Answer: Fluids can temporarily skew your weight. Because fluid balance is essential for health, the body tightly regulates fluid status by stimulating thirst and increasing or decreasing fluid output (urination). If your weight increases because of fluid retention, it will eventually return to normal. The more fluid you take in or retain, the more you weigh until you excrete it. For example, if you stood on a scale and held a bottle of water in your hand, you would weigh more. If you drank the water, you’d weigh more until you excrete it. The bottom line is fluid can change your scale weight from one moment to the next but it doesn’t affect how much body fat you’ve lost or gained and will always stabilize. To get a more accurate view of your weight – track how it changes over time. If your weight increases after one to two weeks, you’ve been eating more calories than you’re burning. See Weight Loss and Weight Fluctuations for more info.