Serious 'Yo-Yo-ing' on the scale...

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LurayneMarie
LurayneMarie Posts: 342 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Joined MFP about 4 weeks ago. Starting at 167lbs. After the first week I lost 6lbs and was down to 161.
The following week I was really good but had a slight slip up at the weekend and ate fast food after a night out.
Weighed a couple of days later and I was up 4 to 165lbs. (I told myself it was water retention after the salty foods...)

Then the next week I got back town to 160 but a few days later I had to go home for a family occasion for a couple of days. So that was wednesday March 9th when I went home. I left at 160lbs. I'll admit I fell off the wagon and didnt watch my food etc.
But I came back to my house on Monday last and I weighed in at 170lbs?!?!?!?! A 10lb gain? Seriously?

I was good for the whole of this week, drank water and watched my food. I was down to 161lbs this morning.
Is this all water?! I don understand how I could gain and lose 10lbs in the space of about a week ?!

My body is a weird machine. Dunno what's happening with it. Im scared to have cheat days now:sad:

Replies

  • T0M0
    T0M0 Posts: 250 Member
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    You should try using the same set of scales for every weigh in. Using different scales is not recommended as they can be calibrated differently.
  • MissLedford87
    MissLedford87 Posts: 32
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    do you think maybe your scale is off? or did you weigh yourself on more then one scale
  • LurayneMarie
    LurayneMarie Posts: 342 Member
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    Yep same scales, same time of the day (morning before breakfast)... BAFFLING!
  • dlaplume2
    dlaplume2 Posts: 1,658 Member
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    Wow!! That is some serious up and down on the scale. I think it is probably a good chunk of water weight. Was it your TOM too? That can contribute to water weight fluctuating like that.

    Look at the big picture you are still down 6lbs. Maybe you should just plan better for your cheat days if you want to have them. Take your cheat day drink plenty of water. Don't weigh yourself for like 4 days after. Make sure you are careful about what you eat and drink plenty of water after your cheat day. That should help you figure your actual weight instead of water weight.

    Best wishes.
  • rjgarr
    rjgarr Posts: 2
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    Stop looking at your weight so often. Once a week is good. Weight loss is a journey not a day trip. It sounds like you are doing OK. When you're ready increase your activities, limit your treats (still have some) and develop a solid sustainable pattern.

    Keep doing what you're doing (except the scale watching)!
  • meanebaby
    meanebaby Posts: 22 Member
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    I did the same type of thing when I started (not too long ago). The advice I received was to weigh once per week. You also may want to check your scale. Different scales weighs differently and the scale I had wasn’t precise so I got a better one. Hope this helps!!

    If you are exercising, you are gaining muscle. You may be gaining muscle faster than you are losing fat. Just another thought.
  • Imthatg1rl
    Imthatg1rl Posts: 109
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    I have gained about that much around my TOM. Don't worry about the scale so often, it can get addicting which can lead to unhealthy expectations. Keep up the good work :)
  • LurayneMarie
    LurayneMarie Posts: 342 Member
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    Thanks guys. Yeah I usually weigh once a week but I get curious somedays as to how Im doing so I might hop on to check but I dont usually get stressed about it because I know it fluctuates during the week anyways but I got a bit worried when I was up 10lbs one week and down 10lbs the next!
    I dont have anymore family occasions for the next 2 months so there's no chance of me having a 'cheat week' I'll make sure of that!

    Im losing the inches so Im happy about that. I exercise most days of the week and have quite a high burn.
    Now that it was mentioned I did have TOM last week....so Im guessing that could have been a big factor too. DOH!

    Im just nervous about the 'yo-yo-ing' because Ive been bouncing around between 160 and 170lbs for the last year and a half and I WANT OUT!! I know I just need to focus more.

    But thanks everyone for the input, I realize Im being too reliant on the scale and if its just water retention then I should be ok :)

    Much Love :flowerforyou:
  • smashmay
    smashmay Posts: 15 Member
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    These other people are right. You should only weigh yourself once a week. I was weighing myself everyday and getting very frustrated that my weight would fluctuate as it did. I'm now starting to only weigh once a week. Granted, I just started doing this, but it has to be better than every day.
  • winw
    winw Posts: 15
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    Definitely, ONLY weigh once a week (same time, naked, same scales - preferably when you first get up).

    Increase your exercise if you can, but eat all or most of your exercise calories, and plan better for your times of falling off the wagon. Many good suggestions above, especially water (instead of liquor).

    You might want to actually add up what you eat and drink when you fall off. You might be horrified to learn that it was 1,000's of calories - seriously. A single margarita can be 1,500 calories. A single h'ors d'oeurve can be well more than 100 calories and who eats just one. (I can easily eat my entire day's ration of calories in one plate-full at a cocktail party!) A March Madness party with chips, dip, beer-drinking-food could be three or four days' worth of calories. What skinny people take for granted and can burn off in 24 hours can set us back a week or more.

    It's discouraging and hard to have to get back up on the same horse week after week, but you can do it.

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