Pounds back on

TravellerRay

I know there are no stupid questions but this one may be close . I read that you need to burn about 3000 calories to lose a pound of fat. My question is does the reverse hold true? Would I need to screw up by 3000 calories to put a pound back on?

Just one of those days when the scales are being nasty and I know I kept to the program. Except for a bag of almonds on a stressy day. I don't think 500 calories made a 2 pound sin.

Violet_Flux

3500 calories is a pound of fat. But there's also water weight. Often a small 'cheat' eg. too many carbs will cause you to retain water, which can translate into a 'big' jump on the scale the next morning. But it's just water, and it can vanish as quickly as it appeared.

Sunny_Bunny_

Waaaaaaaaaaay more than fat loss or gain affects daily scale weight.

Try a weight averaging app like happy scale or libra weight to see weight trends better.

drosebud

I also find that salty foods put more weight on, in the short term, than the actual calories would suggest. I use that Happy Scale app which smooths out the bumps and help me to mentally accept my weight chart ups and downs.

raventwo

I do a seven day average to get my weight - so don't let a single day get me too upset, though I prefer not to see a jump on any day The weight by average allows me to see small losses of 1/4 pound per week, which yes, in the past, has been how slow I can be.
For me - salty, not enough water intake, can get me retaining water and cause swings up.

mmultanen

I posted in the Weigh In Wed thread about how on vacation I had a few beers and some chips and salsa and those kinds of carbs make me retain water. Scale was up 6 lbs. This am (2 days later) it's back down 4. There's a big differe between fat, muscle, and water gain. It can be hard to sort out. Recording my weight once a week only has helped me sort the differences.

1thankful_momma

Would once a month weight checks take most of the variability out of it?

kpk54

I've been maintaining for about 3 years and my weight varies daily by 0-4 pounds.

Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down.

500 extra calories won't do it unless you overeat everyday and never trim back. THEN you get chubby again.

mmultanen

I like weighing every day, makes it clear what's water etc. But I've never been obsessive about the number on the scale so for me it works, (I'm obsessive about PLENTY of other things, don't worry). I dont even have a goal weight. I have a clothing size I want back into. So it probably depends on each persons goals and hangups how frequently to weigh yourself.

tcunbeliever

I like to weigh myself every day, but I generally look at a weekly average to compare monthly results.

trigden1991

food_lover16 wrote: »

Would once a month weight checks take most of the variability out of it?

I'll pose this scenario to you;

You weigh in on Day 1 and you are slightly dehydrated and show 150lbs on the scale. You diet perfectly and exercise for a month and weigh in on Day 30. Unknowingly you are well hydrated and carrying some water weight from an intense workout and a high sodium meal. The scale shows that you are up to 153lbs.

Now in reality you will have lost weight as you stuck to a calorie deficit but according to your scales your whole month was a bust. Many many people will see this as a failure and this leads to binging or giving up entirely.

This is my reasoning for weighing in daily/weekly and looking at an overall trend. The more data that you have, the more of an understanding you will have of your body.

retirehappy

Fat is slow, water is quick. Old CICO saying, and it applies to keto/LCHF as well. Just eat right and weigh again in a couple of days. Also if you work out harder than usual, best to stay off the scale for a couple of days as well.

JohnnyLowCarb

You dont have to weigh yourself everyday. You can weigh yourself monthly, weekly, bi-weekly anytime you want. Just keep doing it. You will see the results over time any way that makes sense for you.

slimzandra

If you are looking for an inverse relationship...LOL
It is much easier to gain weight when you are not paying attention to what you are eating and much harder to lose weight when you do.

suzqtme

food_lover16 wrote: »

Would once a month weight checks take most of the variability out of it?

That's what I do. It has taken a lot of the psychological toll away from me. It has helped me keep the focus on doing what is healthy and letting the weight take care of itself. And if I am doing what I know to be healthy for me, then the weight does take care of itself and continues to trend down (albeit slowly as I am post meno).

RalfLott

Your scale is a *kitten*, to put it mildly......

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10415166/scale-why-should-i-dump-thee-let-me-count-the-ways