There are several basic reasons that your scale may go up or down. For example, most of us understand that “morning” weight is always the lowest of the day. The emotion surrounding weighing oneself can be drastically changed when you understand the many reasons for why the SCALE CHANGES.

Fluid Shifts Cause the Scale to Change

• Increased sodium (salt) intake. The kidneys sometimes retain sodium and along with it water - causing weight gain.
• Carbohydrate intake. To metabolize (burn) calories, insulin has to be secreted by the body - insulin is a water-retaining hormone.
• Medications. Some medication cause fluid retention, which is usually minimal. Diuretics (water pills) cause water loss, which some patients use in combination with a diet to lose weight.
• Hormonal changes. Female hormones (primarily estrogen) cause fluid retention. The normal monthly cycling of female hormones in menstruating women can cause water weight swings of several pounds.
• Illness. Any illness which causes an increased loss of water (vomiting, diarrhea, fever) or a decreased intake of fluids because of the severity of a generalized illness will cause a decrease in total body fluid and a potential for dehydration.
• Hot temperatures and vigorous exercise. Increased water loss through the skin and increased sweating occur and cause a loss of both salt and water. Weight training also may cause water retention.
• Dieting. Beginning a new diet of any type usually results in a loss of several pounds of water in the first two to three weeks. About half of the weight lost in the first three weeks of a diet is water. The reason is mostly due to a decrease in carbohydrate intake.

Muscle Building Causes the Scale to Change

If you start a regular exercise program and you build muscle, the scale may not show a weight loss for a few weeks. The questions to ask are: “Do your clothes fit better?” “Are you losing inches?” This may be a better test of what is happening than what the scale reads.

Fat Causes the Scale to Change

There are approximately 3,500 Calories in a pound of fat. If you are losing an average of 3 pounds a week and suddenly have a week without any weight loss, ask your self “Did I eat three pounds of food or 10,500 Calories more than the calories in my diet this week?” Probably not! Most likely this is just fluid retention.