Why Not to Weigh Every Day

When we're trying to lose weight it's tempting to check our weight to see if we're making progress but if we check too often it can actually be frustrating and lead to the wrong conclusions.

A person's weight can vary for many reasons that are not connected to the amount of fat residing in the body. Here are some possible reasons:

Reasons for Weight Variation

Water weight: Your body can retain or release water depending on various factors like salt intake, hormonal changes, and exercise. This can cause fluctuations in your weight, as water is heavy.

Recent food intake: The amount and type of food you eat can also affect your weight. If you eat a large meal, your weight will temporarily increase due to the weight of the food in your stomach and intestines.

Bowel movements: Your weight can also fluctuate due to bowel movements. If you haven't had a bowel movement in a while, you may be carrying around extra waste in your intestines.

Time of day: Your weight can vary depending on the time of day you weigh yourself. You may be heavier in the evening due to food and water intake throughout the day.

Muscle mass: If you have been exercising or weight lifting, you may be gaining muscle mass, which weighs more than fat. This can cause your weight to increase, even though you are becoming leaner and healthier.

Menstruation: Women may experience weight fluctuations during their menstrual cycle due to hormonal changes.

The Bottom Line

Overall, it's normal for your weight to vary from day to day, and it's more important to focus on your overall weight trends over time rather than day-to-day fluctuations. Weighing weekly rather than daily will give you a better idea of your weight loss trend.

It's important to remember that these fluctuations in weight are normal and do not necessarily indicate that you have gained or lost fat. To get an accurate picture of your weight over time, it's best to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before eating or having a shower without clothing. Make sure to use the same set of scales to keep consistency.