There are LOTS of reasons the scale goes up!
Rather than let the non serving narrative dictate our mood, we can remember that the scale is only a tool and that pictures and measurements are essential to monitoring progress.
So, I figured I'd brainstorm a list and shed some light on what causes the fluctuations so we can break free from the number representing whether we are doing a good or bad job on our goals.
being pre-cycle (know your cycle day!)
eating more carbs the day before (for every gram of carb you eat you store 3 grams of water)
eating more sodium
needing to go to the bathroom
you worked out the day before (training causes inflammation and that causes water retention)
weighing at a different time of day
eating dinner later the night before
being dehydrated
drinking alcohol
going from eating low carb to eating carbs
I do like weighing in everyday. It keeps me accountable. Some people prefer to use their clothes but just make sure they don't stretch!! Ha!
Now that you are armed with this information, you'll be able to quickly counter that voice when it starts to shift your mood.
Weight loss is not linear. You want to look at the monthly trend, especially as a women.
As far as how much weight is safe to lose per week, it will depend on how much you have to lose.
As a general rule, if you have less than 30lb's to lose, about 1lb per week is best to lose sustainably and safely. You want to hold on to precious muscle!!
That may seem slow but after 4 weeks, that's 4lb's!!! And imagine 2 months later being down 8lb's.
If you have more, then you can safely lose more in the beginning and then 1-1.5lb's per week.
What are your current goals? What's your favorite way of measuring progress?