Scale Number Differences Day and Night

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  • SirZee
    SirZee Posts: 381
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    Daily fluctuations are NOT weight loss. Drink 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water? Guess how much that weighs?

    3-4 pounds is well over 10K calories. You can't possibly gain/lose that much, eating that much would make you sick, losing that much would require you to run a marathon.

    The reason why you measure in the morning before food/drinks but after #1/#2 is that it allows you the closest you can come to steady, non-food induced fluctuation affected weigh in.

    On a 2lb per week weight loss (very aggressive, not sustainable for people below 200 lb) you should change 1/7th of that in a day, less than a half pound. Fluctuations are much bigger. This is why people don't notice that they put on weight, and why they are frustrated for not seeing losses show. True/Intelligent weight loss is a monthly activity.
  • deadstarsunburn
    deadstarsunburn Posts: 1,337 Member
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    Weighing yourself in the morning is a better way of getting an accurate representation of what you really weigh because your weight is not affected by the day's water retentioin.

    This. My weight ranges in the evening depending on what I've eaten, how much, how much water I've drank, what I've done, what I've not done. Weighing in the morning makes much more sense to me!

    I agree.
    Depending on what I eat my "weight gain" can range anywhere from <1-10 pounds. lol

    I way myself multiple times a day only because I'm sort of training myself to not get worked up about numbers so much. If I weight my lower weight one day I don't spaze if I'm a few pounds more a couple days later, because I know how my body changes through out the day than day to day.
  • LovingLisa2012
    LovingLisa2012 Posts: 802 Member
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    Do you actually believe that you gain/lose 3-4lbs of fat every day/night?
    When you weigh in in the morning after using the bathroom and before eating you are weighing yourself at your true weight. When you then add food and liquids to that, it adds weight.
    When you weigh a bowl and then put your cereal in it, the bowl doesn't become heavier itself, it just has something in it making it heavier for a short period of time. It's the same for your body. Stop weighing in so often, you'll drive yourself mad.

    this ..

    just weight in the morning affter peeing, preferably naked , b4 breakfast

    during the day you eat food and drink liquids and guess what, they weigh a certain amount .. it will show on the scale that night.. also to much salt can make you retain water. .so weighing the day after a salt heavy meal, will show a gain (just water)

    to burn or gain 1 pound of fat.. you would need to take in less or more 3500 calories
    so the 3 - 4 pounds would be 10,500 - 14,000 over each day to gain that much in fat

    * weight once week ( some weigh daily but in your case, i recommend weekly
    * same time and make sure the scale is level
    * same clothes or lack there of
    * after using the bathroom / b4 taking in any food
  • ready2tryagain42
    ready2tryagain42 Posts: 202
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    I was weighing myself all the time for a while too. Had to stop. So I put my scale away and didn't weigh for 2 weeks. Made a big difference in how I look at it now.
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
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    I am new lol. I weigh myself all the time because I do, and that's it. I KNOW I shouldn't, but that doesn't stop the fact I do. it would make more sense not to, but curiosty always gets me. I always end up on the scale anyway.

    You can weigh yourself all day long if you want but only log your morning one and keep your logging time consistent.. You will get a more accurate reading if you weigh in at the same time each time.
    Good luck!
  • Bumdrahp
    Bumdrahp Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I was weighing myself all the time for a while too. Had to stop. So I put my scale away and didn't weigh for 2 weeks. Made a big difference in how I look at it now.

    I need to try this. If I could sleep with my scale right now I would. Honestly I have been doing this weight loss and healthy lifestyle change for a little over a month, So I have become obsessed with my numbers. I am very heavy, lots to lose so.. I just want to see my numbers. I would love to just lock my scale away for a week or two.
  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
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    I only weigh in about once a month sometimes not even that much I used to weigh in everyday and I got so discouraged I had to stop now I just go by how my clothes fit
  • jayele72
    jayele72 Posts: 51 Member
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    For me, I oddly found that the scale reads less just after lunch. I have no reasoning behind that but thats the weight I use now.
  • Bumdrahp
    Bumdrahp Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I am new lol. I weigh myself all the time because I do, and that's it. I KNOW I shouldn't, but that doesn't stop the fact I do. it would make more sense not to, but curiosty always gets me. I always end up on the scale anyway.

    You can weigh yourself all day long if you want but only log your morning one and keep your logging time consistent.. You will get a more accurate reading if you weigh in at the same time each time.
    Good luck!

    Thanks! Yeah I have been doing it every morning same time before work. it's usually the same as the morning before give or take a few ounces. ( for the past few days anyway). I usually just record my total loss on Sundays only. I just like to see the numbers during the week. I would like to try to NOT do this, But I am just starting out and still learning a lot. It can get overwhelming at times. So I guess I feel like the scale is my security blanket LOL. Not good.
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
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    I find my body weight fluctuates about 2-4lbs per day. It depends on how much I ate...if foods were high in sodium...if I worked out....etc.

    I usually weigh myself in the morning and that is the weight I go by.....
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    The time of day when you step on a scale and read the number that indicates the earth's gravitational force upon you doesn't actually change your body mass.

    What you want to look for is a general picture - A downward trend in weight. If you lose sight of the general picture because you're focused on daily fluctuations, then you're not doing yourself any favors by weighing yourself daily.

    Remember that you can't control your weight by stepping on a scale. You can only control it with diet, exercise, and PATIENCE.
  • Bumdrahp
    Bumdrahp Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Yeah, so I lied it's not just Sundays, I have been trying to do Sundays, seems I haven't been. just looked at my journal lol.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    OP can I ask what your current weight/height is? From your picture you don't look as overweight as you're saying.
  • medennison123
    medennison123 Posts: 191 Member
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    there are so many different factors to take into consideration for your weight at night. Things like the food you ate the water you drank. I do weigh myself at night just as a "ok i should be around x and when i sleep i will lose x." It is more of a head game for me. But the only weights I record on mfp are the weekly weigh ins in the mourning before breakfast.
  • melhayes1115
    melhayes1115 Posts: 187 Member
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    I understand the need to weigh yourself multiple times per day. I use to do it and sometimes still do. I agree with everyone when they say pick a time of day whether it's the morning or night and stick with that as your actual weigh in time. I prefer morning since I know I won't be weighed down by food. If you feel the need to keep weighing in multiple times per day, make sure you're writing down everything you're eating and drinking and use it as a tool to see what foods are weighing you down. For example, if you eat a lot of salty foods, your body will retain more water causing you to weigh in higher. If you're eating a ton of fresh fruits and veggies, your system will flush out the bad stuff and you'll find you won't "gain" as much during the day.
  • Bumdrahp
    Bumdrahp Posts: 1,314 Member
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    The time of day when you step on a scale and read the number that indicates the earth's gravitational force upon you doesn't actually change your body mass.

    What you want to look for is a general picture - A downward trend in weight. If you lose sight of the general picture because you're focused on daily fluctuations, then you're not doing yourself any favors by weighing yourself daily.

    Remember that you can't control your weight by stepping on a scale. You can only control it with diet, exercise, and PATIENCE.


    Yeah I know I can't control it stepping on a scale. It's not about being impatient for me. Of course I would like to see more progress but, I can't say 11 lbs in a month is bad. So, I am happy.
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
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    I am new lol. I weigh myself all the time because I do, and that's it. I KNOW I shouldn't, but that doesnt stop the fact I do. it would make more sense not to, but curiosty always gets me. I always end up on the scale anyway.

    And that's fine. I weigh myself every morning. But when I was new to the healthier lifestyle, I had to hide my scale, because I wasn't familiar enough with my body to accept that my weigh is going to go up every now and then. It's like a pretty little wave-line pattern. I'll drop to my new lowest, and then go up a pound or two over the course of the week, and usually (if I've been good) hit another new low a week or two later. When I was just starting out, that was incredibly frustrating.
    Now a days, I use the scale to guide my choices through the following day. I am up .2 of a pound this morning, even though I ran 3 miles and was under my calorie limit, which I can reasonably guess means I had just a bit too much bread with dinner, and the sodium from the sauce is probably causing me to retain water. So today, to even things out, I'll go easy on the carbs and drink a few extra cups of water.
    Everyone will weigh less at the end of the day. Don't use that as a reason to not celebrate your losses that are shown in the morning :)
  • Bumdrahp
    Bumdrahp Posts: 1,314 Member
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    OP can I ask what your current weight/height is? From your picture you don't look as overweight as you're saying.

    5'2 231 ( according to morning loss). It's a head shot. lol.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    Know it's a head shot but usually people who are our size 'look' bigger in the face.

    Honestly you can stop stepping on the scale. Just takes some discipline.
  • Qatsi
    Qatsi Posts: 2,191 Member
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    Like the other posters said - pick a time of day and be consistent about when you weigh yourself.

    Also - for consistency, use the SAME scale for tracking your weight. Your home scale isn't necessarily calibrated the same as the one at your friend's house, or the gym, or the doctor's office. But it should be consistent with ITSELF, so a 5-pound loss is really a 5-pound loss.

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