Why do you weigh less in the morning? This is a common question many ask when they notice a weight drop after climbing their scales in the morning. Some fitness enthusiasts may feel like the weight loss program they are on is paying off, only to become disappointed when they weigh themselves later in the day and discover that they seem to have gone back to the usual weight, or even added a bit.
If the above is your experience, you must wonder why. Keep reading to learn more.
Why Do You Weigh Less In The Morning?
Why you weigh less in the morning is down to a couple of reasons explained by science, so it is not strange after all. Your belly is empty: One simple reason you weigh less in the morning is that your belly is empty since your digestive system must have broken down the food you consumed the previous night. As you may know, food has weight, and every ounce you consume adds more to your overall weight. So an empty stomach will generally lead to a weight drop.
Dehydration: Another reason you weigh less in the morning is dehydration. Lack of liquid at night leads to water reserves depletion, and the longer you go without water, the lighter you will be. In the morning, if you mount your scale before drinking water, you are bound to notice a slight weight drop, but if you drink water before climbing your scale, you may weigh the same as the previous day or slightly lesser.
These are the two reasons why you weigh less in the morning. A lower water level will impact your weight, but you may not even know this because you feel the same as yesterday. An empty stomach is the other reason for this phenomenon.
Types Of Weight
In the previous paragraph, we answered the question, why do you weigh less in the morning and attributed an empty stomach and a drop in water levels as the root causes. To measure your actual progress, you need to know the types of weight your body has, namely:
- Water weight
- Fat weight
- Water weight
During your workout and progress evaluation, you should pay close attention to fat and muscle weight, since water weight fluctuation occurs daily. If you have sizable muscle mass, you want to scale down your muscle training a notch, but if you have quite a bit of fat, you should concentrate on fat burning instead.
How Often Should You Weigh Yourself?
To ensure that you don’t exceed your desired weight, you must make it a habit to weigh yourself as often as you can. But the question is, how do you do that properly?
When it comes to weighing yourself, the first thing you should realize is that the procedure is not cast in stone; there are different ways to do it. You may check your weight daily or once a week; it doesn’t matter as long as you do it properly. When you gain weight, your muscle mass increases to support the extra fat your body produces.
If you weigh yourself daily, you will see different results on the scale as your body changes and adapts to the changes, which may confuse you at times. To be safe, we recommend you weigh yourself once a week, but why?
Checking your weight once a week is advisable because relying on a scale to track your progress is not always the best option. As we pointed out earlier, your weight fluctuates daily due to fluid and food intake. On days when you consume more food and water, you will weigh more than when you consume less.
Since it is difficult to gauge food measurements accurately, your scale may not show you the entire picture. You should not rely solely on your scale because of your physiology, and your weight may increase or drop depending on how your body regulates its organs.
Another reason you should weigh yourself weekly, especially if you exercise regularly, is that you may notice a drop in your physical size and confuse it for weight drop instead of muscle toning. Some rigorous exercises are designed to tone the body shape and not to reduce body weight, so bear this in mind.
Weekly weight evaluation is the best approach because it gives your body time to regulate over time to get a clear picture of your progress.
How To Weigh Yourself Properly?
Now that you know all about body weight and why you weigh less in the morning, let us take you through the proper ways to weigh yourself.
Do It Once A Week
Let us start by reiterating the point about doing it once a week so you can get a clear picture of your standard weight over a period of time. You may think doing it four times a month is too few, but it is not. In fact, scheduling your weighing session once a week will make you less anxious about your weight loss program and help you focus your mind and body on fulfilling your goals over a long period instead of looking for short-term wins, which can be fleeting.
Do It In The Morning
It is best to weigh yourself in the morning because you are fresh and empty. If you wait until mid-morning or afternoon, your scale will not show you a clear picture because food consumption and water intake will make you heavier. Make it a habit to weigh yourself in the morning once weekly or once you step out of bed.
Be Consistent With Your Approach
Decide on the approach and stick to it all through. Don’t weigh yourself naked the following week if you decide to climb your scale clothed the week before. You want to make sure that you maintain the same approach all through. Also, consider weighing yourself at the same time of the day. You may even decide to do it before or after visiting the loo, but ensure you are consistent.
Keep Track Of Your Progress
Keep track of your progress weekly. Record your weekly weight in your diary as soon as you dismount the scale. Tracking your progress will help you evaluate your weight loss routine’s success or failure and how your body responds to it. You'll see patterns, features, and changes in your body if you record your progress. Furthermore, you will know how to tweak your routine for better results.
Quick Caveat
Some people argue that regular weight checks can be counterproductive because they discourage them from continuing their weight loss program if they don’t see their desired results. If you feel anxious or depressed because of your scale, you should consider ditching it and concentrate on your program.
You don’t have to ditch it altogether; you may extend your checks by a further two weeks or even check your weight once a month or once in two or three months. Understand that your mental state can impact your weight more than you can imagine.
Depression is one of the root causes of weight gain in modern times, so the last thing you want is to fall into the throes of depression because of your use of a scale, especially if you have an eating disorder. Just focus on your weight loss program, be active during the day, and maintain a healthy mental state; your body will do the rest.
Final Thoughts
Two issues addressed in this article are why you weigh less in the morning and how to weigh yourself properly. It is normal to weigh less when you wake up because of an empty stomach and a drop in water levels.
Weighing yourself on a scale once a week and tracking your progress will help you achieve your weight-loss goals. However, if you feel using a scale is counterproductive, put it away and focus on your weight loss program instead.
References:
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/a19914469/lose-weight-overnight/
https://www.aleanlife.com/why-do-you-weigh-less-in-the-morning/
https://www.health.com/weight-loss/how-often-should-you-weigh-yourself