Facts About Fluctuating Weight
Watching your weight go up and down can be incredibly disheartening, especially when we set a goal for ourselves and then fail to see the results.
In this article we discuss factors that may be impacting or contributing to your weight fluctuations.
The bathroom scale should be considered the enemy as the information it provides to us is very linear. The scale will simply tell you how much your body weighs at the exact moment that you step on the scale. It does not allow us insight into our water retention or bone mass and it certainly does not consider the time of day that we choose to weigh ourselves.
Remember, the term “weight'' does not refer to the amount of fat you carry on your body. Weight is made up of bones, muscles, organs, fluid, waste and body mass. So, it is safe to say that weight loss and gain is not black and white and should be measured as carefully as possible to give us as much information about where and how we are carrying weight and fat.
There are multiple factors that make up our body weight and it is important that we consider every one of them.
So before you get demotivated or wonder why your fitness routine is not working, let’s look at all the factors that contribute to our weight.
Water Retention
If your weight drops or spikes day-to-day, chances are it has nothing to do with fat loss or gain and rather with the amount of water your body is holding onto.
Staying hydrated is extremely important, but take into consideration that water also has a weight. So if you drink a lot of water one day your overall weight might go up and if you don’t drink enough the next day, the scale will show a lower number.
This number does not mean you have lost fat, it simply means you did not have enough water the day before. Water has no calories so weight due to water is not a bad thing! Similarly, your workout will affect your water retention as you drink fluids to replace what you sweated out.
If you had a tough strength training workout, your muscles will fill with blood and water to repair the tissue you’ve damaged. The amount of salt you consume in your diet can also affect your water retention, so avoid the heavily salted meals where you can.
The Time of Day (or even the day of the week).
When tracking your progress, it's important to weigh in at the same time each day or week. Our weight is affected by circumstances throughout the day.
Weighing in, in the morning means you are doing so with an empty stomach and bladder, so the number on the scale will be lower, whereas doing a weigh in late in the afternoon will be affected by whether you had a big lunch, drank a lot of water or had a particularly stressful day.
Believe it or not, stress can play a part in the yo-yoing of your weight. “Stress increases cortisol — a steroid hormone that can boost your appetite and make it all the more tempting to reach for your favorite comfort foods,” explains Sheri Vettel, MPH, RDN.
This can cause water retention in the short term. And if you stay stressed over a long period, high cortisol levels are also associated with weight gain, Vettel says, especially around the midsection.
Bowel Movements and Menstrual Cycles
Bowel movements are a big contributor to our weight. Naturally, when you’re constipated, or unable to empty your bowel, your body is holding on to more weight.
It’s often clear that your body is holding on to the weight, as bloating may occur, which can lead to considerable discomfort.
In fact, a study published in the medical publication GastroJournal found that the average daily stool weight was 106g for healthy adults. That is quite a bit of weight (that has nothing to do with your body fat!)
Women will also know that feeling during period week is an uncomfortable one. Fluid retention is at its highest on the first day of your period, which means your weight is likely to fluctuate during your menstrual cycle.
Knowledge is Power
Daily and even weekly weight fluctuations are normal and usually aren’t cause for concern, so don’t panic.
So rather than stepping onto the dodgy bathroom scale,which provides you with very little other than a random number, rather come and see how Body20’s Inbody works.
Body20’s Inbody Technology is the gold standard in body composition analysis. This biometric analysis of your weight, body composition, height and BMI provides valuable information about your health and wellness and allows for a much more comprehensive insight into your body’s inner workings.
Our qualified Coaches are able to identify areas that can be improved or changed in order to help you reach your goals, so book a free demo at your nearest Body20 Studio to find out more about your body composition and kickstart your fitness journey.
