Weight fluctuations are small changes in body weight in the direction of increase or decrease that occur in a short time. Often, weight jumps are caused by natural factors: errors in the diet, fluctuations throughout the menstrual cycle. Among the pathological prerequisites for weight changes, renal and cardiovascular diseases are distinguished. To verify the cause of the symptom, extended blood tests are done, the hormonal profile is assessed, and ultrasound diagnostics are used. To eliminate weight jumps, it is necessary to influence the etiological factor.
Weight fluctuations within 50g are associated with non-compliance with the rules of weighing. As an electronic mechanism, the scales may have technical errors, and when using mechanical scales, weight fluctuations reach 1 kg per day. Clothing matters: if you weigh yourself in jeans, voluminous sweaters, the increase is several hundred grams. If you take measurements every day at different times, fluctuations of 200-30g are possible, since in the evening the weight increases slightly.
Intense aerobic training and exhausting physical labor are natural causes of profuse sweating and significant loss of body water, as a result of which a person’s weight is slightly reduced. The situation is even more aggravated in the hot summer, when the temperature regime is not observed in sports facilities, production workshops. Such fluctuations are short-term, after replenishing the water balance, the mass becomes the same.
An inverse relationship is observed with heavy strength training. Muscle overload causes the accumulation of lactic acid and water in the muscle tissue. Such changes provoke the development of swelling of the whole body, which is manifested by an increase in weights. Subject to a rational rest regimen, such weight fluctuations usually normalize during the day.
Weight indicators depend on the quantity and quality of the food consumed the day before. When overeating, the digestion and absorption of food slows down, it accumulates in the intestines, the next morning the weight will increase by 0.5-1 kg. For lovers of salty and spicy, more fluid is retained in the tissues to maintain normal blood osmolarity, which also adds kilograms. The situation is similar with carbohydrates - each gram of glycogen binds about 3 g of water.
In the body, there are natural fluctuations in the intensity of metabolism associated with the time of year. In autumn and winter, metabolism slows down, as a rule, it is directed towards the activation of anabolic processes: carbohydrates accumulate in the muscles and liver, lipids are actively deposited in the subcutaneous tissue. The action of this cause causes an increase in weight by 1-3 kg, and sometimes the increase is even more significant.
With the onset of spring, the metabolism in the body accelerates, catabolism reactions begin to predominate, fat reserves are intensively burned. A contributing factor to weight loss is greater physical activity in spring and summer. Therefore, in the warm season, weight loss occurs much faster and easier, even with moderate physical exertion, body weight decreases.
Monthly hormonal changes in women lead to weight fluctuations, which is considered a variant of the norm. Before menstruation, due to fluid and electrolyte retention caused by a sharp decrease in estrogen, the weight increases by 1-2 kg, and on the 2-6th day of the cycle it returns to its original readings. During this period, urination becomes more frequent with the release of light urine. Similar reasons provoke fluctuations in weight in adolescent girls at the stage of formation of ovarian function.
Under stress, there are fluctuations in the synthesis of hormones of the adrenal glands, thyroid gland and pituitary gland. These reasons cause changes in metabolism, so the weight fluctuates by a couple of kilograms over several days. For some people, stress increases appetite, which contributes to weight gain. In others, on the contrary, there is an aversion to food, the weight decreases. If the weight changes rapidly by 3-4 kg or more, you should consult a doctor.
Pathological causes - cardiac and renal diseases - cause fluid retention in the tissues and weight gain. If the symptoms are due to heart failure, the patient's weight increases in the evening. Patients often notice swelling on the back of the foot, in the lower part of the legs. In the most severe situations, ascites appears. Weight fluctuations reach 2-3 kg in one day.
With kidney damage and increased production of aldosterone, fluid accumulation and swelling occur in the morning, especially severe swelling is observed in the eyelids. Often they are combined with puffiness of the face. Sometimes a slight increase in weight is noted even before the appearance of external signs of "renal" swelling and indicates hidden edema. Such changes in weight are accompanied by general malaise and require medical attention.
In most cases, changes in mass are due to natural causes. If significant daily fluctuations in weight are detected, consultation with a general practitioner or family doctor is required. The specialist must collect complaints and anamnesis of the disease in detail, prescribe clarifying laboratory or instrumental studies. The most informative are the following diagnostic methods:
If the weight fluctuates slightly, there is no malaise, it is enough to change the lifestyle and eating habits. It is necessary to reduce the amount of table salt and fast carbohydrates consumed as much as possible, eat often and in small portions. Sports training should be regular, consistent with the functional capabilities of the body. If fluctuations in body weight are combined with other symptoms or worsening of the condition, you should visit a doctor.
Regular physical activity is the key to a stable weight
Medical tactics depend on the cause of jumps in body weight. Often, non-drug interventions are sufficient: diet therapy, selection of the optimal training scheme, physiotherapeutic methods. Medicines are used for serious diseases accompanied by weight changes. The treatment regimen usually includes pharmaceuticals such as: