The Best Time to Weigh In You should step on the scale first thing in the morning. That's when you'll get your most accurate weight because your body has had the overnight hours to digest and process whatever you ate and drank the day before. And you should try to turn that step into a regular part of your routine.
While your weight may change slightly on a weekly and even daily basis, you are most likely to find your true weight by stepping on the scale first thing in the morning. Below, we discuss what causes weight fluctuations and some best practices on how to obtain a more accurate weight reading.
The best time to weigh yourself is first thing in the morning after you've gone to the restroom but before you eat or drink anything. The reason for this is that your body has had enough time to digest all the food and drinks you've consumed from the day before all while you were getting your beauty sleep.
Is it true that we weigh less in the morning? Generally, yes, because you don't have the added weight of a recent undigested meal. During the day, when you're eating and drinking, those foods (and fluids) add weight—at least until they're digested and excreted.
Weight is not the same from morning till night, it changes from hour to hour. It has been proven that the weight can fluctuate by as much as 3 lbs within a one hour period. Because the body has a natural circadian rhythm, the weight also changes during the day.
Rapid weight gain or swelling in particular areas of the body (edema) can be due to fluid retention. According to the American Heart Association , weight gain of more than 2–3 pounds (lb) over 24 hours or 5 lb in a week could be a sign of heart failure.
People tend to weigh less when they wake up because breathing and sweating as they sleep causes them to lose fluids. A study also found that adults burn around 50 calories an hour during slumber. “When you wake up in the morning, you're dehydrated because you haven't been drinking during the night.
Muscle is denser than fat, meaning a kilogram of muscle takes up less space in your body than a kilogram of fat. So, even if you gain muscle and your weight on the scale increases slightly, you can appear slimmer and more toned.
If you're exercising regularly and doing a mix of cardio and strength training, it's likely your body composition (ratio of muscle to fat) is changing for the better. “If the scale isn't moving, but your clothes fit better, and you feel stronger, that's a win,” Pelc Graca says.
It is best to weigh yourself at the same time of day (in the morning is best), after going to the toilet, before eating and without any clothing to achieve comparable results. Wait about 15 minutes after getting out of bed so that the water in your body is evenly distributed.
“Your skin is the largest organ in the body and absorbs fluid easily,” says Dr. Keith Kantor, a leading nutritionist and CEO of the Nutritional Addiction Mitigation Eating and Drinking (NAMED) program. “After a swim or a shower, your body can absorb 1 to 3 cups of water, increasing your true weight by a few pounds.”
While 69g in a night doesn't sound like much, you also lose weight from your sweat, the saliva you dribble onto the pillow, and from the skin flakes you shed into the sheets.
Muscle weighs more than body fat
This means that muscle and fat may look the same on the scale, but they'll look different on your body. While your clothes may feel looser, the scale may tell you otherwise. Count this as a win.
On average, one can expect to lose between 0.5 to 4 inches in a month. (up to 1.8 kg) It can be more or less also. It varies from one person to another.
Drinking Too Much Water
A quart of it weighs about 2 pounds. If you just drink it -- and you don't exercise -- that'll show up on the scale right away. That doesn't mean you should give up H2O. In the long run, drinking water (especially instead of high-calorie sugary beverages) can help you lose weight.
A person's weight fluctuates throughout the day. This can vary depending on how much they eat and drink, how much they pass in bowel movements and urination, and other factors. However, these changes are only temporary and do not affect their overall long-term weight.
Weighing weekly helps you manage your weight
A systematic review of 12 studies found participants who weighed themselves weekly or daily over several months lost 1–3 BMI (body mass index) units more and regained less weight than participants who didn't weight themselves frequently.
Let's say you drank 500 ml water but excreted up to 1 litre. This will directly lead you to weigh less by the remaining 500 ml, that roughly equals half a kilogram.
Water weight is not usually a cause for concern, but it can be uncomfortable and recurring. Reducing salt and carbohydrate intake, keeping hydrated, and frequently exercising are all good ways to lose water weight and prevent it from returning.