How many pounds can water weight fluctuate?

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NWalerys1
NWalerys1 Posts: 16
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Alright before you answer, how many pounds UNDER your actual weight can water weight fluctuate?
And how am I supposed to get my true weight reading off of the scale if my weight apparently fluctuates so much? I weigh myself in the morning after I use the restroom and just after a normal day of eating and drinking.

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  • jwats8
    jwats8 Posts: 112
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    I've had water weight fluctuate up to five pounds in a day- I don't know how far under it has ever been, I never thought of it that way before...
  • LuckySlydog
    LuckySlydog Posts: 34
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    3 to 5 lbs. I do the same. Then you begin to find out what foods "bloat" you. Drink a lot of water and it will control some of that.
  • Pipsg1rl
    Pipsg1rl Posts: 1,414 Member
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    I don't think of it as an under, only as a fluctuation.

    So far it's been about 2-4 pounds. Usually the higher on a Monday and the lower on a Friday after having lots of sodium.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Alright before you answer, how many pounds UNDER your actual weight can water weight fluctuate?
    And how am I supposed to get my true weight reading off of the scale if my weight apparently fluctuates so much? I weigh myself in the morning after I use the restroom and just after a normal day of eating and drinking.

    There is no "actual weight" that you go over and under - your weight is whatever it is at that particular moment in time. The notion of a true or actual weight is nonsense.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
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    most people weigh the least when they wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom, but if you're that concerned about water weight, you could eat low sodium or eat asparagus as it works as a diuretic.
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
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    Five pounds lost from yesterday evening to this morning. Which is still up a pound from the day before. All water. It's usually just one or two pounds fluctuation, though.
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    Holiday time I get about 10-15lbs. of water weight. Takes a few days to go away.

    But usually it's a few lbs.
  • sculli123
    sculli123 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    A lot. When I was cutting for a powerlifting competition I lost 6 pounds of water in one day (purposely to make weigh in).

    But to answer your real problem, try averaging out your weight over the course of a week rather than worrying about daily fluctuations.
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    I'm about 5-7lbs heavier during the course of a single day.

    Some of that will be undigested food, I guess. I expect the lion's share is water weight.
  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
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    I think if you remain well hydrated your weight just is what it is...but if you see jumps and there are reasons for the jumps: high salt intake the day before, period, having just traveled for a period of time, over-eating for a brief period, constipation, underlying medical issue...these can all be legitimate water weight jumps on the scale. the problem is at least a few of these things we can't always control.
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
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    Curious about answers to this too. It's easy enough to see how much your weight can fluctuate during the day by, but when I weigh myself in the morning, obviously its one of the most consistent readings you will get, but also one of the lightest, as there's no unprocessed food in your system, and also after a nights sleep your hydration levels are going to be low enough.

    After weighing a 350ml glass of water, which weighs just about a pound actually, I suppose most of us are probably deyhdrated to the tune of a pound or two in the morning. This is pure speculation on my part though, but something I've been curious about :)
  • cherbear427
    cherbear427 Posts: 9
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    My weight can very from 3-6 lbs from my morning weigh in when I am curious and weigh myself around lunch or after dinner.

    it is always gone by the morning....

    (I am cutting back on how much I weigh myself because the weight fluctuations drive me nuts).
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    A previous poster got it right. You don't have a single "true" weight. You are on a continuum.

    You can sample this continuum at a constant time of the day and make meaningful comparisons as to trends over the weeks based on two like-for-like readings.
  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
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    I am currently at an all time high weight fluctuation (about 5 pounds) as opposed to the typical 2 pounds. do I assume that the extra three pounds are "actual" weight gain?
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    I am currently at an all time high weight fluctuation (about 5 pounds) as opposed to the typical 2 pounds. do I assume that the extra three pounds are "actual" weight gain?

    Depends. Recently changed exercise style/routine/intensity?

    Eaten more sodium heavy foods?

    Have extra stressors in your life? Missed any sleep recently?

    Lots of things can cause weight gain. Unless you've consistently overeaten and been circa 10,500 calories over maintenance then it's unlikely to be fat gain.
  • W31RD0
    W31RD0 Posts: 173 Member
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    and just after a normal day of eating and drinking.

    And that's your problem right there. When you do that, you are also weighing the food you ate, which can vary wildly. Only weigh yourself in the morning after the morning toilet visit.
  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
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    I am currently at an all time high weight fluctuation (about 5 pounds) as opposed to the typical 2 pounds. do I assume that the extra three pounds are "actual" weight gain?

    Depends. Recently changed exercise style/routine/intensity?

    Eaten more sodium heavy foods?

    Have extra stressors in your life? Missed any sleep recently?

    Lots of things can cause weight gain. Unless you've consistently overeaten and been circa 10,500 calories over maintenance then it's unlikely to be fat gain.

    well, yes, just took a sodium-laden vacation where I certainly ate/drank more then I typically would. but no, I don't think it was 10,500 over maintenance (hope not).
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
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    I am currently at an all time high weight fluctuation (about 5 pounds) as opposed to the typical 2 pounds. do I assume that the extra three pounds are "actual" weight gain?

    Depends. Recently changed exercise style/routine/intensity?

    Eaten more sodium heavy foods?

    Have extra stressors in your life? Missed any sleep recently?

    Lots of things can cause weight gain. Unless you've consistently overeaten and been circa 10,500 calories over maintenance then it's unlikely to be fat gain.

    well, yes, just took a sodium-laden vacation where I certainly ate/drank more then I typically would. but no, I don't think it was 10,500 over maintenance (hope not).

    Yeah, it's probably water weight. Keep hydrated and just keep on and it'll drop.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Alright before you answer, how many pounds UNDER your actual weight can water weight fluctuate?
    And how am I supposed to get my true weight reading off of the scale if my weight apparently fluctuates so much? I weigh myself in the morning after I use the restroom and just after a normal day of eating and drinking.

    There is no "actual weight" that you go over and under - your weight is whatever it is at that particular moment in time. The notion of a true or actual weight is nonsense.

    truth.

    It's more of a range- which is typically why i tell people I float at a weight.

    Right now I'm floating at 162- it's been hanging around 160- so I might have actually lost those other two pounds- but it's just easier to say float. It's a range.

    Seriously. Also the number is wildly irrelevant- I weigh every day to keep track and because I like charts- but really- it's not because I need a weight number- I just like charts and data points and it helps me make educated decisions about which direction I'm moving or not.

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