Weighing more in the morning

naku
naku Posts: 109 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello!

There are always topics about when you should weight yourself and when do you weight less. There seems to be a general consensus that the best time is in the morning after going to the toilet as this is when your body is the emptiest.

What I find in myself though it completely different. As an example I can give my weight fluctuation today...
I woke up, went to the toilet and weighed myself. I was 64,1kg (141,3lb). That was at about 9AM.
I haven't done anything special today (enjoying a rare free day during the week) and have also eaten lunch which consisted of 3 slices of ryvita, philadephia cream cheese, beef pastrami, cucumber, 2 apples and some blueberries. Also I had 2 cups of coffee in the morning and have consumed about a litre of water.

I just weighed myself again and my weight has dropped to 62,5kg (137,7lb). That makes the difference between these 6 hours a good 1,6kg (3,5lb). This seems to happen to me almost daily and has been happening all through my weightloss journey. Sometimes I even go to bed lighter than I then wake up.

1st of all I would just like to point out that I am not upset by these fluctuations. It doesn't get me down in any way even though I weight more on some days/times of day. It's normal. But what I was wondering was why this might be happening as it seems to be normal (and logical) that you would weight Less not More in the mornings...

Anyone have any insight into this?

EDIT: Just to point out more clear that I'm NOT worried about my actual weight or how much I have lost/not lost. The actual number on the scale is irrelevant to me and doesn't concern me in regards to this issue. What I am looking for is understanding my body better and finding out the reason I seem to retain more water in the mornings than I do during the day/evening.


:)

Replies

  • jnettiedotson
    jnettiedotson Posts: 163
    I have the same problem. I always weigh less around 2 p.m. than I do at 7 a.m. I think everyone is different, and for what reason I have no clue. Interested in seeing responses to this.
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    According to my partner I do not sleep -eat or -drink either! :D
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    I'm thinking scale issue maybe? Is the temp the same in the room where you scale is each time, or has someone showered etc.? Weird things like that make a difference. Weird, though, I agree!

    My scale is our bedroom and the temperature is pretty much exactly the same all through the day..
  • SarahLovesCheesecake
    SarahLovesCheesecake Posts: 520
    You weigh less in the morning...at least I do...unless youve had a heavy, carby, late meal....then it looks like youve gained...
  • Angela_MA
    Angela_MA Posts: 260
    I always weigh more in the morning as well. I usually weigh myself after I do #2 (which is after breakfast and coffee) and I am usually less weight. I record that weight. I am also more puffy or swollen in the morning (water retention) then I am through out the day. I drink a ton of water through out the day as well.
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    You weigh less in the morning...at least I do...unless youve had a heavy, carby, late meal....then it looks like youve gained...

    This isn't the case either. I eat quite light dinners and I have them at 8.30PM latest. The same thing happens even if I wouldn't have any dinner.
  • swimmamum
    swimmamum Posts: 12 Member
    This is definitely odd. I rarely weigh myself in the evening and then again in the morning, so I can't offer any mutual encouragement.

    I would check your scale. Maybe you need a new one. Is it in the bathroom? Sometimes humidity can affect them. It seems like a big discrepancy in weight though: 2 kilos is a lot.

    All I can say, is don't get too disheartened and most importantly...don't weigh yourself everyday. You should have a time once a week that you do it. I weigh myself first thing in the morning on Monday. It seems to be my best day emotionally to start, or start over.

    Best of luck!!
  • kelley4123
    kelley4123 Posts: 100 Member
    I always weigh less around 7pm!
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    I always weigh more in the morning as well. I usually weigh myself after I do #2 (which is after breakfast and coffee) and I am usually less weight. I record that weight. I am also more puffy or swollen in the morning (water retention) then I am through out the day. I drink a ton of water through out the day as well.

    Yeah I definitely recognise it being a case of water retention as during the day I pee loads. But I don't really understand why my water retention seems to work the "wrong" way around.
  • Phanessa917
    Phanessa917 Posts: 100 Member
    that's strange, I weigh less in the morning after pee-pee :). I would pay more attention to your evening weight then :drinker:
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    This is definitely odd. I rarely weigh myself in the evening and then again in the morning, so I can't offer any mutual encouragement.

    I would check your scale. Maybe you need a new one. Is it in the bathroom? Sometimes humidity can affect them. It seems like a big discrepancy in weight though: 2 kilos is a lot.

    All I can say, is don't get too disheartened and most importantly...don't weigh yourself everyday. You should have a time once a week that you do it. I weigh myself first thing in the morning on Monday. It seems to be my best day emotionally to start, or start over.

    Best of luck!!


    Like said before, my scale is in the bedroom! No humidity or temperature changes! And also like said, I do not get disheartened by it at all, I'm just looking into understanding my body and how it works better! Don't really care about the actual number at all.
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    You need to pick a set time of day to weigh in and stick to that time.

    That is your gauge for losing or gaining. Not throughout the day or at different times.

    Who cares if it is morning, noon or night as long as it is the same time. As long as the scale is going down from that set point, then you are losing weight.

    Do not drive yourself crazy with the scale!
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    oops double.
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    You need to pick a set time of day to weigh in and stick to that time.

    That is your gauge for losing or gaining. Not throughout the day or at different times.

    Who cares if it is morning, noon or night as long as it is the same time. As long as the scale is going down from that set point, then you are losing weight.

    Do not drive yourself crazy with the scale!


    My reason for this topic isn't actually about weight loss and how much I'm losing or not. I don't really care about the actual number on the scale that much at all....
    More so I am looking to understand my body and how it works better than I am now.... and this includes understanding why I seem to retain more water in the morning than I do in the evening. Not how much I weight or how much I have lost.
  • k2quiere
    k2quiere Posts: 4,151 Member
    I think many people on here are so used to people freaking out about things the scale is doing that they're not sure how to respond to a logistical question...lol

    Anyway, I think there could be any number of reasons why this happens. I know it has happened to me quite regularly. Sometimes I eat a heavy (or late) dinner the night before, sometimes I sleep late or don't sleep well, and sometimes my body just hasn't completely purged itself of the day priors "trappings". Some of those things, purging, rest, digestion, don't complete themselves until later that day, and that's when I weigh less.

    It could just be that your clock is running a little later than all of the other weigh-less-in-the-morning folks.
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    I think many people on here are so used to people freaking out about things the scale is doing that they're not sure how to respond to a logistical question...lol

    Anyway, I think there could be any number of reasons why this happens. I know it has happened to me quite regularly. Sometimes I eat a heavy (or late) dinner the night before, sometimes I sleep late or don't sleep well, and sometimes my body just hasn't completely purged itself of the day priors "trappings". Some of those things, purging, rest, digestion, don't complete themselves until later that day, and that's when I weigh less.

    It could just be that your clock is running a little later than all of the other weigh-less-in-the-morning folks.

    Thanks for your reply!

    I hadn't even thought about the part that actual sleep plays in this, silly me. Might be something to do with that as I have to admit being really stressed out by work for the past few months and not sleeping well at all...

    Thankfully there is a long holiday just 2 weeks away.... can't wait.
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    bump!
  • kapeluza
    kapeluza Posts: 3,434 Member
    I weigh myself in the evening and in the morning. I weigh less in the morning and 1lb - 2lbs more in the evening. Might be your scale.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
    My guess is you're retaining water in the mornings because you haven't had anything to drink all night while you were sleeping. I've never weighed myself later in the day, thinking I would be heavier. But my fingers are usually more puffy in the morning until I've had a couple glasses of water. I wonder if I, too, would weigh less later on in the day.
  • ladygloria
    ladygloria Posts: 279 Member
    This is reasonable. Your body's digestive rate and stress levels plays a role too. I'm curious, you mentioned coffee, but do you eat breakfast? If not, maybe your body finishes last nights meals and reserves between then and lunch and has learned not to get rid of everything until new fuel comes in.
    I think many people on here are so used to people freaking out about things the scale is doing that they're not sure how to respond to a logistical question...lol

    Anyway, I think there could be any number of reasons why this happens. I know it has happened to me quite regularly. Sometimes I eat a heavy (or late) dinner the night before, sometimes I sleep late or don't sleep well, and sometimes my body just hasn't completely purged itself of the day priors "trappings". Some of those things, purging, rest, digestion, don't complete themselves until later that day, and that's when I weigh less.

    It could just be that your clock is running a little later than all of the other weigh-less-in-the-morning folks.

    Thanks for your reply!

    I hadn't even thought about the part that actual sleep plays in this, silly me. Might be something to do with that as I have to admit being really stressed out by work for the past few months and not sleeping well at all...

    Thankfully there is a long holiday just 2 weeks away.... can't wait.
  • Thriceshy
    Thriceshy Posts: 708 Member
    I have the same thing, but it's switched! I used to weight rock bottom first thing after I woke up. Now I weigh 3 or more pounds MORE first thing in the morning--it's the afternoons (around 3 pm) when I weight the least.

    I must have changed something in my routine. Not sure what, but I sure do know when to weigh myself, huh?

    Kris
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    I have been doing intermediate fasting so no, I don't normally have breakfast (mostly only on the weekends).
    Your theory would make sense also! Thanks for the input... maybe my body actually is just smarter than myself with this stuff :)

    Confusing is though that sometimes I actually seem to gain during the night. This doesn't happen often but isn't unheard of... but I still wont admit to seep snacking/drinking! :D
    This is reasonable. Your body's digestive rate and stress levels plays a role too. I'm curious, you mentioned coffee, but do you eat breakfast? If not, maybe your body finishes last nights meals and reserves between then and lunch and has learned not to get rid of everything until new fuel comes in.
    I think many people on here are so used to people freaking out about things the scale is doing that they're not sure how to respond to a logistical question...lol

    Anyway, I think there could be any number of reasons why this happens. I know it has happened to me quite regularly. Sometimes I eat a heavy (or late) dinner the night before, sometimes I sleep late or don't sleep well, and sometimes my body just hasn't completely purged itself of the day priors "trappings". Some of those things, purging, rest, digestion, don't complete themselves until later that day, and that's when I weigh less.

    It could just be that your clock is running a little later than all of the other weigh-less-in-the-morning folks.

    Thanks for your reply!

    I hadn't even thought about the part that actual sleep plays in this, silly me. Might be something to do with that as I have to admit being really stressed out by work for the past few months and not sleeping well at all...

    Thankfully there is a long holiday just 2 weeks away.... can't wait.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Weigh yourself once per week at the same day and time each week. Your weight fluctuates many times during the day and from one day to the next. You're going to drive yourself bonkers weighing yourself at different times of the day like this. I stick to Wednesday mornings before work (Wednesday = weigh in, that way I remember it easier).
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    That happens to me sometimes when I eat a high sodium and/or high carb dinner too. Usually by the time I'm up and around for a few hours and get some fluids in me, I've managed to purge the excess and am at least back to normal.

    Your lack of sleep and stress levels may have something to do with it too. I'm not clear on the science behind cortisol levels but I do know they can effect weight a great deal. Maybe try some yoga/meditation to help with stress?
    Hope things improve for you soon!
  • Jessica68
    Jessica68 Posts: 2,419 Member
    I had to find a level spot in my bathroom to stop the large difference from happening. I didnt know my floor was off - but I read a leveled spot is usually right in front of the toilet or like right under the door frame (few inches back). Now my readings make sense.

    Another thing is, if I sleep late and then weigh myself I notice I can weigh more. Seems I weigh less before like before 7:30ish but not before 5am. Maybe its the body holding more water the longer you sleep? The nights when I pee throughout the night I look forward to my morning weigh in!
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    Weigh yourself once per week at the same day and time each week. Your weight fluctuates many times during the day and from one day to the next. You're going to drive yourself bonkers weighing yourself at different times of the day like this. I stick to Wednesday mornings before work (Wednesday = weigh in, that way I remember it easier).


    thanks for reading the post.... NOT.
  • naku
    naku Posts: 109 Member
    That happens to me sometimes when I eat a high sodium and/or high carb dinner too. Usually by the time I'm up and around for a few hours and get some fluids in me, I've managed to purge the excess and am at least back to normal.

    Your lack of sleep and stress levels may have something to do with it too. I'm not clear on the science behind cortisol levels but I do know they can effect weight a great deal. Maybe try some yoga/meditation to help with stress?
    Hope things improve for you soon!

    Yeah I'm pretty sure my absolutely horrible sleeping patterns are playing some part... I haven't even been able to excercise properly which would most probably help. Just haven't had enough time!
    As autumn rolls in this should change though and I'm hoping my holiday in just a few weeks time will make a difference too.

    Thanks!
  • LoveAlwaysAlisa
    LoveAlwaysAlisa Posts: 111 Member
    If you had too much sodium the previous day you may be retaining water.....I know that happens to me...I'll be about 2 pounds heavier the next morning and bloated if I eat too much sodium. Drink more water.
  • doneatfour
    doneatfour Posts: 120 Member
    I really think it has something to do with sleep. I've noticed that when I have poor sleep (less time or broken sleep), I weigh more in the morning. Take a nap, and I usually weigh less. Something to do with the release of growth hormone during deep sleep. Now I still weigh in the morning, but wait until late afternoon to record it.
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