Weight Fluctuations?

Hmm, so I've noticed I've been having some weight flucuations. How much does your weight fluctuate?

I'm wanting to do a little experiment and see right about how much my weight actually fluctuates. I usually weigh between 111-112 as a real weight. But today it was like 115-116. Is this normal? (sorry if that was a dumb question to some.) So my plan was to weigh myself every day when I wake up and use the restroom, then after I eat something like a meal, and before bed and see what happens.

I was just wondering about these weight fluctuations. I weigh myself weekly, but it's been two weeks since I weighed myself not counting today, is it physically possible to gain like 5 lbs of fat in 2 weeks? I want to know for my own knowledge and so I can tell others if they have questions about weight fluctuations :).

Thanks!

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    What do you hope to gain by weighing yourself after you eat? Other than knowing how much your food weighs?
  • What do you hope to gain by weighing yourself after you eat? Other than knowing how much your food weighs?

    I do admit that I mesaure my food and stuff. I think today shouldn't count, I weighed myself approx. 1-2 hours after working out and I drank a lot of water, then I had my homemade fruit smoothie followed by lunch, so I'm certain that it was from weight from just food. I'm hoping that I don't go more than 5 lbs over when I go to weigh myself after a meal. The scale said 115 with shoes and stuff on, so after taking those off I weighed and it said 113.. Seems pretty normal to me. I'll stick with the 113 because that's the most accurate as a current-weight-with-meal :).
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I have a range of 3 kilos (abt 7 pounds) that I consider my normal weight range - 55-58 kilos. I like to take action when I hover around 57, so you could say 4-5 pounds is my preferred weight range.

    It takes a surplus of 1133 calories daily to gain 5 pounds of fat in two weeks, so it's not impossible, not even especially difficult, but you'd know it if you've been eating around 50% more than usual.
  • What do you hope to gain by weighing yourself after you eat? Other than knowing how much your food weighs?

    I do admit that I mesaure my food and stuff. I think today shouldn't count, I weighed myself approx. 1-2 hours after working out and I drank a lot of water, then I had my homemade fruit smoothie followed by lunch, so I'm certain that it was from weight from just food. I'm hoping that I don't go more than 5 lbs over when I go to weigh myself after a meal. The scale said 115 with shoes and stuff on, so after taking those off I weighed and it said 113.. Seems pretty normal to me. I'll stick with the 113 because that's the most accurate as a current-weight-with-meal :).

    Sounds like an unhealthy relationship with the scales to me...

    Oh no! I hope I didn't sound like I have a body weight issue! I am simply trying to see exactly how much my weight fluctuates, therefore cutting out any inaccurate numbers. All in all, I do know the scale just says a number :).

    Sorry
    I have a range of 3 kilos (abt 7 pounds) that I consider my normal weight range - 55-58 kilos. I like to take action when I hover around 57, so you could say 4-5 pounds is my preferred weight range.

    It takes a surplus of 1133 calories daily to gain 5 pounds of fat in two weeks, so it's not impossible, not even especially difficult, but you'd know it if you've been eating around 50% more than usual.
    I have a range of 3 kilos (abt 7 pounds) that I consider my normal weight range - 55-58 kilos. I like to take action when I hover around 57, so you could say 4-5 pounds is my preferred weight range.

    It takes a surplus of 1133 calories daily to gain 5 pounds of fat in two weeks, so it's not impossible, not even especially difficult, but you'd know it if you've been eating around 50% more than usual.
    I have a range of 3 kilos (abt 7 pounds) that I consider my normal weight range - 55-58 kilos. I like to take action when I hover around 57, so you could say 4-5 pounds is my preferred weight range.

    It takes a surplus of 1133 calories daily to gain 5 pounds of fat in two weeks, so it's not impossible, not even especially difficult, but you'd know it if you've been eating around 50% more than usual.
    I have a range of 3 kilos (abt 7 pounds) that I consider my normal weight range - 55-58 kilos. I like to take action when I hover around 57, so you could say 4-5 pounds is my preferred weight range.

    It takes a surplus of 1133 calories daily to gain 5 pounds of fat in two weeks, so it's not impossible, not even especially difficult, but you'd know it if you've been eating around 50% more than usual.

  • Oops, didn't know what happened there. Anyway, to the other person thanks for the info!
  • CaliMomTeach
    CaliMomTeach Posts: 745 Member
    In January and February, I have had up to 10 pound fluctuations. These are due to me having 2 or 3 days of overeating and high sodium intake. My fluctuations were nowhere near this for several months when I was consistently logging and staying under my calorie goal. Normal fluctuations for me were about 4 pounds before. The last two months have been crazy. I weighed 140.5 today and over 150 earlier this month or the end of January (can't remember).
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
    I weigh first thing in the morning. I do not get on the scales again until the following morning. In the past I have done what you are doing. Weighing at various times of the day before and after eating or exercise and found the fluctuations were a lot larger than I expected and this made me worry more.

    Just weigh once on a regular basis, daily, weekly or monthly at the same time of day preferably in the morning naked or in the same clothes, after using the bathroom and before eating.

    The other thing I do is record my weight daily on a trending app, I use Libra, it helps to see the general trend of my overall weight so any slight fluctuations within that don't derail me.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
    If you feel the experiment will be beneficial, go ahead. Curiosity isn't a bad thing.

    Do it for at least a month so you get menstrual and ovulation fluctuations in as well as food, exercise, and sodium intake variations.

    A weight trending so would be useful to keep track of all your information.

    I'm post menopausal so find maintaining between 100-105lbs suitable. I weigh first thing after the toilet and naked, when I weigh.

    I've never closed my diary, so never got the in 5 weeks... thing. Sounds a bit silly.

    Cheers, h.
  • krael65
    krael65 Posts: 306 Member
    Weight fluctuations are normal. As many do, I weigh daily (first thing, no clothes, post-potty) so I can see the fluctuations and understand that it's normal. I usually include notes in my journal to indicate what is going on during a certain timeframe. E.g., ate at a restaurant; menstruation starts; vacation; etc. It's interesting to look at the data and spot trends. This is what maintenance looks like for me.jib8e43lyspf.jpg
  • sexymamadraeger
    sexymamadraeger Posts: 239 Member
    I wouldn't weigh more than once a day in the morning first thing after bathroom and naked. When I first started losing I weighted once a week. Because I figured out I had a weekly cycle. I'd lose ounces for a few days. Then about the 5th day I'd get heavier by a pound or pound and a half. But on weigh in day I had dropped it plus more. No idea why. But it happened every week. Now I weigh every morning because I'm close to goal and I want to keep a handle on it. But weighing several times daily would drive me nuts.
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    I have a range of 3 kilos (abt 7 pounds) that I consider my normal weight range - 55-58 kilos. I like to take action when I hover around 57, so you could say 4-5 pounds is my preferred weight range.

    It takes a surplus of 1133 calories daily to gain 5 pounds of fat in two weeks, so it's not impossible, not even especially difficult, but you'd know it if you've been eating around 50% more than usual.

    Mine age is 5-6 as well.
  • escschwartz
    escschwartz Posts: 13 Member
    I vote with the weight tracking app supporters. I have found Libra extremely helpful to let me know if my few high days are a trend toward gain vs just spurious data points. My trend line stayed between 132 and 133 for over a year despite occasional "high days" but in January I saw that the trendline was shifting to upward slope even though my actual weight only went up a couple of pounds to 135-136. It was because I wasn't having any lower days to balance out the higher weight days. That told me to start being more careful with my tracking, go into slight deficit, etc to nip the gain before it takes off. After just 2 weeks I see the trend line starting to level off. I'll shoot for just a slight downward slope until I'm back to where I was and then level off again.
    I figure that is what maintenance is all about and the app really helps.
  • BeccaLoves2lift
    BeccaLoves2lift Posts: 375 Member
    My weight fluctuates from around 113-117.