Why does scale fluctuate

Save FB Tweet More. By Jessica Smith and Elizabeth Bacharach. Comments 2. Sort by: Newest. Newest Oldest. Load More Comments. Close this dialog window Add a comment. Add your comment Cancel Submit. Close this dialog window Review for. Back to story Comment on this project. Tell us what you think Thanks for adding your feedback. All rights reserved. Diet plays a major part in daily weight fluctuation, but other factors can also contribute to the scale moving up and down.

Expending energy by burning calories can result in weight loss. Exercise burns calories, so if you burn more calories than you eat and drink, you will lose weight. Some medications cause your body to retain water, increase your appetite, or change your metabolism. 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. 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.

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.

Your weight may go up or down due to a bout of illness, like the flu, or as a result of a chronic 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.

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. 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. As we just mentioned, dehydration can cause water retention, so too much booze may make you temporarily gain weight.

At least that explains the puffy feeling you get after a night out. When your body stores glycogen, it does so by binding it to water molecules at a ratio of one gram of glycogen to three to four grams of water, as confirmed by a study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

Shapiro also recommends weighing yourself only once a week—ideally the same day each week. Schedule a visit to see the doc ASAP if this sounds like you. Otherwise, don't be so damn hard on yourself. Weight Loss. United States. Type keyword s to search. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Rachel Hosie. Weight fluctuations don't always reflect loss or gain of fat or muscle.

The scale can go up or down based on what you've eaten, your workouts, and time of day. Weighing yourself under similar circumstances is key for assessing progress, Dr. Tim Church told Insider. Over 3 Million people read Morning Brew, you should too. Loading Something is loading. Email address.