Confused and looking for insight

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mountaindewbass
mountaindewbass Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

I just began using Myfitness pal and thus far its been pretty great. My issue that im having is the simply weight loss formula. I burned 3800 calories yesterday(Body Media) I took in 2600(MFP) and thus it should equal a 1/3lb deficit correct? Well I stepped on the scale and gained 2.1 lbs. Im not athletic, nor do I exercise. I simply count calories and if I can get an extra burn in here and there I go for it. Im just not sure why I would of gained 2.1 lbs in a day. Even if it was muscle mass(which I hardly doubt!) 2.1 lbs is a lot. My goal to lose for the week was 3 lbs..I was so close. Now its the end of the week and I still have 2.5lbs to lose for the weekly goal. Any help is encouraging!

Thanks.

Replies

  • GymPoet
    GymPoet Posts: 107 Member
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    Sounds to me like you're doing great! It is just that the formula isn't meant to imply a day-by-day ratio, rather it is a simplification that works over time in a general way. It doesn't take into account things like water weight (you probably drank a lot that day too), fluctuations in metabolism, variation in real food calories from stated averages, things like that. Don't get discouraged or impatient.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    Sounds to me like you're doing great! It is just that the formula isn't meant to imply a day-by-day ratio, rather it is a simplification that works over time in a general way. It doesn't take into account things like water weight (you probably drank a lot that day too), fluctuations in metabolism, variation in real food calories from stated averages, things like that. Don't get discouraged or impatient.

    Wise words. This.
  • mountaindewbass
    mountaindewbass Posts: 17 Member
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    This has also caused me to doubt my scale's reliability. I have a withings wifi scale, when I first weight myself after pulling out of the bathroom closet I always weight 7 lbs more. Then I put it on the floor and give it a few seconds, weight again and I usually get my normal weight..except for today.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    This is why they recommend you use the same scale as often as possible. An exact weight is not always able to be ascertained. But as long as you can see consistent trends going down, that's what counts.
  • GymPoet
    GymPoet Posts: 107 Member
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    Yes, you are right! My scale is definitely not a precision instrument! I can get on it three times in the morning and see three different weights, within a few pounds or so of each other. I suppose they'd charge the price of a used car for a really accurate home scale, but then I wouldn't want one as much. I now just record the first weight of the morning, whatever it is, and if I can't resist the urge to get on that thing a couple of more times, I just let those numbers be "unofficial".
  • karlahere
    karlahere Posts: 79 Member
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    2.1 lbs is like a bit under 1 kilo. It could just be water weight, or your scale. I myself allow about 2 kilos deviation. Don't sweat it babe. :)
  • mountaindewbass
    mountaindewbass Posts: 17 Member
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    Keep moving forward I guess. I play bass guitar at Church and we had practice yesterday..i don't remember drinking a lot of water but I had several water bottles near me..so maybe I drank it up.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    1 ) Things don't happen that fast. Having a deficit of 3500 cals 1 day won't lead directly to a 1lb loss the next.
    2 ) Weight fluctuations are very natural, 5lbs or so is pretty common day to day.
    3 ) Don't worry so much about what the number is on the scale. Focus more on how that number changes over time. I don't care what I weight today. I don't care what I weight today compared to what I weighed yesterday. I can about what I weigh this week compared to what I weighed 4-6 weeks ago.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
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    I even find that my scale can read differently if it's on different parts of my bathroom floor--seems like it depends on how level the floor is in any given spot. (Our house was built in 1910.) There's a tile pattern on the floor, and I actually line my scale up in the same place every day. No matter what though, I wouldn't be concerned about your gain. Maybe tomorrow, you'll be pleasantly surprised by a 3lb loss. I do weigh myself every day, but I don't get too hung up on the day-to-day fluctuations.
  • GymPoet
    GymPoet Posts: 107 Member
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    Keep doing what you're doing, and let us know how it goes, I'm rooting for you!
  • tatasmagik
    tatasmagik Posts: 185
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    1 ) Things don't happen that fast. Having a deficit of 3500 cals 1 day won't lead directly to a 1lb loss the next.
    2 ) Weight fluctuations are very natural, 5lbs or so is pretty common day to day.
    3 ) Don't worry so much about what the number is on the scale. Focus more on how that number changes over time. I don't care what I weight today. I don't care what I weight today compared to what I weighed yesterday. I can about what I weigh this week compared to what I weighed 4-6 weeks ago.
    QFT

    Plus, scales are stupid.
  • CkepiJinx
    CkepiJinx Posts: 613 Member
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    You want to drink water, more water will not make you retain water but will actually help you not retain it. You may have had a higher sodium intake and that would cause you to retain water. Also if you were more active than normal your muscles could retain water to help in repairing them.

    I can have as much as a 7 lb difference the day after a high sodium day, especially if it is also an exercise day. I know I didn't gain 7 lbs over night so I don't sweat it.

    Weight loss is not linear it fluctuates day to day and also during the day. I can lose steady for a week then nothing, sometimes I won't see any losss all week even two weeks and then bam greater than expected loss. It truly is a marathon not a sprint. Good luck
  • doomspark
    doomspark Posts: 228 Member
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    If I put my scale in the kitchen, it reads 5 lbs lighter than when it's in the bathroom. So it stays in the bathroom because that's where it was when I started tracking.

    Also, one of my cats got on the scale a few days ago and it weighed her at 49 lbs... which is complete nonsense.
  • ibleedunionblue
    ibleedunionblue Posts: 324 Member
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    MDB

    Stay determined. I understand the frustration, but the loss is not always exact science. I had several days this week where I consumed less then 1000 calories, and jogged 9 to 11 miles, and one morning I woke up 1.5 pounds heaver then previous day. It's disappointing, but sometimes the body weight fluctuates.

    One thing though, if I could encourage you some. You say you dont exercise and you are not athletic. But I would definitely implore you to take up walking. Exercise has so many benefits. Even low impact exercise. And since you mentioned you play bass in church, you could even use that time to listen to Christian music or pray, or listen to great bass players to inspire your playing.

    I would also invest in a quality set of scales.

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