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| What does it mean when your weight is up and down |
There are many factors that affect your weight, including your body composition and what you eat and drink on any given day. But if you keep an eye on the scale and notice a lot of variation, you may wonder, “Why does my weight fluctuate so much?” The question is easy to understand.
It is important to get rid of this as early as possible: some weight fluctuations are normal for everyone. However, if you find yourself experiencing large fluctuations in weight, you may have questions about what is going on. Here’s the thing, according to nutritionists.
Again, some fluctuation in weight is normal. “Materials in the body are constantly in and out of balance,” says Scott Keatley, Keatley’s clinical nutritional doctor. Your weight has probably fluctuated to some degree throughout your life, and you may not have noticed it unless you’ve been keeping a close eye on it.
Your weight fluctuates daily “primarily due to the state of hydration and the contents of the colon,” says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokeswoman Sonia Angelone, MD. “So weight can fluctuate depending on how much food you eat and how much it is in your colon, how often you have a bowel movement, how much you urinate, how much salt or sodium you have in your diet—water follows sodium, so you hold on to more sodium—and how dehydrated or dehydrated.”
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| What does it mean when your weight is up and down |
Bloating can lead to weight gain, and excess sweat from exercise can lead to weight loss, says Gary Gans, MD, nutritionist and author of Diet with Small Changes. “Medications can also cause weight gain or loss,” he adds.
It depends. It’s important to remember that weight fluctuations are “perfectly normal,” and while some people can see a difference of up to two pounds, others can see a difference of up to eight pounds, Kantz says.
“Women have been known to gain over five pounds during menopause,” says Dr. Vanessa Richetto, CEO and co-founder of Culina Health. Also, if you eat more sodium from day to day, you may also see big changes. “Sodium can also negatively impact your scale,” Richetto says, because it usually contributes to water retention.
“Even the amount of carbs can cause weight fluctuations,” says Angelone. “Each gram of glycogen or carbohydrate stored in the muscles holds three times its weight in water. If you eat a low carb meal, say a pasta dinner, your muscles will get more glycogen from a high carb dinner and stick to water so you gain weight. When people switch to a low carb diet, he says this is one of the reasons why he tends to lose five pounds or more in weight.
In general, Keithley says, most people can expect a fluctuation in body weight of up to 2%, unless they’re sweating profusely or making major dietary changes.
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| What does it mean when your weight is up and down |
You don’t need to panic if you notice that your weight fluctuates, but experts say it definitely needs to be investigated. “Big fluctuations in weight should signal you to consider the amount of salt or sodium in your diet,” says Angelone. “You also need to make sure you have regular bowel movements. For many people, that means once or twice a day.”
When you weigh yourself (you’ll get heavier later in the day after eating lots of food and fluids), you may also want to think about what your exercise habits are and how hydrated you are on any given day. speaks.
But, again, if your weight fluctuates a lot and you don’t know what’s going on, it’s time to get professional help to be on the safe side. “If you notice major changes that don’t add up, be sure to see your doctor,” Richetto says.