#194: The Real Reasons Your Scale Keeps Fluctuating

Think your scale is telling you the full story? Think again.

In this episode, we’re unpacking the real science behind why your weight seems to change overnight — and it’s not always about fat gain. From hydration levels and hormone shifts to sleep quality and your menstrual cycle, we’re covering the often-overlooked factors that play a major role in the number staring back at you.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between water weight, fat loss, and glycogen storage
• How stress and cortisol levels sneakily sabotage your progress
• Why your cycle matters more than you think when it comes to weighing in
• How to use waist measurements to track real progress
• When and how to weigh yourself for accuracy
• Why sleep might be more powerful than your diet or workout

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Transcript

#194: The Real Reasons Your Scale Keeps Fluctuating

[00:00:00] There's many factors that affect the scale weight, and what I see is so many people are focusing on just this one unit of measure when they're looking at whether they're getting the results that they're looking for or not. And what happens is that they, uh, see that the, um, the scale isn't. Isn't showing what the effort that they feel that they've put in, and then they give up because I think that it's not working or that, uh, you know, that they need to try a different approach when actually it is working.

Um, there's some other factors that will contribute to, uh, weight gain. Now, what I think is really important to be clear is that when people are looking for weight loss, you are looking for fat. Our body is mostly made up of water, understanding of what is going to be weight loss, what is gonna be water loss, and what is going to be fat loss.

And again, where I think people tend to [00:01:00] focus on is they just focus on what that number says. Um, that number says on the scale, and there's. So many, many different factors that can contribute to that changing. The first thing that A affects the scale weight, and it might make the weight change, but it might not mean that you've put on any extra fat is water.

So as a body is made up, mostly water hydration can really impact that number on the scale. Uh, dehydration, diarrhea, vomiting, excessive alcohol intake, uh, sweating and peeing. They all affect the scale reading. Generally, it is really only possible to lose about 500 to a kilo, safely of fat per week. Actual fats of the same.

We are not looking at water loss. We are looking at what fat we're going to lose. So if you are losing more than that. Um, it's generally water that you're losing and not fat. Excessive, uh, calorie or carbohydrate restriction in particular can show inaccurate weight loss [00:02:00] because that's coming from about 75% water.

So we just wanna become aware of, of how things, how things can affect the scale and what I recommend as a guide. So you can tell the difference between fat. Loss and weight loss is if you don't have a body composition scanner is look at do your waist measurement. So if you measure, if you've jumped on the scales and you see that the scales have gone up and you measure your waist.

So the scale's gone up, but your waist measurement stays the same, then you've not put on fat, okay? So you've just, you are either retaining extra water or any of those things, and that's just things that our bodies do. So you have your waist measurement, use your waist, use a tape to measure your waist.

And, um, use the scale two, but understand that you get on the scale, the scale weight is up. You measure your waist, your waist measurement is the same. You have not put on fat, okay? 'cause your waist measurement has said the term. If your waist measurement has gone up and the scale has gone up, then yes, you would've [00:03:00] put on fat.

Okay? So the second factor that affects your, um. Affects what the scale says is hormones. So cortisol, um, is the stress hormone and from long term stresses, it's going to increase your cortisol levels. And this, uh, influences your water retention and, uh, your water weight and your fluid retention and water retention can be caused because of high stress and, uh, cortisol increase.

And we go through stresses in the next module, but there is lots of stresses that we are under that you may not even realize is really influencing your life. Carbohydrate intake can also cause a rise in your insulin and it will increase the sodium retention and reabsorption of water in the kidney. So your hormones play a huge part in to, um, into your weight, low carb diets.

[00:04:00] Um, they end up leading to drops in your insulin. Which then leads to, um, your loss of sodium and water from the kidneys. When you are eating carbs, you might get like an immediate change, uh, in your weight, but that's just water. And the thing is, so you might be listening just thinking, well, I'm just gonna not eat any carbs.

But our body needs a balance of. We, we need protein, fats, and carbs. So you need it all. And the thing is that wouldn't it be better to not just lose, to lose fat and to not lose waterway and be able to still eat carbohydrates? Because the thing is that if you just start to cut them out, when you look at eating them again, what's gonna happen?

You are going to, you're going to, you know, start reabsorbing and put on that, that weight that you lost in that. So it's always better to understand how they influence your doc, how they influence your weight, um, and don't see it as a bad thing. We, we need a balance of all of those foods and your hormones need them.

So when you're in, um. Big levels of [00:05:00] restriction. It's not good. It is not good for your hormones, and it throws you more, it throws you more outta whack and you will feel crappy for it. The third thing that affects your weight is your menstrual cycle. So this is massive. And um, so during your period, it is considered normal to gain between two and four kilos.

Um, which then will then go away after you've menstruated. Uh, hormo chain hormonal changes can cause, um, weight gain by increasing the fluid retention and altering your appetite. Uh, water retention can cause swelling and puffiness around the breast stomach. It will cause an increase in your body weight, but you've not.

Put on fat. So this is the really thing to be really, really clear on the difference between putting on water weights and fats. Hormonal changes can also influence your gas and, um, can increase your gases and, and cause different bloating. Again, this is just, uh, a feeling it's not, you've not put [00:06:00] on fat. So during your cycle, it has a very rough overview of your cycle in a ultimate 28 die cycle.

From the first two weeks into your cycle, you are more optimal for losing weight after you ovulate. So in the middle of the cycle it is, then it is then pretty much impossible. It's pretty hard to lose weight during that period. So during that period, you are more hormonally. You are, um, hormonally challenged.

I call it. During that time, you, uh, tend to gonna be more fatigued. You may, um, notice during that period time as well leading into period that your hunger levels change, so your body will crave more carbohydrates. But that's what it needs. So let's not deny it. Listen to your body and work for it, but also start.

So we talk about this. Going on. But that's why I'm wanting to start note looking at your cycle and noticing trends in your own cycle. We are all different, uh, but that gives you a rough, rough overview. So the [00:07:00] first two weeks of your cycle, you are more optimal to lose weight. You'll have higher energy levels, you will, um.

Probably feel that, that feel like you can do a lot more things. You ovulate and then you might start to notice that the fatigue sets in. You might feel weaker in the gym. You might, um, be more irritable. You might, um, you know, and then the kind of the last few days or the weeks that leaving, you'll notice like there's could be a change in hunger levels and all of those things.

And that is all. To do with your hormones and your weight will fluctuate with that. So whenever I do body scans for people, we, we try to really, uh, plan it around their cycle so it's the same time every month. So hormones will roughly be the same if you are getting on the scales and you're weighing yourself, and it's a different time of the month.

It, it can make a massive difference. And again, it's understanding you've not put on fat. It's water weight. The fourth thing that will affect the scale is sodium and what you've eaten. So eating foods that [00:08:00] are high in sodium can also affect how much water you retain. So sodium is essential to many processes.

In the body, but too much can cause the body to retain, um, too much soda and therefore retain much more water. So carbonated waters such as, you know, your soda waters and your Cokes, or your soft drinks or any of those things, they can cause more bloating. Um, because the thing is that we, we take them in and then the body doesn't quite know how to get rid of.

Rid of them. So it will cause bloating, uh, sweetness. So they may, so if you're using sweetness to, to be able to eat sweeter foods, but without increasing the calories, they might be good in, they'll lower the sugar content. But your, your. Tummy has a really hard time digesting them. So that can lead to more gas and bloating, which can lead to you feeling crappy.

Yeah. And it leads to the gas and bloating with the gut bacteria. Interactions with [00:09:00] the sweetness. Fructose can also be difficult for you to digest, especially when consumed in large quantities. So the thing is, with all of these things is just to start to take notice of what, what. Affects you, what food affects you and what affects your, your stomach.

Because we are all different. So, um, cashews make me bloat like crazy and I feel really yucky. Um, I really like them, but I feel really yucky, so I don't, I don't, I don't eat them. Um, and I only noticed that through, um, through. Eating them and getting bloated and ignoring it, and then going, oh, okay. Really?

Really? I had this one day where my, I had gripping stomach pains. Yeah. It was, it was not nice. And I realized that it was the cashews and it comes back every time I have them. So I just, I just stay away from now and it's not about, um, I stay away because I don't enjoy the feelings. I don't feel like I'm missing out, but start to become aware now [00:10:00] of.

What will affect your, um, what will affect how different foods affect your tummy and how you're feeling. Um, the fifth thing that does affect your weight, so the scale weight may, may be up, but it's not actually you, is your glycogen storage. The glycogen is the body's. Storage form, uh, of your carbohydrates, so it exists in your muscles and liver, and it's released when your body needs energy.

So eating carbs is a factor that will affect your weight, but this is not a bad thing. Remember, we need a balance of all these foods. It's just understanding that how, how your body stores them. When you eat a carbohydrates, your body is gonna store it's, um, what it can as glycogen, and then the glycogen mole molecule is going to hold onto a really substantial amount of water.

So one gram of glycogen. Equals about 2.7 grams of water within that. Okay? So [00:11:00] you, the more carbohydrates that you are consuming and your body's um, not using it, um, your body is going to be storing that to use for when you might possibly need that. So in additional water, um, so additional water is not the same as water retention.

So water retention is where excess water is held within this, between the cells and in glycogen storage, the water is attached to the glycogen molecule inside of the cell. This is seen as a healthier way to store your water inside rather than water retention because it can be. Beneficial and necessary to maintain glycogen in your body.

And that's where all your energy and all that stuff comes from. So it is, is and you know, to get through the day and get, do what we do, what you need to do in your day work. Um, race after kids and whatever else. So when you exercise, you use up some of [00:12:00] your glycogen stores for energy, which will then decrease the water weight from your glycogen molecule and therefore decrease your weight.

And when you consume carbs, your body will replenish its glycogen stores. G Like I said, it's really, really important for us, but it's important to understand that, um, we, we need, we need all of these things for our bodies to function optimally. It may affect the scale, but in the same thing, you've not put on fat.

Another thing that affects that scale weight is the time of day that you are measuring yourself. So the average adult weight can fluctuate between three to five kilograms per day. Now, if you are weighing yourself first thing in the morning or you weigh yourself first thing in the morning and you're comparing yourself to an afternoon, measurement is two very different things.

Um, you've had more things during the day, you know, so, so we just wanna be aware of, um, and understand that again, if you measure yourself, if you weigh yourself. Uh, mid-morning, [00:13:00] and then you wage yourself at nighttime. Again, totally different. So it's not the same. You, uh, you aren't using the same things to measure.

And lastly, poor sleep. Now sleep is really underestimated and just sleep does affect your weight and what the scale says and people don't see sleep is important, but, um, it, it can be ranked. More important than exercise and food. Yeah. So because when, when we have lack, a lack of sleep. It tends to be associated with, we will then tend to eat foods higher in calories, sugar and fat.

Uh, lap lack of sleep can also be connected to, with the hormone ghrelin. Ghrelin is released in the stomach and tells the brain that you're hungry. And then we have this hormone leptin, which will tell you that you're full. And when we are sleep deprived, the body tends to have more ghrelin. And um, so it means that you are [00:14:00] more likely to be hungry to crave foods, uh, that are higher in calories, sugar and fat.

And you are more likely to make poorer food choices when you are feeling that way. When you are also feeling, uh, tired and, uh, we've had a lack of sleep, you tend to be more irritable. You have less patience with your children. Uh, you tend to move less because of how you're feeling. And again, this all ties into your weight.

And it affects the scale. You know, when we are, when we are not, when we are feeling tired, um, we don't want to exercise or you don't wanna move as much. So it's sleep. Sleep is massive. So, you know, and start to take note. How, how do you feel when you sleep, when you get a good amount of sleep? And compare that to how you feel or the actions you take when you get a poor amount of sleep And.

You would notice the difference on the scale too. What can we do to now be able to [00:15:00] maintain a healthy weight? So the thing is, is it's all about having that balance. So we wanna exercise regularly. Aim for about 30 minutes a day. We wanna stay hydrated. Uh, we wanna reduce our salt in intake, uh, limit caffeine and sugar and avoid foods that give you gas and bloating.

The other thing is we just wanna enjoy our lives. I know there are so many other wonderful things out there other than focusing on the scale. Uh, the scale is a unit of measure that we measure to see where we're at. The problem that people get with scale is when they use that unit as a measure to define something about themselves.

And you don't need to do that. It is just one unit of measure to see how you're going on your wellness journey. That is it, and it doesn't mean. Anything about you as a person, you can look at focusing on other things such as, you know, like the things that you can do instead of focusing on what you can't do.

So things [00:16:00] that you know, the time it takes you to perform a certain exercise. Um, the weights that you are lifting, how much. The how heavy they are and how many reps that you're doing. You can look at other things like your strength, your endurance, your flexibility, your energy levels. So we put our focus onto other things instead of just focusing on this one, this one thing.

I know that after I had my babies running, well, especially after I had Charlie. I knew the speed that I could run at. So that was something for me to achieve and I really worked towards. So instead of focusing on my weight, I focused more on what I could do and, uh, when could I get back to that level of fitness that I was at before.

And, uh, I remember the day when I ran a kilometer, you know, at the speed that I did prior to having her. And it felt amazing. And, um, that was pretty. A pretty great achievement for me, and I wasn't focusing on the scale at all. So start to [00:17:00] take note and I want you next time when you do hop on the scales because it's hopping on the scales, is there's, it's an important unit of measure.

Don't give it me anything about yourself. It is just a way to measure where you are at when we get on that scale. Um, and maybe it doesn't say exactly what you think. It says, let's not go to your first conclusion. So your first conclusion will be that, you know, maybe you're not good enough. What you've done isn't working, any of those things.

But just remember there are so many other factors that go into that number. The difference between what water weight is and what putting fat.