The scale lies a little every day
Body weight swings 2–5 pounds from water, salt, food, and soreness. Fat does not change that fast. Read the weekly trend, not the Tuesday number.
The full lesson
The scale weighs everything: fat, muscle, bone, water, this morning's coffee, last night's dinner, the salt from the pizza (which holds water), the carbs you ate (stored with water), muscle soreness from a new workout (inflammation holds water), and where you are in a hormonal cycle. Daily swings of 2–5 pounds are normal; some people swing more.
So one weigh-in tells you almost nothing. A weekly average compared to last week's average tells you a lot. If you weigh, do it the same way (morning, after the bathroom, before eating) and write down the week's average. If the scale stresses you, use your waist, a pair of pants, your walking minutes, or your chair stands instead. Muscle builders: the scale going up slowly while the waist holds is exactly right.
Remember
- Weekly average, not daily number.
- The waist and the pants tell the truth.