Daily weight fluctuations
Article By:William Sukala, MS, CSCS
A: First off, congratulations on achieving your goal weight! This is a great question because so many people associate their progress with their daily weight. In fact, you might be one of those people whose weight varies by several pounds from day to day or even within the same day. But fret not, this doesn't necessarily mean you're any fatter or leaner than yesterday.
Truth is, daily fluctuations on the scale are completely normal. Body weight will shift a bit depending on the status of your body's fluids and solids (e.g., how much food and water you've consumed, bowel movements, urination and sweat rate).
To further convince you that a few extra pounds on the scale is not fat, consider the following. One pound of stored body fat contains 3500 calories of stored energy. For example, in order for you to gain three pounds overnight, you would have to eat an additional 10,500 (3 x 3500) calories above and beyond your usual calorie intake! On the other end of the spectrum, losing three pounds overnight would require you to burn 10,500 calories, which would be the equivalent of a 105-mile run! The bottom line: try not to get too fixated on your daily weight. And when you do weigh yourself, try to make sure you do so under similar conditions each time (e.g., time of day, before exercise, before meals). Keep up the great work.
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