Okay, ranbdom question. I don't understand ...

tiggerhammon

So, first of all, I am weird and do weird things just for the fun of it. I feel the need to explain this first off ...
So, over the past several days, I have been weighing myself periodically mostly just testing different scenarios. First, weighing in the morning, then drink a large glass of water and weigh again. Weight goes up a fraction of a pound. Interesting ... so then, I eat. Weigh again and I have gone up almost 2lbs....
So, I have done this several times the last few days just for kicks and giggles and completely understand how eating and drinking would cause instant weight gain. But, here is what I don't understand: how can you gain when not eating or drinking anything?
I did this the last couple mornings, wake up, weigh in, wait 2-3 hrs without consuming anything and weigh again and I weigh more. How? Where did that extra weight come from?
Before you say "it's because you are pregnant and growing" ... first, that's kinda ridiculous too and second, I am weird so I already made sure to rule that scenario out.
I did this to my best friend today. Weigh in, wait a few hours and weigh again. She weighs more.
My husband says "water retention" but how do you retain water you didn't consume?

Up for debate! What are your thoughts?

eta: I only just realized my typo in the title and now can't fix it. I apologize ahead of time and am sorry some of you will feel the need to point it out.

seltzermint555

Maybe a hobby or job would be a fun idea.

delicious_cocktail

Aliens. Absolutely aliens.

amykluver

It's called "gravity".

Cranquistador

um.

Nicolee_2014

Maybe a hobby or job would be a fun idea.

:laugh:

an increased level of the hormones estrogen and progesterone may do it...........otherwise, does it really matter? :frown:

AllonsYtotheTardis

Lleldiranne

It may not completely explain it, but maybe you aren't standing on the scale the same. At home scales use springs, and if those springs are compressed differently the result may be different.

I'll admit, I'm grasping here.


ETA: I assume the clothes don't change, right? You are wearing the same thing at both weighings?

DopeItUp

Your first mistake is that you're assuming your $20 scale is perfectly accurate. I can step on a scale 3 times in a row and it won't necessarily give me the exact same reading every time. Your second mistake was not finding a better use of your spare time. Might I suggest weightlifting, world of warcraft or knitting?

elleru

Ambient room temperature may have an affect on the tensile strength of the metal springs inside your scale. This may cause a slight variation in accuracy. Or something.

tiggerhammon

lol, I have 5 jobs. I am a mother and have many friends and hobbies. I am just weird. (Remember?)
And, no, as far as the weight itself, it doesn't matter at all. I know weight fluctuates and I know over the next several months I will continue gaining weight. I don't care about the weight gain.
It is more of a curiosity. A puzzlement stumbled upon in my own curiosity.
I truly don't care about the weight gain. But, before this "study" I would have thought this impossible. I am just curious if anyone else has any ideas as to how ... ?

exercise2day2

I have no answer, but I just wanted to say that I do love your query, and would be interested if some one actually knows the answer!

tiggerhammon

It may not completely explain it, but maybe you aren't standing on the scale the same. At home scales use springs, and if those springs are compressed differently the result may be different.

I'll admit, I'm grasping here.


ETA: I assume the clothes don't change, right? You are wearing the same thing at both weighings?

Sorry, TMI, but I don't wear anything when weighing.

Matt_1972

Do you have digital scales or older "analogue" ones?

whitlisd

At the risk of sounding just as goofy, I have noticed this too and wonder what it's all about!!

tiggerhammon

Your first mistake is that you're assuming your $20 scale is perfectly accurate. I can step on a scale 3 times in a row and it won't necessarily give me the exact same reading every time. Your second mistake was not finding a better use of your spare time. Might I suggest weightlifting, world of warcraft or knitting?

Can't start weightlifting now. Doctor says not to start anything new at this point and, frankly, weight lifting does not interest me. I hate WoW with such an angry passion! Knitting? Seriously? No.

I have actually tested this on my scale as well. In the past though, when reading a thread where someone else had said their scale would read differently every time.
I weighed myself 5 times in a row on my scale and got the exact same number, down to the fraction.

tiggerhammon

Do you have digital scales or older "analogue" ones?

Digital

tiggerhammon

Ambient room temperature may have an affect on the tensile strength of the metal springs inside your scale. This may cause a slight variation in accuracy. Or something.

Thank you! I like you now. Best argument I have heard yet, and actually possible if the scale can fluctuate based on temperature changes because I have been changing the temp in my house each morning after waking.

tiggerhammon

At the risk of sounding just as goofy, I have noticed this too and wonder what it's all about!!

I really don't care if I sound goofy. You shouldn't care what people think. I very much remember explaining ahead of time that I am weird.
I appreciate your tune in, when googling this I found there were several people out there that had posed the same question as me on various other websites. Every single one of them received snyde remarks for responses and no genuine insight.
I had hoped someone here might have an idea, and be nice too.

TheOriginalCheezWiz

Your scale has a certain amount of error between readings....

You will lose weight simply by breathing and exhaling moisture and CO2 and sweating.

a. Perspiration. Perspiration is a constant route for fluid loss. About 650 milliliters of perspiration are lost during a normal day by a healthy person. Along with water, a liter of perspiration has about 45 mEq of sodium, 4.5 mEq of potassium and 57.5 mEq of chloride. A normal person only becomes aware of the perspiration loss during very strenuous exercise or when the day is very hot. As a general rule, where sodium goes, water follows. That is why there is always sodium on the skin following heavy perspiration.

b. Respiration. Respiration occurs around-the-clock, but most people are not aware that they are exhaling fluid in the form of water vapor every time they breathe.We become aware of the vapor loss during cold weather when the vapor can be seen as it is exposed to low temperatures. About 450 milliliters of fluid are lost during a twenty-four hour period by respiration.


So variation in the measuring device or fluctuating gravity are the only possibilities for this scenario to be true..

lavender_fairie

I am also weird, but I am a knitting maniac. If knitting made one lose weight I wouldn't be seen with the naked eye.

Here is my weirdness- everybody says weigh first thing in the morning, after bathroom business, on the same scale. That's what I do. Then I get going, get dressed, have a drink, maybe eat, and wait an hour or two. Step on the scale again- I've dropped almost a pound.

My theory is that the scale likes screwing with one's head. Every.chance.it.gets.

TheOriginalCheezWiz

I weigh once a week in the morning after bathroom business and before eating or drinking anything.
That way I can see real trends and not get caught up in these fluctuations that people tend to obsess over.
I used to do that and broke myself of that bad habit..

tiggerhammon

I am also weird, but I am a knitting maniac. If knitting made one lose weight I wouldn't be seen with the naked eye.

Here is my weirdness- everybody says weigh first thing in the morning, after bathroom business, on the same scale. That's what I do. Then I get going, get dressed, have a drink, maybe eat, and wait an hour or two. Step on the scale again- I've dropped almost a pound.

My theory is that the scale likes screwing with one's head. Every.chance.it.gets.

I apologize. I did not mean to sound as if I thought knitting was truly awful or anything. Just not interested in that at all either,
Your "scenario" is what most people see and what I would expect to see.
I don't think my scale has a mind of it's own, but if it does and it's messing with me, it's working.

AnabolicKyle

possible scenarios

the air is @ 100% humidity and in ever breath you gain a little more weight than you exhale

wearing different clothes heavier/lighter

the scale has 1-2% error

the laws of physics somehow changed for you and only you

pinkiemarie252

O.o Why are you going 2 to 3 hours after waking up without drinking any water? I'd seriously pass out...

tiggerhammon

I weigh once a week in the morning after bathroom business and before eating or drinking anything.
That way I can see real trends and not get caught up in these fluctuations that people tend to obsess over.
I used to do that and broke myself of that bad habit..

I am not obsessed. Has nobody here ever experienced genuine curiosity before?

tiggerhammon

possible scenarios

the air is @ 100% humidity and in ever breath you gain a little more weight than you exhale

wearing different clothes heavier/lighter

the scale has 1-2% error

the laws of physics somehow changed for you and only you

Interesting as I had just googled this again and came up with a website where someone's response was similar to yours. Saying that, humidity may be to blame the body is actually retaining water from the air. I can see how it is possible but I live in a dry desert and it hasn't rained.
Also, not just me. It did the same for my friend and apparently many other people as I have discovered while googling it.

astronomicals

laurynwithawhy

Your first mistake is that you're assuming your $20 scale is perfectly accurate. I can step on a scale 3 times in a row and it won't necessarily give me the exact same reading every time. Your second mistake was not finding a better use of your spare time. Might I suggest weightlifting, world of warcraft or knitting?

Can't start weightlifting now. Doctor says not to start anything new at this point and, frankly, weight lifting does not interest me. I hate WoW with such an angry passion! Knitting? Seriously? No.

I have actually tested this on my scale as well. In the past though, when reading a thread where someone else had said their scale would read differently every time.
I weighed myself 5 times in a row on my scale and got the exact same number, down to the fraction.

That "exact" number on your scale is part of a memory system in digital scales. My friend is an electronics programmer and he used to program the parts in scales (among other things). He told me that most people don't like seeing those 1 or 2 pound differences, so there is like a 5 minute memory time, where if someone about the same weight steps on, it is programmed to read the exact same number. If you have a friend who weighs the exact same as you try it out. Even if you are a few ounces apart, it would read the same if she or you stepped on a 2nd time. I think there needs to be a 2 or 3 pound difference to eliminate that memory function.

Also, any affordable digital scale is horribly inaccurate, and any variation, from humidity, temperature, location of the weight, can cause a huge fluctuation in the reading. Gotta love spending money on something that only half works half the time.

lavender_fairie

No need for apologies! your op made me smile, and then your disinterest in knitting made me smile again so I thought I'd chime in.

Of COURSE the scale has a mind of its own- a twisted, devious, maniacal mind. I'm trying to come up with a suitable name for it so I can personalize the insults and mutterings I have for it each day.

tiggerhammon

Maybe a hobby or job would be a fun idea.

:laugh:

an increased level of the hormones estrogen and progesterone may do it...........otherwise, does it really matter? :frown:

Interesting, but my thoughts on this are quite opposite, thinking more along the lines of hormones being responsible for the increase in metabolism.
I went looking, and read an article written by the MayoClinic saying as such. The reason they created the hcg diet was to imitate a pregnant woman's high metabolism. This new hormone combination would provide new ground rules of weight gain/loss for me but would make more sense if trying to explain a strange amount of weight loss, not gain.

eta: change to typos again. Stupid autocorrect.