Lost 3.5lbs in one day?! (NOT water weight)

girlr94
girlr94 Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I weighed myself on the scales this morning and they said I was 9st 12 1/2 (138.5 lbs). After I got over the initial surprise (having not been under 10st since I was about 13 years old) I was rather happy that I've finally broken the 10st mark. But then I realised that doesn't really make sense.

I weighed myself yesterday (I know you shouldn't weigh yourself every day but it was more out of curiosity really) and it said I was 10st 2lbs exactly. The day before I was 10st 1 7/8lbs. Granted, yesterday I was wearing light pyjamas, but I accounted for that. I tend to weigh myself just before I get in the shower when I wake up, so I'm hungry and not wearing clothes and stuff. But how could I have lost 3.5lbs overnight?

I know many people would account this as water weight, but the 142lbs weigh in tends to be when I'm not carrying water weight, when I am it's up to 144 or something. So even if it is water weight, I must have lost about 3lbs at some other time and not noticed, and just been carrying around water weight for the last 2 months which I've suddenly lost? I'm so confused.

It just doesn't make sense. I was especially surprised as I haven't had access to a gym for the past week, and won't for the next 3 months to come. I've also had a lot more food, including junk food, due to exam stress and post exam celebrations. How have I still lost all this weight and so quickly?

My scales at home are a little unpredictable. I always get 3 readings each time and sometimes those readings can fluctuate by about 4lbs, even if I don't move the scales at all or do anything. But today I did 7 readings (out of disbelief) and they all said 138.5lbs. I should be happy, but it's such a surprise that I'm starting to wonder if I have a tapeworm or something!

I'm just so confused. Can anyone explain it for me? Thanks.

Replies

  • __freckles__
    __freckles__ Posts: 1,238 Member
    Sounds like you need a new scale.

    If your scale wasn't giving you 3 different readings at one time, then I'd say it's water weight.
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
    It is easy for the scale to change by a couple lbs based on what you wear and consume. I think it's best to weigh yourself naked or in the same outfit so that clothes aren't affecting the outcome. That being said I usually weigh myself weekly but have weighed 2 days in a row before and saw a change of 2lbs. Also changes aren't always immediate. If you work out one week you may not see changes right after, it could be longer.
  • jenifr818
    jenifr818 Posts: 805 Member
    Sounds like you need a new scale.

    Definitely agree with this poster. Even if today you got the same reading 7 times in a row, your scale is obviously kind of off if you can get 3 different readings without moving it at all

    As far as the 3.5 lbs, it could be scale malfunction, it could be water weight (no way of really knowing, short of having accurate body fat assessments this morning and previously, so can't write that off) or it could just be genuine weight loss. Get an accurate scale and see where you go from here
  • Lsando06
    Lsando06 Posts: 2
    Make sure the scale is on even ground (no carpet or tile), and make sure your feet are not in the middle of the scale but on the outer parts equidistant from the edges. This happened to me and as much as I would've loved to drop 5 pounds in one sitting...i was just standing wrong :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • lemon629
    lemon629 Posts: 501 Member
    There's nothing wrong with weighing yourself daily.
    I'll bet if you had been weighing yourself daily you would have seen more fluctuations and would not be surprised by the 138.5 reading today.
    Also, were these weights taken at the same time of day? You will weigh more in the evening than in the morning, usually 2-3 pounds.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Bad scale.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
  • MscGray
    MscGray Posts: 304 Member
    I don't mean to discourage you, or rain on your parade...but you would have had to burn 10500 cals to have generated that weight loss...and that doesn't sound like it happened. Make sure you weigh yourself at the same time each week (or day, or month) and under same circumstances (naked, in jammies, in undies, etc.) It was likely water weight, even though you seem in disbelief that it is a possibility. Especially if you have been eating junky foods, junky foods usually are packed with a ton of sodium that will reek havoc on your water retention...a day or 2 of less sodium filled foods could cause the rapid loss.....My weight swings about 3-5 lbs a day (from first thing in the morning, after bathroom and pre-shower and night having eaten and drank all day). Its not easy, gotta do the work to get the results you want. Junky food coupled with no exercise just wont cut it...sorry!
  • jasonmh630
    jasonmh630 Posts: 2,850 Member
    It's quite possible, as well, that you hadn't passed/fully digested whatever you ate the two days before, resulting in a larger than normal "loss". The scale doesn't take into account the amount of food/liquid that may still be present in our bodies. I can assure you that it's pretty much impossible for you to drop 3.5 pounds of ACTUAL body fat in one night without having to literally CUT it off of you. If I were you, I'd throw it up to normal weight fluctuations. It's a common fact that it can fluctuate up to 5 pounds throughout the week.
  • establishingaplace
    establishingaplace Posts: 301 Member
    Could be your scale. Could be a 'whoosh' (see link a couple of posts back). Muscles tend to retain glycogen/water when you're working out, and when you stop for a short time it gets released.

    So basically it's either scale or water.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    I'm sorry, but I don't see how you can be so certain it's not water weight. You do know water weight is not just related to TOM and hormones, right? You can retain water weight due to eating salty food, having a high fiber meal, doing weight training exercises (inflammation), carb loading (building up glycogen reserves), medications, etc etc etc. Generally speaking it's just too complicated to be able to say "I know it's not water weight."
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    You are right that some will say it is water weight. I am one of those some, it is water weight. Your body has a lot of water in it...much more than a measly 2-3 pound fluctuation. You can lose more of it than what you are used to meaning even if you were at the "bottom" of your typical 3 pound water weight fluctuation you could lose an additional 4 pounds on top of that from having low sodium or being dehydrated after having previously had lots of fluid intake. Your body does not have a "bottom" of water retention unless you consider being dehydrated to the point of death the "bottom".

    It can happen. I've lost 10 pounds of water weight before.

    Honestly it can't be anything else. You cannot lose 3.5 pounds of muscle or fat or bone or hair or skin overnight so what does that leave? So yeah, despite the all-caps "NOT", it is.
  • JGonzo82
    JGonzo82 Posts: 167 Member

    It can happen. I've lost 10 pounds of water weight before.

    ^^^ yup. In the past I'd drop 8+ pounds in less than 24 hours to make weight for competitions.

    Either your scale is a piece of junk, OR what you're claiming isn't water weight actually IS water weight, OR some combination of the 2.
  • girlr94
    girlr94 Posts: 38 Member
    The thing is I don't know what my actual weight is. I'm not saying it definitely wasn't water weight, just that if it was I've been carrying around water weight for a very long time. I don't have access to any other scales so how do I know what my actual weight is if the ones I have are broken? When I came home a week ago I weighed 143lbs according to the scale, which is the same as the scale I used in the gym changing rooms the day before. Is 138.5 my actual weight (having lost a fair bit of water weight) or can I assume I weigh more than this?

    Also, you guys don't have to be so mean. I'm not saying you're wrong, I know you're all right, which is why I asked a question in the first place :-)
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    The thing is I don't know what my actual weight is. I'm not saying it definitely wasn't water weight, just that if it was I've been carrying around water weight for a very long time. I don't have access to any other scales so how do I know what my actual weight is if the ones I have are broken? When I came home a week ago I weighed 143lbs according to the scale, which is the same as the scale I used in the gym changing rooms the day before. Is 138.5 my actual weight (having lost a fair bit of water weight) or can I assume I weigh more than this?

    Also, you guys don't have to be so mean. I'm not saying you're wrong, I know you're all right, which is why I asked a question in the first place :-)
    it doesnt really matter, weight is just a number. as long as its going down (if your goal is losing weight) at a reasonable pace there should be no worries

    ETA: no one here is being mean, theyre just honestly trying to help you. its the lack of tone that makes people think the people on the forums are a bunch of meanies
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    The thing is I don't know what my actual weight is. I'm not saying it definitely wasn't water weight, just that if it was I've been carrying around water weight for a very long time. I don't have access to any other scales so how do I know what my actual weight is if the ones I have are broken? When I came home a week ago I weighed 143lbs according to the scale, which is the same as the scale I used in the gym changing rooms the day before. Is 138.5 my actual weight (having lost a fair bit of water weight) or can I assume I weigh more than this?

    Also, you guys don't have to be so mean. I'm not saying you're wrong, I know you're all right, which is why I asked a question in the first place :-)

    You don't really have an "actual" weight. You have a range of weights that you are at any given time. None of those weights are the "wrong" weight, they are all the correct weight at that particular moment of time.

    If you want to track your weight overtime just measure yourself around the same time of day wearing about the same clothing or naked and just watch the trend over time and don't sweat the day to day or even the week to week fluctuations. I measure daily personally.

    I'm not sure who you thought was being mean but if it was me I apologize, not my intention to be mean...just blunt and to the point. I don't see a reason to sugar coat it. It is water weight, that will happen, its no big deal, keep calm and carry on.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    There's nothing wrong with weighing yourself daily.
    I'll bet if you had been weighing yourself daily you would have seen more fluctuations and would not be surprised by the 138.5 reading today.
    Also, were these weights taken at the same time of day? You will weigh more in the evening than in the morning, usually 2-3 pounds.

    Also this. The people I've found to be "shocked" by their weight change are people who weigh infrequently. If you weighed yourself more often you would probably notice that your weight DOES range by more than 3 pounds regularly.
  • girlr94
    girlr94 Posts: 38 Member
    So can I log my weight at 138.5 do you think? Or should I leave it at 143? Obviously I really want to change it, but I don't want lots of 'well dones' if it's incorrect because I'll feel like a fraud... don't want to let my friends down :-)
  • MscGray
    MscGray Posts: 304 Member
    You may rightfully weight that much, at that point....you may have somewhat dehydrated yourself to get to that point (I sometimes take benedryl at night to help me stay asleep, I know with out fail that the next morning when I weigh my pee will be darker then normal and the scale will reflect 1-2 lbs lighter then my recent trend...its all due to fluctuation in how much water my body is holding)....I guess just don't be suprised if you weight under similar circumstances tomorrow if you see that weight go right back up...or go back up by half..or by 1 lb...just make sure that you are taking in adequate amounts of water, and keep an eye on your sodium intake....you should see yourself level out nicely. Also if/when you start exercising...expect that your body will hold additional water while your body heals :wink:

    ETA: if you want to log that weight its fine to....but know what next week you may go up a lb or 2 or 3 ...or more (goodness I hope not!) just be prepared for how you might deal with that...I've done it before, I took a week or 2 break in weighing and came back with a 3.6 loss....so hell yea I was stoked...and posted it....and then weighed the next day to see if my trend continued, and I was right back up....so yea its a blow to the "ego" but if you can handle it....log it! and then start working at keeping it!!!!
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    So can I log my weight at 138.5 do you think? Or should I leave it at 143? Obviously I really want to change it, but I don't want lots of 'well dones' if it's incorrect because I'll feel like a fraud... don't want to let my friends down :-)
    the way i log my weights into MFP is by 5 lb increments. as soon as i see a number below say 205, ill log 205. dont worry, nobody will think youre a fraud :) log it if you want to log it
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    So can I log my weight at 138.5 do you think? Or should I leave it at 143? Obviously I really want to change it, but I don't want lots of 'well dones' if it's incorrect because I'll feel like a fraud... don't want to let my friends down :-)

    <shrug> your weight is 138.5 so log it as 138.5 imo. Doesn't make you a fraud. Up to you though, personal preference whether or not you log it of course.
  • monolith66
    monolith66 Posts: 168 Member
    It's so easy to get caught up in the numbers.... If you haven't already, invest in a good body composition scale that shows you more data.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    good body composition scale

    oxymoron imo.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Could be your scale. Could be a 'whoosh' (see link a couple of posts back). Muscles tend to retain glycogen/water when you're working out, and when you stop for a short time it gets released.

    So basically it's either scale or water.

    This.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    3.5#?

    That sounds like an excellent BM. congrats!

Categories