This Whole Water Weight Thing Is Pissing Me Off

cari4jc1

When I started this whole thing in May I lost 2 pounds a week for 3 weeks getting me all happy and excited. Then the 4th week I supposedly "gained" 2 back, but by the weekend I was back down to where I was. By Monday I had "lost" an additional 2 pounds and then by the end of last week I had lost another pound putting me at a total of 9 pounds. This week, however, I'm "gaining" again. Supposedly I "gained" a pound overnight in addition to the "pound" I gained earlier this week. So I'm guessing/hoping that next week it'll go back down. It's so frustrating though...why does this happen??? I know it has to be water weight because there's no way I have overeaten by that many calories. I stick to my goal pretty closely and I exercise 4-5 times a week. Does the whole water weight thing ever balance out?

ElizabethRoad

You will always have fluctuations in your weight. As long as you are losing fat, the general trend should be downward.

sgmomma

Only weigh once a week. There is really no reason to weigh more than that. Your body weight naturally fluctuates from day to day...You could logically weigh five pounds heavier in the evening then you did that morning. Also if you have a high sodium diet with low water intake thats going to cause fluctuations also

mcarter99

I don't think we ever just weigh the same all the time. Our bodies will always vary by several pounds throughout the day and the week and the month.

It IS annoying. If you weigh so frequently you see the blips (we all do) can you focus on a long term average weight instead of the daily number? I've heard of scales you can set to display the average but most of us probably need to log it in a spreadsheet or app that gives it to us. Or can you focus on another metric, like how your certain jeans fit or your waist circumference?

I focus on the inputs. How many days can I hit my activity and calorie goal? I can't directly control the scale so I try to ignore and focus on what I can control instead.

stfuriada

Then stop measuring your progress via scale.

Use measuring tapes/ clothes to gauge how much you lost. Say your size 6 pants were super tight 3 weeks ago, and now it isn't. YAY you lost inches!

ElizabethRoad

How would only weighing once a week be helpful? You might be in an upward fluctuation on your weigh-in day. If you weigh every day, you can see the trend.

Crochetluvr

Some people weigh every day to monitor how their body is working. If that frustrates you, I agree with only weighing once a week. I dont weigh more than that because I dont want to be a total slave to the scale. I am using my clothes as a measuring tool just as much.

DrMAvDPhD

I actually weigh every day so that seeing a 3 lb jump doesn't freak me out. I only record "new lows". I told myself if I ever had a jump that stuck around for more than a week, I would record it as a gain. In 95 days it hasn't happened. The most I have ever gone without seeing the same number or a new low number is about 5 days.

Abrandnewme36

How would only weighing once a week be helpful? You might be in an upward fluctuation on your weigh-in day. If you weigh every day, you can see the trend.

I agree! If I only weighed once a week and saw a big jump it would case major problems. Weighing every day, I can see a trend.

dlwyatt82

If you log your weight on MFP, you can click the Reports tab and see a graph of it. Ignoring all the short-term ups and downs, you can see the overall trend more clearly.

Don't sweat the little gains / losses. You will be doing that all your life, many times per day; no one's weight is constant.

korinastern

I cant stop weighing i gave the scale to the hubby and he lets me have it every morning it flucuates but i only record new lows also. it is going up and down but mostly down and i havent seen some weights at all any more thank god

cari4jc1

I totally agree with not weighing too much. My weight from morning to night can sometimes be a difference of 3 pounds so I don't let that bother me. And I do measure and am seeing progress there and my clothes definitely don't fit anymore...in a good way. haha I think I'm just scared that I'm going to do a repeat of 2009 when I first started exercising and eating better. I lost major inches and dropped sizes, but lost no weight. By March 2010 I still hadn't lost any weight and then I got pregnant. I worked so hard those months and saw no scale movement. I am just scared I think that that is going to happen again.

juliedozier

Super frustrating, I agree. Having said that ... I started my new way of life on Jan 2 and there are times I gain, and plateau but now that it's been several months I can see a pattern in it. Seems to be hormonal, and even though I still get frustrated I know that if I just stick with it next week will be all better. Hang in there and keep up the good work!

becsks

I've pretty much decided I won't weigh myself during my PMS, due entirely to water weight and bloating. It makes me feel bad, but it doesn't reflect on my real progress. Our bodies fluctuate naturally. Maybe you ate some sodium, maybe it's that time of month, maybe anything. So long as the overall trend is down, you're okay!

cari4jc1

I actually weigh every day so that seeing a 3 lb jump doesn't freak me out. I only record "new lows". I told myself if I ever had a jump that stuck around for more than a week, I would record it as a gain. In 95 days it hasn't happened. The most I have ever gone without seeing the same number or a new low number is about 5 days.

That's a good rule to go by. I do only record new lows as well. I know I didn't actually gain any actual weight so I won't log it as that. That would be horribly depressing. And there's no way I ate 3500 calories in a day. I just have to find a way to not let my brain get wrapped up in the scale and somehow overcome the fear of failure. It's a difficult thing to do.

terrirz

try drinking MORE water to flush out your system more..I went several weeks only loosing a pound here and there then I started drinking more water this week on top of not eating back my work out calories and Ive lost 9 pounds! Granted most of it is just the water Ive been holding but I feel better and less bloated and sluggish.. Im thinking (not sure if its possible?) that my body was use to my daily water intake (which is already 12 or more glasses a day) so it needed more. I spend alot of time peeing but it if keeps my system cleaned out and my body loosing weight Im cool with it..:)

monty619

When I started this whole thing in May I lost 2 pounds a week for 3 weeks getting me all happy and excited. Then the 4th week I supposedly "gained" 2 back, but by the weekend I was back down to where I was. By Monday I had "lost" an additional 2 pounds and then by the end of last week I had lost another pound putting me at a total of 9 pounds. This week, however, I'm "gaining" again. Supposedly I "gained" a pound overnight in addition to the "pound" I gained earlier this week. So I'm guessing/hoping that next week it'll go back down. It's so frustrating though...why does this happen??? I know it has to be water weight because there's no way I have overeaten by that many calories. I stick to my goal pretty closely and I exercise 4-5 times a week. Does the whole water weight thing ever balance out?

yeh if you eat the same amount of carbohydrates each day, at the same time of day... its not bad water weight its glycogen that goes to ur muscles and liver... if you dont eat carbs you will have less glycogen (water within cells), if you eat more carbs your body will hold more glycogen... sodium is overrated for water retention it wont have much of an effect especially from an aesthetic perspective its mainly from carbs... keep eating carbs just understand if you want consistent results you have to eat consistently... dont rely on the scale anyhow just look in the mirror.

rainwalkerSK

I actually weigh every day so that seeing a 3 lb jump doesn't freak me out. I only record "new lows". I told myself if I ever had a jump that stuck around for more than a week, I would record it as a gain. In 95 days it hasn't happened. The most I have ever gone without seeing the same number or a new low number is about 5 days.

I love this idea

BlondeQtTexas

I've found that drinking "Sassy Water" every day helps with water weight. The only time I get now it is if I eat something very salty.

Here is the recipe for Sassy Water. I love it and think it's delicious. It also aids in digestion.


Ingredients

2 liters water
1 tsp fresh, grated ginger
12 mint leaves
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced

How to make it

Combine all ingredients in pitcher.
Drink all in one day.
(if you let it sit overnight, the flavors are stronger...personal preference)
Enjoy!

Blasescorso

When I started this whole thing in May I lost 2 pounds a week for 3 weeks getting me all happy and excited. Then the 4th week I supposedly "gained" 2 back, but by the weekend I was back down to where I was. By Monday I had "lost" an additional 2 pounds and then by the end of last week I had lost another pound putting me at a total of 9 pounds. This week, however, I'm "gaining" again. Supposedly I "gained" a pound overnight in addition to the "pound" I gained earlier this week. So I'm guessing/hoping that next week it'll go back down. It's so frustrating though...why does this happen??? I know it has to be water weight because there's no way I have overeaten by that many calories. I stick to my goal pretty closely and I exercise 4-5 times a week. Does the whole water weight thing ever balance out?

I understand totally! My weight has gone down minimally if any, i am not even sure what i weigh..yesterday i was 4 lbs less than i am today! I would gain weight even if i was in a coma!

Bob314159

I have no understanding why weighing once a week is considered good. Yes weight fluctuates from day to day and will usually go up and down as the day progresses, but weighing once a day will let you see the average and show. you true gains and losses. Ideally why first thing in the morning, after the bathroom and before dressing.

If you only weigh once a week and happen to do it on the days that you were above average - that would be depressing - since it gave you the wrong info.

cari4jc1

I've found that drinking "Sassy Water" every day helps with water weight. The only time I get now it is if I eat something very salty.

Here is the recipe for Sassy Water. I love it and think it's delicious. It also aids in digestion.


Ingredients

2 liters water
1 tsp fresh, grated ginger
12 mint leaves
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced

How to make it

Combine all ingredients in pitcher.
Drink all in one day.
(if you let it sit overnight, the flavors are stronger...personal preference)
Enjoy!

Thank you! I will have to try that.

Duck_Puddle

I have no understanding why weighing once a week is considered good. Yes weight fluctuates from day to day and will usually go up and down as the day progresses, but weighing once a day will let you see the average and show. you true gains and losses. Ideally why first thing in the morning, after the bathroom and before dressing.

If you only weigh once a week and happen to do it on the days that you were above average - that would be depressing - since it gave you the wrong info.

I agree. My weight fluctuates by 2-4-6-8-9 lbs from day to day and if I only weighed myself once a week and it happened to be a day when I was up 9lbs-I'd be all kinds of pissed off. But that's me. I think it's like any data-it's not that too much data is a bad thing, it's what you do with the data. It seems a lot of people internalize the single number on the scale and don't "helicopter up" to see it as part of a trend. If you drive yourself crazy with daily fluctuations-either learn to see them as part of a long-term trend or don't put yourself in a situation to see all the fluctuations (meaning don't weigh yourself every day). Just know that your weight does fluctuate daily-and just because you choose to only collect one data point each week doesn't mean that the one data point you are collecting is the most representative of the "real" number (the previously mentioned situation where the one day you weigh yourself could be a day where you swing wildly up or down-making you think you've lost or gained more than you really have). I guess I should mention that I am in data analytics for a career-so weeding through and making sense of lots of data is how my brain works-I've learned that most people don't share that same brain wiring.

mcarter99

How would only weighing once a week be helpful? You might be in an upward fluctuation on your weigh-in day. If you weigh every day, you can see the trend.

I think it's helpful for people who are losing over the course of a week, but they don't see the forest for the trees because they're seeing 'gains' throughout the week, mixed in with the losses.

kwin91

This is strange to me because I weight lift and usually I should retain more water sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I pee like crazy, and not on purpose but I just am always going to the bathroom at least like 8-10 time during the day and at night two more times.... So I hardly ever see any water weight making me fluctuate. maybe you should try checking the scale every two days? I check mine everyday and if its the same or above slightly for a few days I wont record it until i see something give...maybe try adding less sodium into your diet, I really have to try hard to stay right around 2500 mg a day and sometimes I go over, but I would try that. Don't get discouraged!!

sarahrbraun

I totally agree with not weighing too much. My weight from morning to night can sometimes be a difference of 3 pounds so I don't let that bother me. And I do measure and am seeing progress there and my clothes definitely don't fit anymore...in a good way. haha I think I'm just scared that I'm going to do a repeat of 2009 when I first started exercising and eating better. I lost major inches and dropped sizes, but lost no weight. By March 2010 I still hadn't lost any weight and then I got pregnant. I worked so hard those months and saw no scale movement. I am just scared I think that that is going to happen again.

just remember that the scale is only ONE tool for measuring your progress, and it is not always an accurate record. The measuring tape is a tool too. The scale has been slow to register progress for me too...however, in the last month I have found muscles that I haven't seen in a long time--like my biceps and my calf muscles!

Take pictures. I just posted a series of pictures on my profile last night. The earliest one was taken just about 8 weeks ago ( about mid april), the next one was taken May 18th, and the last one was taken 6 days ago. There is only like an 8 or 9 pound difference between the first picture and the last!

Just remember that a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat, so you could very easily be losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time...so the scale would not register the "loss" of your fat.

cari4jc1

Thanks everyone! I guess sometimes I just need a little pep talk. It can be so easy to get focused on what's right in front of me instead of the big picture. I should definitely take some pictures. I don't really have any actual "before" shots, but I do have a few pictures of me in the past few months. So maybe that'll be inspiring to see pictures of myself as I go. I must say though that after reading all of your comments and then exercising even though I didn't really feel like it, I feel a little better. Today is my 9 year wedding anniversary so it's gonna be a good day even if the scale doesn't show a 10 pound loss. haha

krawl78

Hey cari,

I took a peek at your diary and I would recommend dropping your sodium intake to stop the fluctuation with water weight. It may take a couple of days to balance out, but it should help! Good luck!~

megleo818

I actually weigh every day so that seeing a 3 lb jump doesn't freak me out. I only record "new lows". I told myself if I ever had a jump that stuck around for more than a week, I would record it as a gain. In 95 days it hasn't happened. The most I have ever gone without seeing the same number or a new low number is about 5 days.

I do this, too! Except that I don't record a jump if it sticks for over a week, since I'm gaining a lot of muscle and sometimes it takes the scale a crazy long time to catch up with my shrinking body. Use your clothes as your gauge!

BlondeQtTexas

I've found that drinking "Sassy Water" every day helps with water weight. The only time I get now it is if I eat something very salty.

Here is the recipe for Sassy Water. I love it and think it's delicious. It also aids in digestion.


Ingredients

2 liters water
1 tsp fresh, grated ginger
12 mint leaves
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced

How to make it

Combine all ingredients in pitcher.
Drink all in one day.
(if you let it sit overnight, the flavors are stronger...personal preference)
Enjoy!

Thank you! I will have to try that.

I forgot to add that the water must be super hot when you make it. Let it steep for an hour or two or overnight and then put it in the fridge and drink cold.

It's sooo refreshing. It taste like something a wonderful day spa would serve you. Every one asks for it when they come to my house for a visit.

cari4jc1

I've found that drinking "Sassy Water" every day helps with water weight. The only time I get now it is if I eat something very salty.

Here is the recipe for Sassy Water. I love it and think it's delicious. It also aids in digestion.


Ingredients

2 liters water
1 tsp fresh, grated ginger
12 mint leaves
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 lemon, thinly sliced

How to make it

Combine all ingredients in pitcher.
Drink all in one day.
(if you let it sit overnight, the flavors are stronger...personal preference)
Enjoy!

Thank you! I will have to try that.

I forgot to add that the water must be super hot when you make it. Let it steep for an hour or two or overnight and then put it in the fridge and drink cold.

It's sooo refreshing. It taste like something a wonderful day spa would serve you. Every one asks for it when they come to my house for a visit.

Thank you!

Maybe TMI, but I think I know why I'm retaining water like crazy...TOM!! A week early so I never would have thought it would be because of that, but voila! Next week I'll probably drop 5 pounds!! haha