Is a 4 pound weight fluctuation normal?

00Mia
00Mia Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
Even before working out and dieting I noticed sometimes I would fluctuate from 120 to 116. I'm 118 now, but some days I'll be all the way down to 114. I know weight fluctuation is normal, but it's usually a pound or two, not four. Anyone else have big weight fluctuations?

Replies

  • Wpbarr
    Wpbarr Posts: 142 Member
    I can have up to 5, depending on how much water I drink.
  • emmamiso5
    emmamiso5 Posts: 44
    I would get that on my old scale and it would drive me crazy. I found this one on Amazon and have been so happy that I sucked it up and bought a new scale.

    http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-reviews/health-products/bathroom-scale-reviews/best-bathroom-scales#slide-1
  • smilingselena
    smilingselena Posts: 141 Member
    i can be around 6
  • tridiv
    tridiv Posts: 47 Member
    I usually fluctuate about a kg or 2 which is about a 4 pounds, its fine I guess, it may just normal variation
  • Colonel_Brandon
    Colonel_Brandon Posts: 256 Member
    Ya, water weight can make that happen. Drink a ton of water one day to flush things out. The next day's weigh-in will be pretty true.
  • Bernadettetoo
    Bernadettetoo Posts: 97
    It is normal. It depends on how much water I drink.
  • kmorris246
    kmorris246 Posts: 312 Member
    This is exactly the reason that I don't weigh myself anymore. If you lift at all, you can see great weight fluctuations due to water retention/DOMs. once I began heavy lifting, I just had to stop using the scale b/c it was driving me CRAZY!
  • coolraul07
    coolraul07 Posts: 1,606 Member
    Even before working out and dieting I noticed sometimes I would fluctuate from 120 to 116. I'm 118 now, but some days I'll be all the way down to 114. I know weight fluctuation is normal, but it's usually a pound or two, not four. Anyone else have big weight fluctuations?
    I have had as much as a 5 lb change within 24 hours, but then again I'm also 6'4". Sounds within reason to me, especially for a young female. MFP has a feature when you can look at weight loss/gain as a trend (7 days or more). As long as your longer-term trend meet expectation, I wouldn't worry too much about daily fluctuations like that... unless they occur in the same direction multiple days a week without reversing.
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    I do. Mine comes after i lift then drops after a day or two for recovery. Sometimes I have too much salt or not enough water.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
    OP, yes. It's normal. No worries.
  • loztredders
    loztredders Posts: 142
    I fluctuate about 3 lbs during the day, and up to five during totm.
  • phyllio77
    phyllio77 Posts: 192 Member
    Even before working out and dieting I noticed sometimes I would fluctuate from 120 to 116. I'm 118 now, but some days I'll be all the way down to 114. I know weight fluctuation is normal, but it's usually a pound or two, not four. Anyone else have big weight fluctuations?

    I find it helpful to weigh myself once a week in the morning just after I wake up. I take measurements twice a month or when I am curious.

    I found weighting myself every day was hard on my brain. I would work my heart out and eat smart the entire three days and gain 2lbs...that would frustrate me...but at the end of a week I would see results. This day to day fluation is totally normal! You will see this if you weigh yourself three times in a day...even big changes...take one day at a time and I hope with your weight loss and toning you reach your goal.
  • tpow1196
    tpow1196 Posts: 51 Member
    I"m glad I'm not the only one! OMG, it was making me nuts. My weight is fluctuating like crazy some weeks. I can loose or gain 5lbs in 24 to 48 hours and not really change much.

    I'm going to start paying more attention to my salt intake. I don't salt my food but I do take in a lot of processed foods.
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
    Thats why I weigh myself every day, I like to see fluctuations to know things are ok.
  • junodog1
    junodog1 Posts: 4,792 Member
    On a recent cruise vacation (6 days) I 'gained' 6 pounds. That weight was gone in 2 days. While on the boat the food had more sodium and I did not drink my normal amount of water. The six pounds was primarily water retention and was gone one I got back into my normal routine.

    I have had my weight fluctuate 5 pounds in a day easy - if I weigh in the morning and at night. That is why I don't do that.

    My sudden increases relate to eating food others prepare or not drinking much water or, rarely, overworking my muscles. Ironic isn't it that not drinking water makes you retain water. I need to get a little more of the muscle-related water retention.

    I also never seem to see a sudden weight loss, unless it's been preceeded by a sudden weight gain. Ah well, slow and steady does it.
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    A lot of people say they fluctuate big time, but I only ever fluctuate 1-1.5kg , even when I bloat big time before period. Still never more than 1.5kg up and then back down again next day :)
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    If I weigh myself in the evening verse morning I'll have a 4 pound gain. Morning it's gone. I weigh myself once a week at the same time to help avoid the fluctuation and even then sometimes it doesn't work.
  • bluefrog_2001
    bluefrog_2001 Posts: 138 Member
    I do. Mine comes after i lift then drops after a day or two for recovery. Sometimes I have too much salt or not enough water.

    Mine too, especially if I have a "free" day (I eat any/all junk food), and it can take a few days for the salt to filter out. I am trying to drink alot more water and I noticed that helps.
  • repmlrs
    repmlrs Posts: 154
    yes its normal! if your gonna weigh yourself do it in the morning b4 drinking or eating! scales are usually innacurate especially digital ones and they can be affected by the temp in the room! plus if you eat and it has salt and then you drink water you will retain more water weight. i can actually gain 6 lbs in the morning and then lose most of it b4 lunch!
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    For me, particularly when I was still eating alot of grains, I would fluctuate over 10 lbs in the course of a month, however, the average or ending point I was really the same weight. ( weighed myself daily in the mornings every day for 3-4 months). So there is variation.
  • bradthemedic
    bradthemedic Posts: 623 Member
    Water and sodium can cause huge weight fluctuations.

    When I play hockey I lose 8lb of water in only 90 minutes.
  • Dark_Roast
    Dark_Roast Posts: 17,689 Member
    I can fluxuate up to 4 pounds in a day. I think it depends on my salt and water intake or even how much I worked out the day (days) prior.
  • rachaelbmh
    rachaelbmh Posts: 54
    It's totally normal, which is exactly why I threw out my scale. I hated that I was dwelling on the numbers that showed up when what really mattered to me was how I felt overall. How do you feel in your skin? Does the weight difference that shows up on the scale FEEL different? Have you made connections on if certain foods cause that increase or decrease? My personal motto is to look in the mirror (with love) and not at the scale.
  • LadyRhodes01
    LadyRhodes01 Posts: 88 Member
    It's totally normal. Even before or during that TOM. Water intake and sodium are things to take in account. You should also weigh in the same time and day each week. Which I disobey, I check daily. Good luck.
  • Linli_Anne
    Linli_Anne Posts: 1,360 Member
    My doctor had said that anywhere between 2 - 8 pounds fluctuation is quite normal.

    That takes into account a lot of things.

    For me personally, my weight usually fluctuates about 4 pounds between the start of the day and the end of the day.
  • iqnas
    iqnas Posts: 445 Member
    bump
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    for some people, yes. For me, no.
  • Leiki
    Leiki Posts: 526 Member
    My weight fluctuates about 5 lbs depending on what time of the month it is, regardless of diet and exercise.

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