Digestion/weight fluctuations

Of course, so electrolytes are just salts that your body requires to stray optimally hydrated. Sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium etc. At a very high level; sodium gets water into the cell, potassium gets it out.

If you eat a very consistent diet and one day eat a meal that is higher in sodium than usual, likely you will hold some water. Conversely, you will probably notice you also go to the toilet a little more the next day (bowel movements) because there will also be sodium in the digestive tract which will draw water. What a lot of people notice here is that their weight goes up maybe for a day or two, then they notice a significant drop.

On the flip side, some people try to keep sodium really low, which can actually lead to the body becoming dehydrated. What people don't realise is that you can in fact hold water when you are under-hydrated too.

So if you ever notice sock marks on your ankles by the evening, but these are gone in the morning, look at your electrolyte intake first, as this can cause a fair amount of weight fluctuation. A little mark is normal, I am referring to deeper marks.

Sheet marks after sleeping are also a sign you are holding some water. With that said, women are slightly more complex than men as your hormone cycle is very different and at certain points in your cycle you will tend to hold more water.

I suppose when you look at it as a whole, its really quite normal. Track your average weight and use the mirror. Don't be too concerned with water retention unless its the last couple of weeks of prep or the water is becoming a problem health wise.

Hi Debrahusband.

Weight fluctuation is completely normal. Even if you eat the same thing at the same time every day, there are so many other variables that can affect it.

For example, on Saturday you might spend more time relaxing especially in the evening. The less you move the more likely fluid will pool in the lower extremities leading to a higher weight Sunday morning (purely an example).

You weights actually look fairly consistent to me. It would be good to see 2 weeks of data to see if there is trend around the Sunday increase. If you were fluctuating 2-3kg each day (assuming those figures are kilos) then there might be cause for concern around electrolyte balance and edema.

Try to track your average weekly weight. You will likely notice it is either relatively static or increasing / decreasing at a steady rate depending on your current goals.

@Ben Martin Fantastic input on this thread. Thank you very much. I agree with all your above statements.