Accurate weight??

grenachegirl

Ok... So I always weigh myself first thing in the morning, BUT I have a few sips of coffee then exercise before I eat anything. When I say exercise, it's nothing hardcore, just a 5k brisk walk which gets the heart pumping, I'm slightly out of breath + sweaty. I shower then jump on the scale which is usually then 1.5 or 2lb lighter. So which reading is accurate? Have I just lost water weight through walking??

bpetrosky

Basically yes. You've sweated a little and used some glycogen in your muscles, and your weight drops a little.

Your weight fluctuates all day based on what you eat, drink, excrete, and "burn". The morning weight is just a snapshot, and if you use that consistently over time it will help you see your weight loss trend.

trigden1991

Weigh your "dry" morning weight before ingesting any food/water.This will be the most consistent, as post exercise weights will depend on intensity, temperature, water consumed etc.

Pawsforme

Both are accurate. And yes, the latter weight represents water loss from sweating.

None of us has an absolute exact, stable weight. Our weight fluctuates all the time depending on what we've recently had to eat or drink, the emptiness or fullness of our bladder and bowels (those things together constituting the weight of things in our digestive system), and yes, how much we've sweated.

I wouldn't worry abut the minor fluctuations that go with something like that. Just be consistent in when you weigh and choose one to use as your "official" weight for tracking gains or losses. I personally would use the first weight of the day and would stop weighing after my walk. IME that's just asking for a scale obsession.

LivingtheLeanDream

Both were accurate as such given the differing circumstances. Its only tormenting ourselves to weigh in more than once a day. Our weight fluctuates for so many reasons.

dykask

Weigh yourself fist thing before you do anything, well you can use the toilet if you need to. That will give you the most consistent reading.

grenachegirl

Thanks everyone, that's pretty much what I thought, I'll stick with just weighing when I get up first thing.