Weight Fluctuations

Italian_Buju

I was just wondering how much weight fluctuation is normal? How much weight do you have to actually gain or lose before you know it is not just a fluctuation??

shballa

My weight has changed by as much as 5 pounds from one day to the next. I count the lowest weight I've seen on the scale as my current weight. If I go up a couple pounds the next day, I know eventually I will go back down.

matfatcowboy

I just have a consistent weigh day. Mine is Monday am. I figure if I keep weight off through the weekend ( hardest time for me) then I can count it.

BRaye325

I weigh in every morning, but only record my weight on MFP once a week. I always weigh in first thing in the morning. I can see as much as 3 lbs swing sometimes from one day to the next. Even the weekly weigh-in can be tough if you hit it at the low point one week and then the high point the next.
The key for me is to see a pretty consistent downward trend. I don't allow myself to get too wound up over a single weigh-in. You need to remember the variables, water weight/sodium intake, digesting food, congestion, scale fluctuation (although this is likely one of the smallest variables) etc.
Even when I see a loss, I like to see if it hits the next few days. Sometimes just being a little dehydrated can make you think you lost a couple of pounds.
Overall, the weight on the scale is only one measure of your success in fitness. Starting to pay closer attention to how your body feels and what it tells you is so much more important.