Big differences in fat percent at night

[scotinjapan]

I usually weigh myself in the morning(not everyday--no point I think). I've been losing the weight but fat and muscle percent have hardly budged. But today I weighed myself in the morning first thing then last thing at night out of curiosity. There was a 3 percent difference in the fat percent and two percent in the muscle--both in the right direction I should add. Today was weights day with little cardio. I'm not too fussed about it but was just curious to hear people's thoughts.

[Boss Man]

Added muscle can burn an extra 45-50 calories per day, so you could be gaining muscle and then losing fat at around the same ratio.

[malandi87]

Morning work out is already good. Even though there is a difference when you do work both morning and night, I think it's over working your body. Let's always keep in mind that too much of a good thing is bad.

[scotinjapan]

point wasn't about workouts etc. More that I found big differences in weighing myself at night as opposed to morning. For example, the other day I weighed myself first thing in the morning and was 69kg with 20% body fat and 34% muscle(not great i know). I weighed myself same day last thing at night and was 70kg with 17% body fat and 35% muscle. I tried this a few days running and it was pretty much the same. As i said I'm not too fussed by what homescale readings show I was just curious as to why the differnce in percentages.

[ultimatehlth]

The difference is water. Body fat scales use electrical impedance to measure your fat. Essentially, fat has little water and lean body mass is mostly water so anything that changes your water levels (hydration) will change the numbers. As a pro trainer I prefer to go by weight and body measurements done at the same time of day. First thing in morning after evacuation is best.

Best,

[Boss Man]

Exactly, it's water, but also it's things like undigested mass and retained urinary and / or excreta waste.

Weighing in the morning with an empty stomach, bladder and bowel, will alter things somewhat, even when you're factoring out retained water, a factor Ult eluded to.