The average person’s weight fluctuates 2.2-4.4 pounds over a few days and, over a longer period of time, this can be so much more. If you’re keeping an eye on your weight, this can be confusing and even discouraging if you’re aiming to lose some of your body weight.

That’s why it’s important to understand the reasons behind weight fluctuations and have patience when they happen. So you can understand more, let’s take a look at the potential answers to, “Why does my weight fluctuate?”

Water Weight

Water can be a huge factor in weight changes depending on the state of the body at the time. There are many reasons a body might start to hold onto water, including:

• Dehydration
• A lot of sodium in your diet
• Urine weight
• Water adjusting to muscle if you’re building more of it
• Alcohol intake

If you suddenly put on a lot of weight, cut sodium out of your diet, and hydrate — you might see it starting to drop, as water retention is often a very common cause of short-term weight gain. Our bodies are 60% water, after all!

Your Menstrual Cycle

If you have a menstrual cycle, this can be a huge cause of weight fluctuation. Your body tends to hold onto a lot of water at this time but your hormones are also changing, which can cause gastrointestinal upset, constipation, and other issues that might make it seem like you’ve gained weight.

Weight fluctuations are often at their most extreme during this time of the month so if it seems like you’ve gained alarming weight suddenly, give it a few days until the end of your period. You might find it just drops back off.

Your Diet

Many people crash-diet which actually isn’t the best solution for long-term weight loss. While a crash diet works in the short term to take the weight off, your body will put it back on as you return to your usual eating habits.

If you want sustainable weight loss, then you need to make slow, small lifestyle changes that you can actually keep up with over a long period of time. Fasts and diets where you eat a low amount of calories per day will just lead to huge fluctuations when you inevitably binge because you’re so hungry.

Binging can also be a big cause of weight fluctuations, though you’ll find the weight usually isn’t permanent if you don’t binge often. You actually need to eat 3500 excess calories to gain a pound of fat.

If you’re wondering, “Why does my weight fluctuate?” it could be many reasons. You may be experiencing your period, you may have unsteady eating habits, or your body may simply be holding onto water because it’s dehydrated or has too much sodium.

Weight fluctuation is normal but if you need help managing your weight, check out our services.