The scale is a liar

I think I've used this term "the scale is a liar" in a previous blog.

Nevertheless, it's still true.

Do you weight yourself everyday? If so that's good. 

Google this...The Hawthorne Effect.

The Hawthorne Effect is when people modify their behavior in reaction to being observed.

So, in this case, you will subconsciously modify your behavior IF you weigh yourself daily. I saw some research that backs up this idea.

So, yes, weigh yourself daily, but don't concern yourself TOO MUCH with daily fluctuations. We are looking at averages over time and the general direction and trend.

Your weight could be easily up or down for a variety of reasons.

Some of the things that affect your scale weight are...

If you had a late meal last night (food is still in your gut)...
If you consumed too much sodium which leads to water retention...
Medication that may cause water retention...
Shark Week (menstrual cycle which causes water retention)...
A high carb meal yesterday which also causes water retention...
Intense exercise the day before (soreness is inflammation which makes you heavy)...
Feeling sick...
Stress which leads to hormone fluctuation which leads to water retention...
Constipation...

So, as you can see...the scale is an important tool to track and see if you are making progress...

But, it will not be a straight line down. It will be zig-zag. 

If you are trying to lose weight, you want to see that moving in the right direction over time, usually a couple of weeks is enough data to determine if you are on the right track.