Scale Swings

MattUFCP90X

I sometimes jump on the scale in the evening before bed and then test again in the morning and get swings of 5 lbs sometimes. Its not often, but its often enough to make me question how this can be.

Example was yesterday. I had an awesome calorie burn day as I did a P90x DVD for chest shoulders and triceps, after that right to the gym to push to failure on the same body parts. Ran a mile and did other light cardio work. I was looking good at 5pm with a 1650 calorie deficit going into dinner...until the wife says lets hit Buffalo Wild Wings. I cant resist so i do my home work and see what each wing will cost me in calories and I go blow 1600 on the wings. I get home and scale reads 157.4. Today I get up and it reads 151.4 which is more around my normal weight.

Does this happen to anyone else? If so is it just all the exercise working on my metabolism to kick the *kitten* out of the fat in my sleep?

Either way I def know I need to get more control over my diet to hit my goals. Other problem I have is being split between wanting a little more mass, like 2 inches in arms, back/chest, and upper leg...while at the same time wanting to hit 11-10% body fat. I need to decide what is more important to me. I am leaning towards hitting my 145 lb goal and landing a 10% BF. Good luck to you all on your goals and thx for reading.

Mechanikitty

Everyone can see a big fluctuation of weight throughout the day, especially for taller people. When you take in a large amount of food the numbers can go a bit haywire. I'd put a day aside once a week as your 'real weigh-in' day and take that number as your current weight. You can still weigh throughout the week but it really doesn't mean anything and sometimes weight fluctuations can get you down when they really shouldn't.

aelphabawest

I think this happens to everyone (especially women, whose weight tends to fluctuate hormonally as well). It's one of the reasons why they recommend you weighing yourself at the same time.

For me, that's usually once a week, right after my long run, completely naked (no need for the extra weight of clothes) and before I scarf down the post-work out smoothie or even have a gatorade. Got to give that scale every advantage to give me a number I like. ;-)

floppyghost

It's normal for weight to fluctuate with 2% or 3% for no apparent reason. This is one of the reasons you shouldn't focus so much on day-to-day swings, and instead look at the longer-term trend. Simply drinking a large glass of water will easily add a pound or more of weight, but it does of course not add even a single calorie.

There's programs that does averaging for you -- if you're on Android I recommend Libra -- it plots a TRENDLINE based on averaging your weight over a week, and as such manages to give a much more accurate picture of your actual trend, and not just random day-to-day fluctuations.

happysherri

I'm in a challenge now - not weighing myself for 1 month! I was weighing myself every morning and it became kind of a habit. My weight didn't change much, yet my pants are falling off of me and my arms have more definition and can see my top 2 ribs when I lift my arms over my head. As long as you eat well and exercise you'll be good (sounds like you've got the exercise down)

ps - I love P90X

257_Lag

I am a daily weigher and tracker. I have almost 7 months of daily morning weights tracked and sometimes I will step on the scale right before bed out of curiosity. I don't track the nighttime numbers but I can tell you that I lose about 3 pounds every night between going to bed and waking. It's very normal.

pluckylass

Mine fluctuation has swapped, which is bizarre - when I first started I always weighted 2 pounds more in the evening than the morning. Now I always weigh 1-3 pounds more in the morning than at night! The morning is my set weighing time, so I preferred it the other way around.

nxd10

There was an article about this on the NYTimes. I think it is moist air you breath out - water loss - and sweat. (I'm answering the question about how you can lose weight without peeing or pooping - I get a couple pound change too and I couldn't for the life of me figure out how, so looked it up.)

TammyVieu

I weigh every day at the same time, record it, and at the end of the week use the average weight.

johnhubbs

Check your Salt intake on days (before and after) the Scale give you big swings

moss11

Goodness I would never step on the scales in the evening, much too disheartening for me!

gabbygirl78

Wow .... Stepping on the scale after Buffalo Wild Wings? That is the bravest thing I've ever heard of.... Drinks all around!:drinker:
You always weigh less in the morning. During the day on top of all the food and fluid intake your body retains water. The fluctuation is likely due to the sodium intake throughout the day. I have had fluctuations like that from day to day.

cdahl383

I don't think its unheard of for your weight to fluctuate 5-10 lbs throughout the day due to things like sodium intake, water retention, simply eating and drinking at meals, etc.

Your best bet for consistency is to weigh yourself first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom.

kluvit

A gallon of water weighs more than 8 pounds, and I can down some liquid while I workout, so I'm always considerably heavier after a workout than before, just as I'm considerably heavier after dinner and dessert than before I eat for the day. I weigh almost daily in the morning, and as long as extra weight doesn't stick around three days in a row, it does not count, and those afternoon and evening curiosity weigh in's NEVER count.

pkw58

Heck no I don't weigh myself more than once a day, right after I wake up and go to the bathroom. I drink too much water and swell up anywhere from 2 to 8 pounds by evening!

that being said, I do think it is important to weigh regulary and monitor. But measurements matter as well. Clothes fitting matter.

Scale swings not settling with in your personal "range" matter. Mine is no lower than 126, no hire than 129.. goal weight is128, but my healthy weight range is 125-135 . Which means my "morning" weight can't go below 125, and my "evening" weight can't go higher than 135. For me.

sheltrk

I've been weighing myself every morning (same time, same clothes) for 7 months now, and calculating various rolling averages. I used that data to predict my "true" weight via trendlines and a couple of different BMR models. I use one based on total weight, and one based on my estimated LBM, and one based on "observed" 31-day rolling average losses. (Why yes, I am an engineer. Why do you ask?)

My daily scale weight swings by as much as +/- 4 lbs with respect to my models. Standard deviation is about 1.25 lbs.
(For reference, I started at ~170 lbs, and I've been maintaining in the neighborhood of ~ 148 lbs for a couple of months now. )

I haven't looked at this statistically, but anecdotally it seems as though I tend to retain a bit more weight on the day after a strength training workout, which is expected. Not a huge amount--usually about a pound or so for me.

Every now and then, I'll weigh myself before bed, just out of curiosity. I often lose >4 pounds while I sleep.

LuckyMunky

This is totally normal, no need to worry! I find that my weight fluctuates between 5 - 8 lbs every day. The best reading is always in the morning, right after I wake up and go potty, naked. I don't weigh myself more than once a day because I know that combo of food, water and salt intake can all affect my weight throughout the day.

marianb2001

I am sooo glad this is being discussed right now. I was seeing the scale go down (morning, after potty, naked) and am writitng the numbers on the bathroom mirror with a dry erase to see the trend. I started working out the last two days, and eating back my calories and saw the numbers start to creep up right away. I was torn between not eating the calories back or not exercising. I mean it did not make sense because two days of exercise are not going to build muscle (I assume). I too have always seen the scale fluctuate as the day goes on, but that as you have all said is due to what we put into our bodies during the day. I am sorry if I am not supposed to add a question to another question, so please forgive me if I am being rude. Please let me know if I should not ask.

Here goes..... I take it I shold not worry about the morning trend moving the other direction for the last two days, and to continue with the exercise and eating back calories?

sheltrk

I am sooo glad this is being discussed right now. I was seeing the scale go down (morning, after potty, naked) and am writitng the numbers on the bathroom mirror with a dry erase to see the trend. I started working out the last two days, and eating back my calories and saw the numbers start to creep up right away. I was torn between not eating the calories back or not exercising. I mean it did not make sense because two days of exercise are not going to build muscle (I assume). I too have always seen the scale fluctuate as the day goes on, but that as you have all said is due to what we put into our bodies during the day. I am sorry if I am not supposed to add a question to another question, so please forgive me if I am being rude. Please let me know if I should not ask.

Here goes..... I take it I shold not worry about the morning trend moving the other direction for the last two days, and to continue with the exercise and eating back calories?

Indeed. Exercise is good for you! I would expect to see a temporary increase in weight if you just started strength training. Your body is holding on to extra water to repair your muscles. At my weight (~150 lbs), I see up to +/- 4 pound swings on a daily basis. If you keep tracking your weight, and you see it continually trend upwards over the next couple of weeks, you may want to do a "course correction" with your diet. But don't correct based on small daily fluctuations. That will drive you nuts! It's just noise. That's why a lot of people recommend weekly (or even less frequent) weigh-ins.

Personally, I like more data, so I weigh myself daily and compute rolling averages. I don't change anything unless I see a trend I don't like that persists at least two weeks.