The fluid balance in our bodies is extremely sensitive! Think like a toddler when they really need a nap, but refuse to take one. They’re up, they’re down, they don’t even know why, they don’t know what they want, who they want, but they know they don't want THAT.. but wait.. Yes, they do want THAT! And then crash..
There is a laundry list of factors that can affect your fluid levels and more often than not, this is the main variable in the day to day fluctuation of your body weight.
Remember that it takes a surplus of 3500 calories to gain a pound of actual tissue. This means above and beyond your normal daily calories. When your weight spikes 3 pounds in a single day, did you eat 8500 EXTRA calories? Or should you consider one of the following factors?
Hydration.
Believe it or not, insufficient hydration will make you retain water. It would make sense to think if you drink more, you’ll have more in your body. But that isn’t the case especially when one is chronically dehydrated.
Sodium.
Sodium and hydration go hand-in-hand when it comes to fluid retention. Too much sodium and not enough fluids.. You’ll retain fluids. Too much hydration and not enough sodium.. You’ll retain fluids. So it goes without saying, when you consume more sodium than normal, it’s a good idea to drink more fluids. And on the flip side, if you find yourself drinking more fluids than normal or even if you’re feeling extra extra thirsty, you likely need to add in a little extra sodium.
Physical Stressors like Insufficient Sleep, An Intense Workout, Overtraining, etc.
Stress increases the hormone cortisol. Cortisol can increase the hormone called the antidiuretic hormone or ADH which directly controls the body’s fluid balance.
When you sleep, specifically deep sleep or the sleep when you’re not dreaming (REM), it allows the sympathetic nervous system to reset and recharge. This is our stress response system. Inadequate sleep (less than 7 hours for adults) is known to activate inflammatory signaling pathways and lead to higher levels of undesirable markers of inflammation. (PubMed Article)
Mental Stress.
While mental stress comes at us in a very different way than physical stress, our bodies respond in much the same way as mental stress leads to physical stress responses. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of yourself physically!
Female Cycles.
This explanation could be a book.. In fact, I’m sure it is! I won’t go into detail here, but if you’re a female, I’m sure you’re very much aware of the different times during the month when you retain fluids and feel extra bloated. Isn't this fun! Unfortunately there isn’t much that can be done to prevent this, sorry ladies! (If it’s extreme this could be an indicator of hormone imbalance and you may want to check with your doctor.)
Food Variability.
Consuming different amounts every day. Different amounts of calories every day will lead to a lot of body weight swings, clearly! We also expend different amounts of calories every day and it’s almost impossible to know how much we are really expending, so the only way to get ahead of this is to control what you have going in and why tracking your food is so useful!
Consuming more processed foods (more sodium) OR consuming less processed foods than you’re used to (less sodium).
Food sensitivities you may not even be aware of. Your body can respond differently to different types of food and you could have an inflammatory response to foods that you may not even know you have a sensitivity to!
Consuming more carbs than you normally do. Carbs are broken down into glucose in the body and stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. Each gram of glycogen holds 3g of water. Eat extra carbs.. Full muscle and/or liver glycogen.. Lots of extra grams of water.
Rest assured, if you didn’t consume an excess of 3500+ calories, that weight spike is likely coming from water retention. If you’re having frequent fluctuations, this can be uncomfortable and it could be important for you to take a look at what else is going on. This is just a start, but good places to begin to pay more attention to!
Save this infographic for a friendly reminder!
**Normal fluctuations are around 2-3% of your bodyweight. If you experience anything above a 5% swing, you may want to talk with your physician.
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