The Real Reason You Weigh Less In The Morning

Daily weight fluctuation is normal. It can depend on what and how much you ate, drank, exercised, or even slept. According to Healthline, an average adult's weight can fluctuate up to 5 or 6 lbs per day, and if you feel like you have suddenly gained 5 to 10 lbs in a day or two, it is probably due to water retention. It is normal to experience a change in weight here and there as long as it is not consistently off the charts.

Woman are more likely to feel bloated and experience some water weight during their periods due to hormonal change, overeating, or missing exercises due to cramps or mood. According to Women's Health, this temporary weight fluctuation can last between three to five days after your period. So, you can see that people can struggle with regular weight fluctuations depending on the time of the month. You just have to be kind to yourself because sometimes things happen, and the important thing is that you realize that all of this is only temporary and weight fluctuates for everyone. Working out can cause muscle tears and inflammation to hold on to water, which can also pack on a couple of pounds, per Shape. As water retention changes your weight throughout the day, let's find how lack of water affects our weight.

Don't you love it when you wake up in the morning and step on the scale and smile at the numbers? Well, let's uncover the mystery.

Julie Upton, R.D., co-founder of the nutrition website Appetite for Health, told Women's Health, "People weigh less when they wake up because the body is slightly dehydrated," and that perfectly explains how water retention can make people weigh more. In contrast, loss of water can make people weigh less. Sonya Angelone, R.D., a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, also told the publication that your body may have burned calories while sleeping to fuel essential bodily functions like breathing or sweating, which also dehydrates the body.

PopSugar Fitness agrees that dehydration is one of the primary reasons you weigh less in the morning. Ruby Shah, MD, a double board-certified internist at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, told the publication, "Since water accounts for about 50 to 60 percent of an adult's body weight, these small changes can add or subtract a few pounds." Dr. Shah added that not eating and drinking overnight and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night can be essential factors in weighing less. Now, you can understand why last night's weight is so different from this morning.

It is best not to obsess about your weight and weigh yourself too often, though. However, if you want to keep track of your weight for health reasons, Healthline recommends weighing yourself first thing in the morning after using the restroom before eating and drinking because that is when you will weigh your least.