Water weight

Although this sounds counter intuitive, fluid retention can be helped by staying well hydrated at all times so make sure you are getting in enough water. Staying away from high sodium foods can help too.

If you find you are struggling with signs of inflammation alongside extra water retention maybe examine any foods that could be contributing to this....also if this is ongoing and noticeable, even after trying some simple diet modifications a trip to the Dr's might be in order to just make sure everything is alright.

Hope this helps.

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Hmm. I have this issue too, partly just because I'm me, partly because I bank calories, meaning the amount I eat varies a lot - but also because of my bathroom scales, which are erratic and constantly gaslighting me.

5lb fluctuation is a lot, have you considered replacing the batteries, or even getting new scales?

Our bodies retain fluids for various reasons - muscle recovery is a big one. One thing I try to remember is that water is not fat. If I'm trying to lose weight I have to remember that while the scale is a number, it's not really weight I want to lose, but fat. In general if I'm eating well and getting in better shape, I don't care that I fluctuate due to water weight. It's the trend that matters.

I get it that in the short term it is sometimes hard to tell if you are losing fat when holding water masks it on the scale. That's why it's preached around here to look long-term, look at the trend, and focus on the lifestyle change - not the scale number.

[Edited to add:]
If you know water weight fluctuates and you also know you are losing fat, why would you have a desire to "lose the water weight" other than possibly "feeling" bloated or uncomfortable? If you are doing it so the number on the scale will look better, that's probably not the right reason.