i know weight can fluctuate from day to day...

...but i am trying to understand why.

i typically zig zag my calories so they average out to about 1250/day at the end of the week. this has been working very well for me.

yesterday, i decided to indulge in some halloween candy and ended up eating about 1650 calories over the course of the day (still not a bad day.)

however, this morning i was up 2.5 pounds. i understand, obviously, that this is not 'real' weight, but where does it come from? why does it happen? it wasn't an issue of sodium. is it just that there is food in my belly? i'm not upset, i just like to understand how my body works.

Food in belly is one definite reason.  If you aren't drinking enough water, dehydration can lead to water retention. Of course, you mention sodium wasn't a problem with the candy, but you ate other things that day - maybe one of them was high in sodium, or the cumulative amount was too much?  If you are female, the time of month can also have an impact on your daily weight.

Just a side note - if you are zig zagging your calories and coming out with an average of 1250, that probably means there are some days when you are eating less than 1200, which is not recommended for anyone for healthy weight loss.

thanks for the info.

ugh, weekends! it's just frustrating because i feel like i start the week off on a bad foot, and then spend the rest of the week trying to get back to the weight that i ended the previous week with, you know?

Hello!

Here is a very good article about why your weight fluctuates so much.  It's geared toward the scale-obsessed dieter, which you don't seem to be, but it's very informative.  Hope it helps!

http://www.figureathlete.com/readArticle.do?i d=2382919

Daily weight fluctuations have nothing to do with actual weight loss.  As others have said, how much in in your digestive tract and how much water you are retaining is one factor.  a pint of water weighs a pound.  Don't make the mistake of agonizing over a pound, or even 5, up or down.  I agonized over it until I learned about the trend line and realized that I could see my real progress over time (weight log in my profile if you want to see it)

Sweets often also have salt in them.  Ever been thirsty after eating ice cream?  That's why. 

If you log your weight daily, be prepared for those ups and downs.  Watch the green trend line (a running average) to see how you are really doing.  As long as that green line angles down you're losing.  If it levels off for more than a week or two, then you may have hit a plateau.  If it angles up, then you are gaining. 

Do read that article from bippysmom.