Weight fluctuates 5-7 lbs weekly?

s_kunze
s_kunze Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Since I hit the 10 pounds lost mark I seem to have hit a wall. Last week I weighed myself (209 lbs) and was excited that I had lost another pound. The next day it gained 5, how does that work? Now my weight is flexing between 212 and 219 with a random 209-210 in there. I weigh myself at the same time so I know it doesn't have anything to do with that.

I guess I'm just confused and wondering how my weight can fluctuate with such a huge difference. I've been told that a 2-3 pound difference is most likely water weight but what about a 5-7 pound difference?

Replies

  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
    Yep, most definitely. One thing I started doing was tracking my weight loss on a monthly basis -- comparing same weeks of my cycle with those of the next/past month.

    Lyle McDonald does a good job of describing the role water retention plays in weight loss and after a certain point, how it becomes very non-linear (and he suspects that it's due to water retention). I lost about 8 lbs pretty consistently over 6 weeks then stalled for a little over 3 weeks with no changes and then it started coming off again.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adjusting-the-diet.html
  • kawookie
    kawookie Posts: 813 Member
    Yes, weight can fluctuate quite a bit with just water weight. Being dehydrated makes you lighter, sodium makes you retain water and so does muscle repair (from lifting weights). Beyond what time of day, what you wear also has an effect, so does an empty or full bladder.

    I would strongly suggest picking a day in the week and recording your weight to evaluate for general trends. I personally record my weight 2x a week (mid week and weekend) and only compare my Wednesdays to Wednesdays and Sundays to Sundays. This gives a more accurate trend in your weight (like I normally eat out Saturday night so my Sunday weigh in is often higher than a Wednesday).

    You can't possibly gain 5 pounds over night even if you were a wild child the evening before. Therefore it has to be water weight. Also make sure that your scale is functioning properly. Sometimes mine goes nuts if a battery is starting to die.

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