Understanding Your Weight
Posted by james.adams@fkabrands.com BigCommerce on Apr 30th 2025
5 Reasons Why Your Weight Fluctuates Daily
Why does my weight keep going up and down? Trust us, we know how it feels when you’re on a journey to try and reach a certain weight and you see that number on the scale creep up. After all, if you’ve been a regular in the gym and hitting your nutrition goals, you’d expect to lose at least a few pounds, right?
Fact - for an average adult, their weight can fluctuate by 5 or 6 pounds each day. It’s a normal, healthy response to your body digesting food, retaining water, muscular repair, lack of sleep, hormonal changes - the list goes on.
The key to not letting fluctuations affect your motivation or discourage your progress is understanding the bigger picture behind the number on the scale. The Homedics Glo™ Analyser Bathroom Scale gives you access to advanced body composition data including 13 essential biometrics such as BMR, body fat, skeletal muscle, metabolic age, BMI, hydration levels and more. Tracking your biometrics over time is an effective way to get clarity on what habits are helping to enhance your overall wellness, and what’s affecting that number on the scale.
Body Water
Good hydration + refuelling your body = temporary gain, but one step closer to your goal
Our body holds onto water for several reasons other than how hydrated we are. Did you know that for every gram of carbohydrates consumed, the body retains about 3 to 4 grams of water? Also, we know exercise can help reduce weight but if you're adequately hydrating post-workout, it may not result in weight loss on the scale thanks to your excellent water intake. Salty meals, hormonal shifts, or even a tough workout can cause your body to hold onto extra water. These factors can add a pound or two overnight on the scale - and it’s normal!
Using your Glo™ scale, open your app and check your water levels. That could explain why the number on the scale has increased. More importantly, good hydration is essential for recovery, energy levels and organ function, so keep those levels topped up.
BMR
More muscle + increased BMR = higher calorie burn at rest
Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories your body needs to accomplish its most basic life-sustaining functions like breathing, circulation and digestion. Your Basal Metabolic Rate can change if your body composition shifts (more muscle = higher BMR). Lean mass requires a lot of energy to maintain, but this is a positive. Having more muscle mass means you burn more calories at rest. Conversely, a lower BMR means you burn fewer calories, making it more challenging to lose weight.
Step onto your Glo™ scale, open your app and check your BMR. If it’s changed, that could be why your number on the scale has shifted up or down. If necessary, alter your calorie intake depending on your goals.
Muscle Gain or Loss
Stress + poor sleep = increased cortisol (but life happens)
Hormones play a huge role in how our body functions, they can influence water retention, appetite, metabolism, and even where your body stores fat. Each phase of the menstrual cycle can shift your weight without any actual fat gain due to the changes in oestrogen and progesterone causing bloating, cravings, slower digestion, and water retention. Our hormones are also affected by our lifestyle. Poor sleep, overtraining and excess stress can cause cortisol to spike and lead to temporary weight gain or bloating. If you’re noticing an unexpected increase in weight and you’ve been burning the candle at both ends, it’s probably a sign to slow things down.
Once again Glo™ is always on hand to help. For those short-term shifts, keep an eye on your body water levels and overall body weight. Oestrogen, progesterone and cortisol can cause imbalances in the water we retain in our bodies. In the long term, if you’re seeing changes to your visceral fat, bone mass and BMR, this could be linked to thyroid function and long-term hormone health.
Hormonal Changes
Slight weight gain + increased muscle mass = progress, not a setback
Ever heard the phrase, muscle weighs more than fat? It’s a myth we’re about to bust. A pound of muscle and a pound of fat weigh the same. But muscle is much denser than fat, meaning it's more compact. So, if you’ve been lifting heavy in the gym and hitting your protein intake, that extra muscle mass you’ve grafted hard for will increase your overall weight on the scale. But increased muscle mass can lead to less body fat, a stronger immune system, improved energy levels, and reduced stress - we'll take that!
Want to check your muscle mass? Step onto your Glo™ scale and check your muscle mass biometric. Seen an improvement? Looks like you’re on the right track.
Exercise
Exercise + inflammation = small shift in weight / long term endurance
We’ve touched on how lean muscle mass can affect your weight, but what about cardiovascular exercise? Running, cycling, swimming - maybe you like hip-hop dancing? If you’re noticing fluctuations after your favourite fitness class, cardio makes you sweat, which drops your water weight temporarily, and once you rehydrate, this should return to normal. On the other hand, if you’ve noticed your weight has increased after an intense session, this is your body temporarily retaining excess water to help repair micro-tears in your muscles. So don’t sweat- save that for your next session. Focus on recovery and good nutrition and you’ll come back stronger, faster and ready to smash your goals.
Using your app, check your water levels and if your cup is only half full - it’s time to rehydrate. You might also notice temporary drops in muscle mass after your intense session while your body is recovering, which indicates a rest day is on the cards.
Remember, the number on the scale is just one piece of the puzzle. By tracking your biometrics with the Glo™ Analyser Bathroom Scale, you can gain a deeper understanding of how your body responds to workouts, nutrition, and recovery. Stay consistent, trust the process, and focus on the bigger picture - your overall wellness and long-term progress!
