Fluctuating?

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littlelol
littlelol Posts: 539
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everybody and a happy new year. Just wondered does anybody elses weight fluctuate a lot? when i have been exercising a lot i seem to weigh about 4pounds heavier then after a couple days of not exercising i am 4pund lighter on the scales. :embarassed:

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  • theotherjamie
    theotherjamie Posts: 6
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    It could be a couple of things....

    Muscle weighs more than fat...so sometimes when you've been working out you build muscle and burn fat and still gain weight. That's why they give you the option of measureing your belly, arms, etc because you'll see your progress there.

    I always weigh less in the morning...by almost two pounds. So always weigh yourself at the same time everyday. (I like to be in denial...so I weigh myself in the morning...)

    The last thing is sodium. If I've eatten a really salty food the day before, then I weigh more when I step on the scales...even if I've stayed under my calorie count. My body is holding onto the water because of the sodium.

    It's really frustrating sometimes. I think that's why most doctors tell you to only weigh yourself once a week. (Advice that I completely ignore). There are a lot of factors that affect that two to four pound difference.

    My rule of thumb is that as long as the weight trend is going down over time...I try not to take the natural weight fluctuation to heart.

    Jamie
  • shannonichole
    shannonichole Posts: 126
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    I have the same problem. I think it is because you are gaining more muscle mass, which is denser than fat. So you are not actually gaining, fat weight, but instead getting more toned. You could also be drinking more water. Remember that you will see the results in the mirror and not on the scale.
  • amycrims
    amycrims Posts: 94
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    also, never weight yourself after a workout! you will always be heavier than you were before the workout. i can't remember exactly why, but my old trainer never let us do it- its just too depressing.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    Muscle weighs more than fat...so sometimes when you've been working out you build muscle and burn fat and still gain weight. That's why they give you the option of measureing your belly, arms, etc because you'll see your progress there.

    Muscle is more compact, by weight, than fat.

    For a woman to gain even one pound of muscle, she would need to follow a strict (different than MFP defaults) dietary regimen combined with a very structured lifting program for an extended period of time. This is one of those diet myths - that doing cardio and light wieghts leads to muscle gain in women..

    On the +4 differences:
    Your weight will fluctuate 1-5 pounds daily based on hydration, hormones, food digestion, and other factors.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    A few years ago, I noticed that I'd plateau until I had a minor binge, like maybe a donut or some other sugar-charged goodie, then the weight would drop a few pounds over the next few days. Looking back, I know I wasn't eating enough and my body was revolting against me.

    "No! She's starving us! Hold on to every last pound!!!! Who knows when we'll eat again!?"
    "Nevermind. She still loves us enough to give us a donut. We can drop a few fat cells."
  • fasttrack27
    fasttrack27 Posts: 324
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    also, never weight yourself after a workout! you will always be heavier than you were before the workout. i can't remember exactly why, but my old trainer never let us do it- its just too depressing.

    Just experienced that last week. Had never really weighed before/after like that before, but I was 2lb heavier AFTER. And it was just a quick, low intensity 30min workout where I barely had but a couple sips of water. No way I gained 2lb of muscle nor did I drink that much water. Weird.
  • junebug523
    junebug523 Posts: 196
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    It's water retention in your muscles after working out. Drink plenty of water, keep it up, and don't worry about "gaining weight" or "bulking up" from exercise. Things will even out as long as you stick with it.
  • PixieFen
    PixieFen Posts: 15 Member
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    Also, don't measure yourself after you exercise - your muscles become engorged with blood, so everything will be thicker for a few hours after working out. :)

    And I always find myself weighing a bit more when I'm exercising - on my days "off", I will see the pounds drop. I'm not sure why, but I like to think of it as my body is going so fast that it need some time to catch up :)

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