Range versus allowance for spikes

55in13

Is it just me that sees this as two different things? Here is what my thinking is, plus a little bit of why...

I have not only made goal, but 3 of the last 6 times I weighed I was under! But the other 3 times (which were interspersed) I was over. Its because of the swings - days I run, days I eat salty, etc. So, what I am doing is saying that as long as I have had a weigh in that is at or below goal in the last week, I am fine. What this means is that I don't have a range in pounds, I have an allowance for swings measured in days.

My reasoning for this is that the last time I gained weight I used ranges. What happened was that I would get to the top and stay there for a long time and it would become the base and I would extend the range. It was a slippery slope for me. So this time I have decided to allow days for spiking. If I don't see a weight at or below goal in a week, I will switch to eating at a deficit until I do. One reason for this is that if I do find myself backsliding and extending that (maybe on vacation) then when it kicks back in maybe it has been two weeks since I weighed at or below goal, but it doesn't change what goal is.

Anyway, food for thought (we are allowed food now :bigsmile: ).

SJVZEE

I do something similar-I give any bounces a week to correct themselves and then if I'm not at my 'low point' at the end of that time, within .5lbs, I adjust my eating accordingly. Right now I seem to have gone back into weight loss mode though, which was unexpected and unwanted, so I'm trying to figure out how to stabilize my weight right now. But up until a few days ago my goal weight was in the 125lb range and that was what I focused on. I definitely had bounces here and there, but as long as I settled back on 125 (or 125.5), within a few days, all was good

55in13

I have such a strong fear of back sliding that I will not even allow myself that .5 pound variance. I really fear the creep up.

kae_blah

I have had an unhealthy relationship with food in the past (over-restrictive). I am using 6:1 as a health choice.

I have an agreement with myself (with my boyfriend tasked to remind me when things get hard) that I will weigh myself every couple of weeks and accept anything between 65-68 kgs as 'normal' where I may or may not track calories daily and between 68-70 kgs as time to start tracking daily again and consider 5:2 and/or increasing exercise for a few weeks.

I do not want to get obsessive at maintenance.

SideSteel

This might sound OCD but have you considered tracking daily weight and then looking at rolling averages and/or weekly averages? It should paint a clearer picture of what your weight trends are.

BeachIron

I have such a strong fear of back sliding that I will not even allow myself that .5 pound variance. I really fear the creep up.

My current daily swing is a range of about 2-5 pounds give or take. I know it's easier said than done, but relax. You're at your goal. Just maintain a sensible diet and exercise program and start limiting your weigh ins if they're giving you grief.

tlab827

I have had an unhealthy relationship with food in the past (over-restrictive). I am using 6:1 as a health choice.

I have an agreement with myself (with my boyfriend tasked to remind me when things get hard) that I will weigh myself every couple of weeks and accept anything between 65-68 kgs as 'normal' where I may or may not track calories daily and between 68-70 kgs as time to start tracking daily again and consider 5:2 and/or increasing exercise for a few weeks.

I do not want to get obsessive at maintenance.

I have/had the same issue and am also trying not to become obsessed.

whitebalance

This is my big issue right now. I still weigh daily and have found myself freaking out if the scale says I'm up by half a pound over yesterday, or whatever. But I've found that a pound or more can be just having drunk a bottle of water or... well... dinner is still with you from the night before. I have one of the fancy scales that upload their measurements, so I hooked it up with trendweight.com. Now I can see if it's going up or down, by how much, and (to an extent) why.

When I started out, I was going to be content if I got within ten pounds of my ultimate goal weight... Well, that was easier than I thought and here I am. Based on my experience so far, I've set a 3-pound tolerance. I'll keep weighing daily and keep an eye on it at Trendweight. If I'm on an upward trend and I have a daily measurement that's 3 pounds over my ultimate goal weight, I'll immediately drop my net calorie target and go right back into weight loss mode starting that day.

We're always moving in one direction or another; my aim is to keep the movements tolerably small. I figure this method will keep me from getting to the point where clothes are tighter and I'm blaming the dryer for it. I'll see how it goes.

pkw58

I am ok with an upswing in the morning when I weigh (still daily). I just adjust my salt intake downward. Or add more activity. I try to keep my calories constant. But I don't freak out about it . my healthy weight range is 125- 135. I feel great at 128.

RoadsterGirlie

I'm 5'9". My range is anywhere from 123 to to 128 lbs, depending on the time of day, what I ate the day before, if I worked out the day before, and where I'm at in my cycle. I've been in this range for over a year now, and feel very comfortable here. I still avoid junk like fast food, donuts, sugar soda, fruit juice, candy, etc., but I still allow myself enjoyment of real treats like going out for dinner, wine, burgers, cake, fried fish and anything else that's tasty. I'm a huge fan of everything in moderation and portion control.

The great news is I can eat more in maintenance than when I was losing, which of course means I must be doing something right!

55in13

Just to be clear - I won't freak about a small spike; I have had swings of 7 pounds. My plan is to allow several days before I assume it is more than a spike. But if I go several days without seeing goal or below on the scale, I will eat at a deficit until I see goal or below again. Not just within 5 or even within 0.5; at or below goal. To keep from constantly making myself crazy, I will keep eating at a deficit until I see 4 pounds under to start with so goal will be near the middle of the swings.

EdTheGinge

Ive been maintaining since end of December 2012, I set myself a 6lbs allowance either side of my goal weight (over a number of weeks not 6lbs in a week). Currently im 2lbs over what I was when I entered maintenance but my bf % has reduced. I still worry about putting it back on but hey that's only natural. If I get over that 6lbs I just lower my intake or up the exercise to get it back down.

It's all trial and error

Seesawboomerang

When I'm in maintenance it's for a range not a single figure.

At the moment I have a deficit and my goal is set at the lowest figure in that range.

In a single day I can gain/lose 5lbs so I'm not going to look at anything but an overall trend across weeks.

Seesawboomerang

Just to add - I got bored with maintenance logging after reaching my goal 2 years ago. The weight did slowly creep back on because I got lazy about exercise and made some bad food choices.

I had an upper limit I didn't want to get past. I got past it. I always thought to myself I'll just lose again if it feels like it's getting out of hand, which is what I'm doing now.

I think I'm happier dropping in and out of routine logging. I was getting obsessive about counting every calorie and it was stopping me from enjoying my food so much.

Next time I reach goal, I may log at maintenance for a while, but if the weight creeps again, just get more active. I can't see myself recording every damn meal for the rest of my life. It's tedious.

55in13

I didn't even always log while losing, so I definitely am not always logging now. But I am okay with routine for workday breakfast and lunch; most days I could get by with logging only at night because I am at roughly the same point calorie wise every afternoon.

It's been about 20 years since I was last at this weight. I let it creep another 10 and kept it there (with a few 10-15 pound up/down cycles) for a few years and then started letting it creep more and more and more... I just finished losing 55 pounds. Crazy. I would have sworn that I would never let that happen. I was absolutely sure that I would keep it under control. I guess that is why I am obsessing now. I am not sure I have a new and different attitude because I had the right attitude before. I just didn't always follow through.

I won't always weigh every day either. If I weigh and I am at or below goal, I feel no need to weigh again for a week or so. But if I weigh over goal, I will weigh daily until I see goal again.

Seesawboomerang

I'd drive myself nuts if I weighed every day. I'm strict with myself about keeping it to once a week.
I take measurements monthly to check there's no sneaky spread occurring.

55in13

The reason I am thinking of going 4 pounds under is so that weekly weighing will likely work. I will only weigh daily if I see a number higher than goal. Then I will weigh daily until I figure out it was a spike (by seeing goal) and go back to weekly weighing, or seeing that it is a legit gain and going back into loss mode which for me includes weighing daily.

Seesawboomerang

As a woman, I know I am going to have major weight fluctuations every month, but can't know exactly when that's going to be. Every ovulation I get a sudden spike soon followed by a significant decrease, then level out. While my appetite goes crazy, even if I resist some urges, I'll get then get water retention during menstruation.

I'm also perimenopausal so I'm not even regular any more. I have had to learn to be patient with my body as well as really pay attention to it.

It sort of sucks, but is also really interesting (to me) :-D

likitisplit

I use the "Happy Scale" app for this reason.

perrinjoshua

Thanks for your note. I'm just starting this whole maintenance thing myself. I think I agree that if the swing stays for too long, it's time to rein back. Right now I'm going to try using the 6:1 method because I don't want to lose the anti-inflammatories benefits of the 5:2. I will definitely be weighing everyday - I can't seem to deny myself this yet but I know I have to expect minor fluctuations and to move on, unless the weight tries to hang around. I don't even want to give myself a 5 lb range because, as you said, I might let the weight creep back up, pound by pound.

rowanwood

I use the "Happy Scale" app for this reason.

Thanks for the recommendation. I just loaded it. Looks perfect for daily weighers like me.