sodium can also result in your body holding more water so if you eat foods high in sodium one day then you are more likely to weigh more the following day.
3. Drinking more fluids in general or restroom timing. If you wake up one morning, go to the bathroom and then weigh yourself you are likely to be lighter than if you woke up and just went straight to the scales.

Weight scales do not tell you the whole story but they can still be a very useful tool.

That’s why it’s important to use the scales in a smarter way. 

Here’s what I would recommend:

1. Weigh yourself in the morning straight after you wake up and after you’ve gone to the bathroom.

Or Choose between:

1. Weigh yourself every day and then take the average for that week. Then look at this on a week by week basis to see if you’re progressing overall as opposed to weighing yourself just here and there every 3-4 days. 
2. Weigh yourself only once per week or fortnight.

It is easy to become invested in what the scales are telling you but if it’s starting to make you feel flat or unmotivated then my advice would try not to put too much emphasis on it or even stop weighing yourself for a while and just work based on mirror-feedback over time.

If you want some help getting started or have questions about your current training feel reach to reach out to Adam through his website - https://www.rossfit.co/

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