suggested range around a set point?

IMaintain

When I'm maintaining my weight, it varies from 2.5 pounds below to 2.5 pounds above a set point in a 5-pound band that's clear from my weight graph. There's no magic to it: when I cross 150, I back off the calories, and when I go below 145, I indulge. I track my food and exercise consistently and weigh myself at the same time every day, so I never get any weight anomalies bigger than 0.5 pounds. My weight readings always correspond to my net calories and I never have any wtf's.

Given consistent weight readings, I'm now wondering about general guidelines for maintaining a weight range long term. In other words, at what point does it become yo-yo'ing? I'm confident in my 5-pound variation lifestyle, but as long as the eating doesn't get out of control long term, I wonder if longer periods of indulgence followed by longer periods of discipline might be generally considered free of any bad health consequences.

brianpperkins

Honestly, five pounds is well within normal fluctuation based on water retention, waste, food intake, glycogen replenishment, etc.

IMaintain

But, for example, say I throw calorie fluctuations (indulgences) into the mix so that the weight range around the set point becomes 10 pounds instead of 5? And then the same question for 15-20 pound fluctuation. I mean, at what point is a real weight fluctuation itself considered not the best way to go, even if the average over the long term stays the same?

neanderthin

Your trying too hard to find a definition you like.

Sabine_Stroehm

I've been doing +-5 for a long time. It's not yo-yoing, it's just natural fluctuations.

williams969

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

I've been doing +-5 for a long time. It's not yo-yoing, it's just natural fluctuations.

^^This. I mean, I'm sure some people can maintain within a smaller range. However, there are probably just as many of us whose fluctuations are a little wider. From past experience, I will need/naturally fall into a 7+ lb range for maintenance.

47Jacqueline

If you want to worry about something, worry about global warming. Honestly, stressing out over whether 5+/- lb is yo yo-ing is a waste of energy.

logg1e

I understand what you're saying, at what point does natural fluctuation become repeated weight gain and weight loss.

My weight has maintained for about three months within +/- 1.5lb. I weigh about 130lb and am female. From what I read on here I think I don't see the same fluctuation most people do.

IMaintain

Thanks, I see that there are no problems with maintaining in a +5/-5 range. Is there any evidence of health implications to going +10/-10? +15/-15? I mean, at some point I figure that the variation becomes unhealthy yo-yo'ing even if you yo-yo around a set point.

logg1e

Interesting, is yo-yo dieting physically harmful? I can imagine it being mentally unhealthy.

pkw58

I am going with a 2% range...my goal weight is 128, which is 2.56 pounds up or down. I am recording my weight daily on MFP these days to just keep up with the silly flux's...

funchords

To me, yo-yo dieting involves a significant amount of weight. It's crashing to lose, then ignoring it until the next desperate measure. It's the opposite of the aware and careful control of your weight.

TopazCutie

5 pounds is kind of a big band. It's hard (for me) to lose 5 pounds sometimes... I think when I get to my goal weight, I'm going to have a "max weight" instead, and if I go above that then it's time to lose a few lbs... But I won't necessarily indulge if I go lower than the max weight - if that makes sense!