Reasons your weight is fluctuating that have nothing to do with fat gain

Ever felt like you've had a great week – plenty of exercise, eating well, feeling fine – only to jump on the scales and feel deflated by the number staring back at you? Or one day your weight is down and the next day it jumps up with no obvious explanation?

According to certified personal trainer and strength & conditioning coach, Danielle Robertson (AKA Dannibelle), the scales don't tell the full story of what's really going on inside your body.

"Using the scales as your sole method for measuring progress can be misleading as your weight may fluctuate for a number of reasons," Dannibelle shares with 9Honey Coach.

"Weight fluctuations are completely normal and remind us that scales are not an accurate or reliable measurement of progress. It's important to keep in mind that there are many ways to measure progress and that your fitness journey is far more important and provides significantly more benefit to you than just a number on a scale." 

READ MORE: Mistake people make when they want to lose weight

Here, Dannibelle shares the top five reasons why your weight will go both up and down over the course of a month, a week, or even one day to the next:

1. The H2O factor

"The amount of water retained in your body can vary day by day and is affected by a number of factors such as hormonal fluctuations, exercise and sodium intake."  

2. Good gains

"Building additional muscle through resistance training may cause weight gain due to the density of muscle. Although your physique has in fact become more lean and defined due to the additional muscle gain, the number on the scales may increase."

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3. Digestive drama

"An accumulation of waste in the body due to constipation or bloating may cause temporary weight gain."

4. #Life

"Hormonal changes such as stress levels, menstrual cycle, menopause and sleep patterns can cause weight fluctuations." 

5. Food intake

"Consuming more food or eating heavy meals can temporarily increase your weight. If your food intake varies from day to day, your weight may fluctuate accordingly."

There are other ways you can track your progress, many that don't involve numbers at all, says Dannibelle. 

"Great indicators of progress can include improvements in your energy, sleep, mood and performance as well as physical changes like the way your clothes fit and comparing before and after photos."

Dannibelle will be hosting workouts at the upcoming AusFitness Expo, ICC Sydney April 29 & 30.