weighing at 4:30 vs. weighing at 6:00

I always weigh after going to the bathroom (another good reason to get all your fiber in... LOL!). That way whatever I ate the day before isn't being counting in my weigh in. I weigh every morning, a bit obsessive but it's how I need to do things to stay on track. And if I don't go to the bathroom first, the number is definitely off from my "base weight".

Working out really does drop immediate weight for me in the morning. I also find that I weigh less the longer I sleep in. I will weigh one thing when I get up to go to the bathroom at 6:00 am. Then I'll go back to bed for a couple of hours and weigh even less when I get up.

honestly i take my weight when i first get up and take it to be the most accurate for me (it also tends to by my lowest and therefore makes me feel good). if you sweat during your work outs you are seeing the result of water being lost. i don't think you need to stress over 2 lbs one way or another. just pick one time and keep it consistant week to week so you can compare the entire week not hours or days. if you are getting fed up with trying to lose weight hang in there. I have held steady for a month strait but now my skinny jeans from last year fit. i wanted to buy a new smaller size by this time but either way progress is progress. don't lose site of the big picture since weight is only a number that is part of it. do you feel better then before. are you more positive and willing to try something new? are your old clothes fitting differently? etc. all of these things are bench marks for progress and the most important thing is not to give up.

Before your workout. It will be the most accurate.

I weigh myself once a wk on a Monday & I use the same time. Don't forget that when u build up ur muscles they make ur weight different. Don't give up.

This happens to too! I weight at least two pounds more when I wake up. The scale really makes me crazy!

Hi

During your work out you burned some of your stored glycogen and you released water.

A 500 calorie work out could burn about 125 grams of glycogen. Glycogen exists dissolved in water in the body so there will also be 4 times that weight in water. i.e. 500 grams. So you'll lose 625 grams for that 500 calories work out. 625 grams equals about 1.37 lbs.

You also sweat if you been exercising heavily. That will lead to more weight loss. A runner on a hot day can lose 3 or 4 lbs per hour through sweat alone.

I just searched around and read that you can lose 500ml of water weight through evaporation on the breath in a day. That would weigh a pound!!

So which weight is more realistic?

Both weights are realistic. Your weight is your weight. Your weight goes up and down all the time, hour by hour, day by day. A 450ml glass of water weighs 1 pound. So drink a glass of water.... damn! There it goes you've gained a pound.

I think even comparing your weight weekly is probably too frequently. But that said I weight myself most days. The important thing is the long term trend. And when you weigh yourself try to factor in some things. Did you eat salty food yesterday? Did you eat enough food to replenish your glycogen stores yesterday? Did you just have a big workout and sweat bucket loads? Do you feel dehydrated? Don't tie your emotions to the scale. Use your head.

Read more about glycogen on my blog.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/iAlly

Years ago I threw away a scale because my weight fluctuated so much on it. I thought the scale was broken. Now I know it wasn't the scale. If I weigh first thing when I get up I weigh more than after I've been up for an hour. I always take the lower weight. Why not? It makes me feel better. If I am working my plan I know I am losing pounds and inches. My weight loss has slowed down so I'm thinking of trying to wait 2 weeks to weigh just so I can see more improvement. Whatever works to keep motivated!