Why does my weight vary so much?

sheep_dog

I started using myfitnesspal about a month ago. I started off at 174 lbs and now a little under a month later, I think I'm around 165. But I've had some really crazy things happen in the last few days. I weigh myself every night and record my weight. It generally goes down, everyone once in a while I'll gain a bit, but lose more the next day so I wasn't too concerned. In the last week, the scale said I lost 2 lbs one day, 1 lb the next, then the next day I went up 2 lbs.

I don't think it's a scale error as I bought a new digital scale and follow the directions very carefully. Last night it said I was 168.8, this morning (just checked because I was curious) it said i was 166.6. How do I lose 2.2 lbs overnight? It's very frustrating to see such backwards progress. I am still following the myfitnesspal guidelines, and eating my 1250 calories a day (set at 2 lbs to lose per week), and riding my bike 7 miles a night to burn off an extra ~300 calories. Doing nothing different for these crazy things to happen. Please help!

Any idea whats going on?

holeshottdr

Water weight. Stop weighing yourself so much. Pick a day of the week to weigh in. Make sure you weigh in at the same time of the day. Generally, upon waking is the best time before any activity or fluid intake will give you more of an accurate weight.

SPNLuver83

Water weight. Stop weighing yourself so much. Pick a day of the week to weigh in. Make sure you weigh in at the same time of the day. Generally, upon waking is the best time before any activity or fluid intake will give you more of an accurate weight.

this

dg09

^^^ Exactly, it's water weight.

I can go up to +11lbs on certain days. Make sure you're drinking plenty of water.

kimberliiw

I weigh every day and it just happens.... water, a big meal, bowel contents. Look at the big picture, not the little fragments.

XXXMinnieXXX

Too much salt you hold water.... (easily done) I had gammon/ham yesterday and I'm up 2.5lbs today. Sore muscles make you hold water. Bowel movements not so great.... Weighs a lot. Not enough water during the day or drinking too much water at. Night... So many variables... Please stop weighing every day... You'll drive yourself nutty. Twice a week is well enough. I get tempted to do it more often, but I've learnt the reasons behind the varying weights now so generally don't let it stress me out.

Your food digests over night, and you generally use the loo a few times without pumping more water and food in like you would in the day. You'll always weigh more at night. Weigh same time of day... Naked is probably best. I repeat DO NOT WEIGH EVERYDAY... So discouraging... Few people can cope with the mind game of it!

Zara :-)

tonightokayalright

Bowel/intestine contents, bladder contents, stomach contents, degree of dehydration.

geekyjock76

I'm going to add that if you weigh 166 or so lbs, you should not be assuming a weight loss goal of 2 lbs per week! That's meant for those who have around 60 or more lbs to lose. Your deficit should be half of what it is now - pursue a 1 lb a week weight loss goal instead. That huge deficit isn't going to lead to more actual fat oxidation so you're just adding additional unnecessary stress to your body, RMR and hormones.

YcatsFursworth

Water weight. Stop weighing yourself so much. Pick a day of the week to weigh in. Make sure you weigh in at the same time of the day. Generally, upon waking is the best time before any activity or fluid intake will give you more of an accurate weight.

Agreed. I stop drinking and eatting after midnight and try to weigh myself around 9 on a set day after using the bathroom. That way my tummy is empty and I'm at my set "bace" weight that isn't gonna be different dependent on what I ate the day before as much.

2hobbit1

Weight in the morning + weight of all the food you eat + weight of all the beverages you drank = your weight in the evening.

This is why you should only weigh yourself at the same time in the day under the same conditions. As in in the buff, first thing in the AM after your dump and before you eat or drink. That way there is nothing extra to confuse the issue.

jean701

Just weigh yourself once a week, if you do it daily as you report, your weight will fluctuate depending upon how much water your body is holding onto, female hormones if you're not menopausal, and you'll find that you'll feel downright negative seeing your weight go up and down like that.
So,pick a day to weigh, make sure you've used the toilet before, and that if you weigh in clothes (I weigh in the buff), that they are the same kind of clothes at least they aren't heavier or lighter each time.

Spartan_Maker

Your weight is affected day-to-day by what you eat and your exercise routine.

If you eat more carbohydrates and/or sodium one day versus another, you'll store more water and glycogen and weigh more. If you have an intense exercise session, your body will likely store more water to assist in muscle repair.

Neither of these circumstances mean that you gained body fat.

If you like data, your best bet is to weigh yourself in the morning as soon as you wake up. Weighing yourself at night is likely to give you the most erratic readings.

Megdmcda

ur time of day. i always weigh about two lbs heavier at night than i did that morning. then its comes back off.. its all the liquid and food u ate during the day that hasn't digested yet

dogo187

if you want to weigh every day you can, but dont be a slave to your scale...

only record your weigh once a week at the most...the best, most accurate way is first thing in the morning after your bathroom ritual...

i weigh once a week and measure once a month....i also have my body fat percentage checked...BF% is really the best indicator of overall health...

jzammetti

weigh once a week or every two weeks for more accurate results (because of everything everyone else has said).

jzammetti

if you want to weigh every day you can, but dont be a slave to your scale...

only record your weigh once a week at the most...the best, most accurate way is first thing in the morning after your bathroom ritual...

i weigh once a week and measure once a month....i also have my body fat percentage checked...BF% is really the best indicator of overall health...

^^^^ THIS is what I do as well

sheep_dog

In response to everyone, WOW thanks for all the replies! This was my first post and I really liked the replies.

And, I do weigh myself at the same time of day (every night at approx 9) and I drink the same amount of water a day. BUT some of you said things about maybe if I eat too much salt, etc. that it may cause me to hold more weight. I guess I will now weigh myself every Friday!

I'm going to add that if you weigh 166 or so lbs, you should not be assuming a weight loss goal of 2 lbs per week! That's meant for those who have around 60 or more lbs to lose. Your deficit should be half of what it is now - pursue a 1 lb a week weight loss goal instead. That huge deficit isn't going to lead to more actual fat oxidation so you're just adding additional unnecessary stress to your body, RMR and hormones.

You really think so? I didn't think 2 lbs a week was too crazy, as I was finding it easy to eat healthy, not be hungry, and still maintain my ~1250 calories a day. I startred at 174 (so almost 10 lbs lost now), and I just don't like like others my weight. Now that I'm down to 166, I've noticed a small change in my gut, but for 166 I still look mostly fatty with a gut. 1 lb a week would feel like a waste, I'd feel like "well..now I can eat more junk food that I don't really want... for only ~4 lbs lost a month..? Why am I even doing this?".

I have been told 2 lbs is fairly ambitious, but as long as I eat my caloric limit (in healthy food), watch my sugars/fats consumed, drink ~10 cups of water a day, take my multivitamin, and get about 30 minutes of bike riding (~300 calories lost), is that a healthy way to go?

So far it's been working great weight loss wise, been feeling better with more energy, and next to never feel hungry (I've been eating things like 1 oz of almonds as a snack to hold back hunger) Let me know!

Skeebee

In response to everyone, WOW thanks for all the replies! This was my first post and I really liked the replies.

And, I do weigh myself at the same time of day (every night at approx 9) and I drink the same amount of water a day. BUT some of you said things about maybe if I eat too much salt, etc. that it may cause me to hold more weight. I guess I will now weigh myself every Friday!

I'm going to add that if you weigh 166 or so lbs, you should not be assuming a weight loss goal of 2 lbs per week! That's meant for those who have around 60 or more lbs to lose. Your deficit should be half of what it is now - pursue a 1 lb a week weight loss goal instead. That huge deficit isn't going to lead to more actual fat oxidation so you're just adding additional unnecessary stress to your body, RMR and hormones.

You really think so? I didn't think 2 lbs a week was too crazy, as I was finding it easy to eat healthy, not be hungry, and still maintain my ~1250 calories a day. I startred at 174 (so almost 10 lbs lost now), and I just don't like like others my weight. Now that I'm down to 166, I've noticed a small change in my gut, but for 166 I still look mostly fatty with a gut. 1 lb a week would feel like a waste, I'd feel like "well..now I can eat more junk food that I don't really want... for only ~4 lbs lost a month..? Why am I even doing this?".

I have been told 2 lbs is fairly ambitious, but as long as I eat my caloric limit (in healthy food), watch my sugars/fats consumed, drink ~10 cups of water a day, take my multivitamin, and get about 30 minutes of bike riding (~300 calories lost), is that a healthy way to go?

So far it's been working great weight loss wise, been feeling better with more energy, and next to never feel hungry (I've been eating things like 1 oz of almonds as a snack to hold back hunger) Let me know!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with losing 4lbs a month. It sounds slow. But, someone...does 8lbs a month really sound THAT much better when you are going to compare it that way? That's like savings 4 cents on gas vs. 8 cents. You need gas to keep going and, obviously, any amount is going to be great. Can't be too choosy. HOWEVER, there is nothing wrong with settings a 2lbs weight loss. I did that on my calories. But, for me, I lost around 1.5 a week. Nothing is ever going to be by the book and exact. It's all about the journey to get healthier and lose weight and NOT the destination. My suggestion would be to weight less often and do it in the morning instead of night BEFORE you eat/drink/do activities. your body will always fluctuate during the day and the best way to be accurate on your weight loss/gains is to do so after your first pee in the morning as soon as you wake up. Good luck! :flowerforyou: