Fluctuations

mistermog

Okay, so I stay on my calorie goal pretty religiously, work out most days (somewhere between 4-6 days) and stay active on my off days, but my weight is going all over the place. Two weeks ago I gained .8 lbs, then lost 1.2 last week, and gained 1.4 this week.

I've been at this for about two years now and am only down about 45 lbs. Admittedly, I was quite as serious about it most of that time as I have been since January, but even so, that's not exactly ground-breaking.

Obviously that's getting pretty disheartening, so if y'all have any suggestions, I'm all ears!

scloyd

I haven't been doing this long enough to give you any answers. I started MFP about 7 weeks ago and was weighing myself every morning and if I didn't lose I was discouraged. So now I weigh myself about twice a week and I log my weight only on Monday mornings. I'm down 14 lbs in 7 weeks. Everyone keeps telling me that it comes off quick and easy in the beginning. People tell me that I'll hit plateaus and my weight loss will fluctuate.

Stick with it and stay away from Oklahoma Joe's and Gates.

downsizinghoss

One thing that can help, is to take some measurements. Waist, chest, etc.

Sometimes you will see a difference there even if you don't see it on the scale.

Right now I weigh exactly what I did a year ago. During that time though my cardio has gone through the roof and I have dropped an X off of my pants size.

HowieTwoPointZero

I think that's a guy thing. I went over a few days last week, but nothing huge, I gained 2.something pounds. I stayed pretty much on target but one day the week before and I lost 6. I'm all over the place. I don't get how people can weight themselves daily, I'm considering going bi-monthly.

mistermog

Some of the other feedback I've gotten is to try to eat the calories you're burning during workouts. I can't imagine trying to cram another 700-800 calories into my day, but I've picked up some protein shakes and am adding a bit to my meals this week to try it out.

liveonlocation

I have this happen on a consistent basis. I weigh myself everyday some times a couple of times. I'm not discouraged when I'm up or haven't lost, after all it is going down. ~50lbs in the last 12 weeks.

But here's what always seems to happen for me.

I weigh in, I post up a loss on my ticker. (I only record losses) then, inevitably the next day, I am up 4-5lbs. Then it take 4-5 days to get back to my recorded loss. Then about another day or two to post another loss.

I know that this is the way it always goes so I don't worry about it anymore. It's almost like a game now to see how long before the scale shows a loss again.

That's why I weigh myself a couple of times a day, because it seems that I show a low weight at different times of the day.

Fun stuff.

Keep at it, if you are sticking to your cals, it will only end up going down lower and lower.

boggsmeister

I have this happen on a consistent basis. I weigh myself everyday some times a couple of times. I'm not discouraged when I'm up or haven't lost, after all it is going down. ~50lbs in the last 12 weeks.

But here's what always seems to happen for me.

I weigh in, I post up a loss on my ticker. (I only record losses) then, inevitably the next day, I am up 4-5lbs. Then it take 4-5 days to get back to my recorded loss. Then about another day or two to post another loss.

I know that this is the way it always goes so I don't worry about it anymore. It's almost like a game now to see how long before the scale shows a loss again.

That's why I weigh myself a couple of times a day, because it seems that I show a low weight at different times of the day.

Fun stuff.

Keep at it, if you are sticking to your cals, it will only end up going down lower and lower.

That's funny, because it works that way for me too. I will lose weight, and gain the water back, then lose again, then gain the water back. As long as that scatter graph goes in a downward direction I am A-OK fine. My goals are set to 6 pounds a month, so it's not like that is hard to hit.

burkhale

I was fluxing sporatically and could not understand why but then my wife noticed that it was tied to whenever we ate pork. My weight will go up 2 to 3 pounds the very day after eating ribs or pork chops or bacon. Now, unhappily, I don't eat bacon and keep my ribs and chops to a minimum. Unfortunately, the weather is warming up and I want to smoke some ribs badly! :sad:

liveonlocation

I hear ya on the ribs. I am going to try to just do 2 slabs of baby backs soon. Then I have to see if I can only eat half of a rack. Fingers crossed. Until then it's grilling chicken and smoking turkey breasts.

teejayjancik

One thing that can help, is to take some measurements. Waist, chest, etc.

Sometimes you will see a difference there even if you don't see it on the scale.

Right now I weigh exactly what I did a year ago. During that time though my cardio has gone through the roof and I have dropped an X off of my pants size.





Wow! An "X" of the pants size is awesome!!!

leodru

I take measurements and sometimes its reassuring. I started working out pretty aggressively and am putting on weight but the gut just wont leave. I eat better than everyone around me but sometimes it seems like i am just stuck. I have faith that the exercise will pay off. Sometimes my weight can bounce around 5 pounds from one week to the next without much change in diet. Kills me!

cbeutler

If you are willing open up your diary so we can take a peek.

HansTied

Another thing that causes weight fluxuation is sodium. On the days my sodium is higher, I can see a weigh gain the very next day. It is also the hardest number to keep low, because processed foods are so High in sodium. Most people don't have the time to prepare fresh food every meal. Life gets in the way.

just a thought.

eatlessnmovemore

Taking linear measurements is a good strategy, like a previous reply noted. Dependent on your workouts, you may be strengthening, thus building muscle tissue, which is denser and therefore heavier than fat tissue. Thus gains in fitness can sometimes be overshadowed by the single measure of weight, which is only a measure of your density factored by Earth's gravity. If you are weight training, try higher rep, lower weight circuit routines that jack up your cardio while improving your muscular endurance, but not consistently building new muscle.

I was once a very fit, lean 260 when I was training for and playing football. I am now a soft 280. My ideal lean weight now, without putting all that muscle back on, would be about 220. If I were to train for muscle mass, I would likely flatten out at around 250 or so. Try not to get discouraged.

Another thing, and I do not know what your workout routine is like, but the body will plateau if you are doing the same routine over time. Change it up. Another strategy is to break up the same amount of exercise into small blocks. Each time your workout, there is residual metabolism that occurs afterward. Engaging this in the body more than once in a day can have a greater net burn compared to the same workout in one block.

WingMan380

I totally misread the title of this thread..........I thought it said flatulations..........carry on.

fireguy286

Hey new guy here. I started out in 2008 when I bought my new mountain bike at 270 pounds. I'm now right at 235, although I've been as low as 225. I don't exactly do things fast. Firstly, when you're losing weight it's not a linear process. You lose a little, you gain a little. I weigh myself everyday and as long as I've stuck to my calories I don't worry at all about a one pound weight gain. At the end of the average week, if you've stuck to your calories, you'll be down one to two pounds. Also, as has been said, weight is only one part of the equation. I'm up ten pounds over the last year, now on a weight loss phase, and I'm healthier than I was at 225. Out of the 15 pounds of weight I gained, about seven to ten pounds of that is lean body mass. As a middle ager, that stuff is like gold, because if you don't gain it, you're probably losing it. Lean body mass is what keeps you getting out of bed without pain, keeps you're metabolism fired up, etc. When building muscle, I purposely ate more calories than I was burning so that muscle could be built. Keep you're eye on the scale but don't get discouraged unless your waist on your pants is getting tighter.

DerekG79

I weight daily. I hate this fact, but at the same time, I can't help myself. That said..I have daily fluctuations and it drives me crazy. I am guess I am ok because I am on a downward trend. I have notice I have much better days if I keep my sodium down (so hard). I only record my weight on Fridays and I make sure to keep the sodium down on Wednesdays and Thursdays so I am not disappointed on Fridays. I know this might sound stupid, but I also have much better weeks when I let loose and eat what I want on the weekend (all in calorie range tho..or close to it.)

fireguy286

Also, in regards to eating back the calories you spent exercising. I think it's crazy to try and get back all of them, especially if you're not hungry. On the other hand, if I don't have a protein shake with a little bit of fruit, about 200 calories, I will get incredibly hungry later on. I call it a recovery shake, I feel like my body responds better when I have it after exercise.

leodru

I'm the same - weight all the time and record Fridays. I go up every weekend and it drops off by wednesday and i have wednesday and thursday for my net losses. sodium sensitive and it drives me nuts trying to get it out of my diet - its in milk even !

DerekG79

I'm the same - weight all the time and record Fridays. I go up every weekend and it drops off by wednesday and i have wednesday and thursday for my net losses. sodium sensitive and it drives me nuts trying to get it out of my diet - its in milk even !

I know..lots of it in milk! Sodium kills me and I just don't have time not to eat some processed foods. I find that raw eggs even have sodium! I think my weright is better in the mornings if I have a large cup of decaff coffee before bed...maybe its the diuretic effect?

scloyd

I'm the same - weight all the time and record Fridays. I go up every weekend and it drops off by wednesday and i have wednesday and thursday for my net losses. sodium sensitive and it drives me nuts trying to get it out of my diet - its in milk even !

I weigh myself almost everyday, but only register it on Monday mornings. My wife and I go out every Saturday either for lunch or dinner and weighing in on Mondays helps me control my eating on the weekends.

pearsy67

Fluctuations are normal, my nutritionist described it as a leaf flutering down. Some flat the odd travel up, but a downward trend. It just depeds on what you eat, salt, protein etc, how much you 'waste' and how much water you are retaining. So long as the trend is down don't worry about it. I plateaued for almost 10 days bu overall my average loss has been the same(ish).