Why It’s Normal For Your Weight To Fluctuate 2-3 Lbs Overnight

Summer is here, you are crushing it at the gym, keeping your diet in check, and just when you think you should be dropping the weight, you wake up to find that the scale says you haven’t lost a single pound or, heaven forbid, you have gained a couple. Don’t freak out just yet, and certainly don’t turn to the frozen pizza for comfort. The thing is, the scale is a tricky way to measure your progress. You could be doing everything right, on the path to your best body, and the scale could still go up… that is completely normal and it can happen for a few reasons. So, before you throw the scale out your bathroom window in an act of rage, here are some of the main reasons your weight fluctuation overnight is totally normal.

While the scale is a tool for measuring progress, the best indicator of change is how you feel about yourself.

Water Intake

Here is the thing about water, you need to drink it to lose weight, but the more you drink, the more you weigh. Confusing right? Water plays a long game… the more water you put into your body the less your body feels it needs to retain. However, if you are playing a short game, looking for fast weight results, you and water are not going to get along. That gallon of H2O you finished off before bed is definitely going to help you reach your long term goals, but it is also going to make the number on the scale go up in the morning.

Digestion

If you wake up and are 3 pounds heavier than yesterday, consider your food intake. How late did you eat last night? Are you looking at weight gain or are you just seeing the food you ate last night? Your body needs time to digest food, no matter how healthy it is, so if you had 2 pounds of broccoli at 9 P.M., you might be seeing those 2 pounds on the scale in the morning. Don’t worry, your body will do its job and break that down, but regardless, a late meal is never a good idea.

Salt

Even if you are keeping the water intake high, you may still wake up with a puffy face and an extra pound if you’re salt isn’t in check. Some salt is perfectly good for you, I myself am a huge fan of pink Himalayan salt, but too much causes your body to store water rather than expel it which can cause weight fluctuation. Take a look at sodium labels on your foods and make sure you are within the recommended amount, or at least close to it.

Stress

You would have had to be living under a rock lately to not have heard about the negative effects of stress, so I will make this short. Stress raises your cortisol levels which inhibits your ability to lose weight. One stressful day can affect the scale the next morning, but more importantly, stress can affect your long term goals, so try and find ways to decompress.

Can  you think of any more reasons why weight fluctuation might be totally normal? Let us know down below!