So if you notice you do weigh more at night, that's normal:
Yes, it's entirely normal for your weight to fluctuate. Daily fluctuations of a few pounds are quite common and no cause for concern. Short-term fluctuations are usually due to fluid retention and longer-term fluctuations can also occur due to lifestyle changes, such as changes in exercise routines or stress levels.
It's true that you can gain 5 pounds overnight due to bloating and water gain. Another example is eating excess carbs or alcohol, they will be stored as fat in your body. But even if you gain 5 pounds overnight, there is a need to maintain that weight and lose it gradually.
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.
So even though you may be losing fat, you're gaining muscle. You might feel slimmer, even as the number on the scale rises. “The scale doesn't tell the entire story,” said exercise physiologist Christopher Mohr, PhD, RD. “Since muscle and fat take up different volume, they look very different on the body.”
Generally speaking, people are at their heaviest after eating a meal and at their lightest after strenuous exercise where they sweat out their water weight.
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.
Weighing weekly helps you manage your weight
The weight-loss benefit was evident with weekly weighing; there was no added benefit with daily weighing. Self-weigh-ins are an essential tool for weight management as we age. Adults tend to gain weight progressively through middle age.
If you're asking yourself, “Why am I gaining weight when I barely eat,” several factors may be at play. Your body may be holding onto fat stores if your eating habits are inconsistent or restricted. Or, your weight gain may be the effect of a sedentary lifestyle, medical condition, or long-term stress.
You will be amazed to know that one can lose or gain up to 5 pounds of water weight in a day. The most common signs of water weight include: Bloating.
If you want to lose 5 pounds in a week, you will need to reduce your food intake by 17,500 calories, which is a huge calorie deficit. If you weigh 250-pound, you will need to reduce your daily calorie intake to about 1,250 calories per day, an amount that is too low amounting to starvation.
The amount of fluid in your body changes throughout the day. It's totally normal for your weight to change up to four pounds in a single day, based on your fluid levels. Fluid retention, or edema, is when a lot of fluid builds up in the body. This can cause a sudden weight gain of 15 or more pounds.
“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.”
Endocrinologist Kathleen Wyne, MD, says that a five-pound weight shift is typical for most people day-to-day but that the number on the scale can change by as much as 20 pounds depending on your body size.
When should you weigh yourself? 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.
Most experts recommend aiming for 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week, which equates to roughly 4-8 pounds in a month. Those with more excess weight may see slightly faster loss initially. The key is losing at a gradual rate through calorie deficit rather than drastic measures.
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.
If you're really committed to losing weight, weighing yourself every day can be helpful. Research shows that people who weigh themselves every day have even more success with weight loss than those who weigh in once a week.
"Eating, drinking, urinating, having a bowel movement, and exercise can all impact your body's water composition and therefore weight," she says. For example, high-carb and high-salt foods can cause H2O retention and a boost in poundage, while exercise can lead to temporary water and weight loss.