Menstrual cycle and weigh ins!

FitnessFreak1821

Ok so I have worked super hard this week to lose more weight. I work out in total 240 minutes this week(more then i ever had in
My life. I usually I do half of that in a week )and i have stayed on track with my calories. I should of lost a pound to pound and half. Stepped on the scale after using the bathroom as much as I could(have been kind of constipated abit ) stepped on the scale same time I usually do weigh ins before I ate and drank and it looks like I just maintained weight! How ?! I am cycle day 5 but I stopped by period today. Is it possible to still have water weight from my period ? I'm hoping if I weigh tomorrow I'm down again or should I wait like 2-3 days after my period to weigh in? I feel so frustrated, I know some weeks I'll stay the same but last week I stayed same too. I increased my work outs and the scale isn't budging.

AnnPT77

Could be cycle, could be lots of other things (such as water retention for muscle repair from the extra workouts). If you're logging accurately, water weight will drop off, and unmask the fat loss. Until that happens, I get that it's super frustrating, so hang in there!

This is a really good article that I suggest you'll find useful in this context:

https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations

As far as when to weigh, I advocate weighing every morning (after bathroom, same clothing or lack, before eating/drinking), if you're a person who doesn't feel uncontrollably stressed or anxious about fluctuations.

As long it's not too stressful to do, weighing daily will help you learn your own body patterns (menstrual cycle related changes, but also others), and make the whole process more manageable and less stressful in the long run. Further, weighing less often can mislead in a different way. Over my period of weight loss, there are times when if I'd weighed only weekly, I would think I'd gained weight, but in reality the first weigh-in was at an unusually low point in water weight, and the latter weigh-in was a higher water weight day; looking at all of the days (especially if in a weight-trending app**) made it clear that overall, as a longer-term trend, I was losing weight.

Best wishes!

** Libra for Android, Happy Scale for iOS, Trendweight with a free Fitbit account (even if you don't have a Fitbit device), others.

FitnessFreak1821

Thanks for the info very helpful. I was thinking of doing daily weigh ins but I do get way to stressed when I see the number go up.

AnnPT77

XoXashleighXoX wrote: »

Thanks for the info very helpful. I was thinking of doing daily weigh ins but I do get way to stressed when I see the number go up.

One option, then, could be a smart scale that you step on, and it uploads your weight to an app that you can look at when you want to know.

But I wouldn't encourage someone to undertake daily weighing if they can't manage the stress for long enough to internalize the sense of normal fluctuations.

Personally, I think we don't even have a true current weight.

I think we have a current range of weights over periods of hours to days; and a longer-term weight trend over weeks to months. My current weight bounces all over the place: In the last 7 days, it's been 133.8 up to 137.2, and back down to 133.8 again. (I'm in maintenance.)

As long as the longer-term trend is horizontal, I'm maintaining. Right now, I'm casually working on losing a few more pounds ultra-ultra-slowly. My trend line shows me down about 3 pounds over the past 3-plus-a-bit months, which is perfect.

Best wishes with your chosen approach!

Nony_Mouse

If it helps to see, this is what weight loss through a trending app (Trendweight, in my case) looks like. I get a double whammy of water retention for both ovulation and TOM, so my loss pattern is basically bounce around for a week to 10 days, drop like a rock, bounce around, drop like a rock. I'm currently in ovulation bounce, may get an big uptick tomorrow morning like I did last month, and then it will start dropping steadily for the next week or so.

The diamonds are my scale weight, red line is my trending weight.

FitnessFreak1821

AnnPT77 wrote: »

XoXashleighXoX wrote: »

Thanks for the info very helpful. I was thinking of doing daily weigh ins but I do get way to stressed when I see the number go up.

One option, then, could be a smart scale that you step on, and it uploads your weight to an app that you can look at when you want to know.

But I wouldn't encourage someone to undertake daily weighing if they can't manage the stress for long enough to internalize the sense of normal fluctuations.

Personally, I think we don't even have a true current weight.

I think we have a current range of weights over periods of hours to days; and a longer-term weight trend over weeks to months. My current weight bounces all over the place: In the last 7 days, it's been 133.8 up to 137.2, and back down to 133.8 again. (I'm in maintenance.)

As long as the longer-term trend is horizontal, I'm maintaining. Right now, I'm casually working on losing a few more pounds ultra-ultra-slowly. My trend line shows me down about 3 pounds over the past 3-plus-a-bit months, which is perfect.

Best wishes with your chosen approach!

Thanks! Same to you:)

FitnessFreak1821

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

If it helps to see, this is what weight loss through a trending app (Trendweight, in my case) looks like. I get a double whammy of water retention for both ovulation and TOM, so my loss pattern is basically bounce around for a week to 10 days, drop like a rock, bounce around, drop like a rock. I'm currently in ovulation bounce, may get an big uptick tomorrow morning like I did last month, and then it will start dropping steadily for the next week or so.

The diamonds are my scale weight, red line is my trending weight.

Hmm so I guess I should definitely take into consideration water weight right since I'm cycle day 5. I need to relax but it's so hard. Trying to get into my 130s seems like impossible when before this i dropped weight easier. Oh well I'll get there just going to take longer then I expected lol I know takes time. It took 7 months to lose pretty much 33 pounds but now that I'm down to last few pounds to lose I'm losing my patience and I'm to anxious lol

Nony_Mouse

XoXashleighXoX wrote: »

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

If it helps to see, this is what weight loss through a trending app (Trendweight, in my case) looks like. I get a double whammy of water retention for both ovulation and TOM, so my loss pattern is basically bounce around for a week to 10 days, drop like a rock, bounce around, drop like a rock. I'm currently in ovulation bounce, may get an big uptick tomorrow morning like I did last month, and then it will start dropping steadily for the next week or so.

The diamonds are my scale weight, red line is my trending weight.

Hmm so I guess I should definitely take into consideration water weight right since I'm cycle day 5. I need to relax but it's so hard. Trying to get into my 130s seems like impossible when before this i dropped weight easier. Oh well I'll get there just going to take longer then I expected lol I know takes time. It took 7 months to lose pretty much 33 pounds but now that I'm down to last few pounds to lose I'm losing my patience and I'm to anxious lol

Yep, it varies for everyone. I generally start to drop right after ovulation, and day or day after my period starts. Some women don't see the water weight shift until their period has finished.

With so little to lose, it's really easy for it to get lost in the water weight fluctuations, and it feels like you're not making progress when you actually are.

If you're getting stressed and anxious (which can cause water retention from raised cortisol, fyi!), have you thought about taking a diet break? This isn't a free for all, it's eating at maintenance cals for 10 to 14 days, which helps bring some hormones that get out of whack with a prolonged deficit back in line. I know it seems counterintuitive when you want the scale to go down, but it will give you both a mental and physical break, and can actually see you getting to goal faster than if you keep going in circles, stressing out, and banging your head.

https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/

FitnessFreak1821

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

XoXashleighXoX wrote: »

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

If it helps to see, this is what weight loss through a trending app (Trendweight, in my case) looks like. I get a double whammy of water retention for both ovulation and TOM, so my loss pattern is basically bounce around for a week to 10 days, drop like a rock, bounce around, drop like a rock. I'm currently in ovulation bounce, may get an big uptick tomorrow morning like I did last month, and then it will start dropping steadily for the next week or so.

The diamonds are my scale weight, red line is my trending weight.

Hmm so I guess I should definitely take into consideration water weight right since I'm cycle day 5. I need to relax but it's so hard. Trying to get into my 130s seems like impossible when before this i dropped weight easier. Oh well I'll get there just going to take longer then I expected lol I know takes time. It took 7 months to lose pretty much 33 pounds but now that I'm down to last few pounds to lose I'm losing my patience and I'm to anxious lol

Yep, it varies for everyone. I generally start to drop right after ovulation, and day or day after my period starts. Some women don't see the water weight shift until their period has finished.

With so little to lose, it's really easy for it to get lost in the water weight fluctuations, and it feels like you're not making progress when you actually are.

If you're getting stressed and anxious (which can cause water retention from raised cortisol, fyi!), have you thought about taking a diet break? This isn't a free for all, it's eating at maintenance cals for 10 to 14 days, which helps bring some hormones that get out of whack with a prolonged deficit back in line. I know it seems counterintuitive when you want the scale to go down, but it will give you both a mental and physical break, and can actually see you getting to goal faster than if you keep going in circles, stressing out, and banging your head.

https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/

That's probably a good idea. I weighed myself at 7am I was 141.8. At 8am I was 142.2 . Muscle now? I gain .4 of a pound and it really bummed me out. I tried soooooo hard. I hope it isn't fat gain. I'm also stressing out cause my butt is going flat. I got pancakebum so I'm in away kind of afraid to lose more when I basically got no butt already. I'm stuck and not sure what to really do next but maybe relaxing for couple weeks and not stress to much but don't go to off track will help me feel better to start again to lose the last 11 pounds.

Nony_Mouse

Did you eat and/or drink between 7 am and 8 am? You're not gaining 0.4 lb of fat in the space of an hour, that's not how it works. Weight from food and drink, however...

If you're going to weigh daily, once, first thing, after going to the bathroom. But as Ann said, if the fluctuations are too hard to handle, daily weighing may not be for you.

I really do think a diet break is a good idea for you though. You're stressing yourself out way too much.

FitnessFreak1821

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

Did you eat and/or drink between 7 am and 8 am? You're not gaining 0.4 lb of fat in the space of an hour, that's not how it works. Weight from food and drink, however...

If you're going to weigh daily, once, first thing, after going to the bathroom. But as Ann said, if the fluctuations are too hard to handle, daily weighing may not be for you.

I really do think a diet break is a good idea for you though. You're stressing yourself out way too much.

Nope never ate or drank a thing between that time. I waited just to see after the weigh in at 8am I decided to eat and drink. Guess that doesn't make sense to think that its fat now that your saying that lol I need to calm down I know. I'm becoming dangerously obsessed.

AnnPT77

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

Did you eat and/or drink between 7 am and 8 am? You're not gaining 0.4 lb of fat in the space of an hour, that's not how it works. Weight from food and drink, however...

If you're going to weigh daily, once, first thing, after going to the bathroom. But as Ann said, if the fluctuations are too hard to handle, daily weighing may not be for you.

I really do think a diet break is a good idea for you though. You're stressing yourself out way too much.

Or even change clothes? Brushing your teeth and rinse/gargle at a time when you were dehydrated, or having wet hair from a shower will even make a difference.

Really, really, really: Weight changes within a day are completely meaningless, and even those over a few days to a couple of weeks are mostly meaningless. It's just water weight, digestive contents in transit, even the clothing: Those change constantly.

Think about it: If you weigh yourself, then drink a pint of water, you're going to weigh a whole pound more right away. It's just water sitting in your stomach, instead of in your water glass. It's meaningless.

rheddmobile

Constipation can really make a big difference too. Think about it, all that weight is still sitting in there!

FitnessFreak1821

AnnPT77 wrote: »

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

Did you eat and/or drink between 7 am and 8 am? You're not gaining 0.4 lb of fat in the space of an hour, that's not how it works. Weight from food and drink, however...

If you're going to weigh daily, once, first thing, after going to the bathroom. But as Ann said, if the fluctuations are too hard to handle, daily weighing may not be for you.

I really do think a diet break is a good idea for you though. You're stressing yourself out way too much.

Or even change clothes? Brushing your teeth and rinse/gargle at a time when you were dehydrated, or having wet hair from a shower will even make a difference.

Really, really, really: Weight changes within a day are completely meaningless, and even those over a few days to a couple of weeks are mostly meaningless. It's just water weight, digestive contents in transit, even the clothing: Those change constantly.

Think about it: If you weigh yourself, then drink a pint of water, you're going to weigh a whole pound more right away. It's just water sitting in your stomach, instead of in your water glass. It's meaningless.

I weighed myself naked each time but yeah that's good point weight fluctuations mean nothing through out the day. Theres no way to gain weight within a day. I have been feeling constipated on and off and bloated due to my cycle so that could be it too. Today was last day so I'll do a weigh in on Tuesday and count that number as a weigh in. Give it a couple days for everything to go back to normal and my body to recover from the intense work outs I did last week.

FitnessFreak1821

rheddmobile wrote: »

Constipation can really make a big difference too. Think about it, all that weight is still sitting in there!

Yes that makes sense ! Thanks everyone making me realize everything lol I'm so quick to panick