Why is my Weight Higher in the Morning?
Have you ever wondered, ‘why is my weight higher in the morning?’
Maybe you have felt frustrated to see a morning jump in your scale weight after you have been consistent on your diet or training for a few weeks in a row.
But your morning weight might not reflect your efforts. In this post, we will talk about the reasons you may see an unexpected spike in your morning weight.
Reasons your Weight is Higher in the Morning
Here is the full list of the reasons your weight is higher in the morning.
- You Ate Dinner Late
- You Ate a Lot of Fiber Yesterday
- You did not Eat Enough Fiber Yesterday
- You Consumed a Lot of Salt Yesterday
- You are Dehydrated
- You did a Hard Workout Yesterday
- You Started a New Medication
- You are About to Start your Period
Let’s discuss each of these reasons in a bit more detail below.
You Ate Dinner Late
Did you eat dinner later than usual last night? If you consumed a bulk of your calories close to bedtime, you might wake up heavier in the morning. That food sits in your digestive system and takes a while to digest. It could even affect your next weigh in.
So if you ate dinner later than usual last night, expect your weight to be a bit higher than normal today.
You Ate a lot of Fiber Yesterday
Did you eat a lot more roughage yesterday than usual? If so, you might have a heavier morning weigh in. And no, this does not mean that you put on fat overnight.
Fiber is un-digestible material. Fiber adds weight and bulk to our meals to keep us full and reduce blood sugar, but it can also contribute to bloat on the scale tomorrow morning.
Until that fiber passes through your digestive system, you could see a momentary rise in your morning weight.
Don’t sweat it.
You Did Not Eat Enough Fiber Yesterday
Not consuming enough fiber can also affect your next morning weigh in!
If you did not consume enough fiber yesterday, you might have a lot of undigested matter just sitting in your gut.
It is taking longer to pass that food through your body because you have not consumed enough fiber. In other words, you are constipated because you did not eat enough roughage.
You Consumed a lot of Salt Yesterday
If you consumed a lot of salt yesterday, your body will hold on to more water and your morning weight may be higher than normal.
You may find that you feel puffy, bloated and uncomfortable in the meantime.
You can drink some extra water to reduce the bloat and feel better.
In the meantime, don’t sweat the short lived increase in weight.
You are Dehydrated
It may sound counterintuitive, but you need to drink enough water in order to flush water from your system.
If you do not drink enough water, you may also find yourself bloated, puffy and heavier than normal. Aim to increase your water consumption and check out your weight again in a few more days.
You Did a Hard Workout Yesterday
If you have recently started a new training program, your program got more intense or you lifted some really heavy weights yesterday, your weight might be higher the next morning.
This temporary weight gain should level off in a few days, so don’t worry about it too much. It might take a few days for your weight to drop back to normal.
You Started a New Medication
Some medications can cause fluid retention in the first few days. If you have just started or adjusted a medication, try to give it a few days to see if your weight levels off. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns that a new medication could cause weight gain.
You Are About to Start your Period
Most women find themselves at least one or two pounds heavier a few days before they start their period. Some women can gain as much as five or ten pounds in the few days before they start their period.
If this is you, try not to stress out too much.
Changes in hormone levels can cause water retention in the last few days before your period.
You can reduce bloating by staying active, sticking to your normal diet, and getting plenty of water. Your weight should return to normal by day 4 or 5 of your period.
Check Yourself
If your weight is suddenly up one morning, it is important not to freak out. It could be the result of many different factors.
It is important to look more at the long term trend than any daily fluctuations in your weight.
So if your weight is suddenly higher one morning, it is important not to freak out!
What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below!
