How to figure out your weight when the scale keeps jumping

lilly57573
lilly57573 Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm trying to figure out if my current diet and exercise plan are working or if i should cut down the calories. For the first 2 weeks the scale won't budge from 125,then it went to 126. I decided to give it a few more days before cutting calories,and weigh myself everyday at the same time to see if there's any change. It started going down to 125,124,123 and today 122. I know i didn't really lose that much weight in 1 week but i don't know what this means. Should i assume my current plan is working?

Replies

  • jennylilac
    jennylilac Posts: 30 Member
    My home scale stinks. It does the same thing and it's impossible to interpret. I've been weighing myself at the doctor or gym instead.
  • lilly57573
    lilly57573 Posts: 14
    It's my roommate's and she swears it's the best one around.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    A lot of people report huge losses at first.

    Don't pay attention to scale fluctuations. They just happen.

    I won't even celebrate passing the weights that end with 0 until it ends with 3. (Celebrate being under 190 when I hit 183.). It kind of sucked when I went under 200, because I was thrilled to see the 1 as the first digit, but it don't like to get all happy and sad over weights, so I patiently waited for 193 and had a party. :)

    If you get happy with every dip and depressed with every gain, you'll go mad. Especially as a woman, you have to live with the fluctuations and just watch the line go down, overall, over the course of a month or two. :)
  • lilly57573
    lilly57573 Posts: 14
    So this is normal?
    I don't plan on changing my mood everytime the number changes,i just want to know if my current plan is working. I'm not counting calories at the moment,just eating different foods\a little less and exercising alot. I just want to know if this right for me or i should start something else.
  • ksully913
    ksully913 Posts: 16 Member
    Give it some time with the same routine, two weeks isn't long at all. That said, personally my method is to weigh myself every morning at the same time, and then take the average of the past 7 days to see if there is a downward trend. I know my weight tends to fluctuate 3-4 pounds at any given time. I also use the 7 day average method for my calories. I'm kind of nerdy when it comes to numbers though.

    Daily weighing definitely isn't for everyone though.
  • EllenKay63
    EllenKay63 Posts: 516 Member
    My scale jumps around, but, my clothes don't lie.
  • BombshellPhoenix
    BombshellPhoenix Posts: 1,693 Member
    Give it some time with the same routine, two weeks isn't long at all. That said, personally my method is to weigh myself every morning at the same time, and then take the average of the past 7 days to see if there is a downward trend. I know my weight tends to fluctuate 3-4 pounds at any given time. I also use the 7 day average method for my calories. I'm kind of nerdy when it comes to numbers though.

    Daily weighing definitely isn't for everyone though.

    ^This

    If you want to weigh every day, take the weekly average and keep track to see the trend. For me, it's the only way to tell where my weight is going.
  • socalkay
    socalkay Posts: 746 Member
    I hide my scale now and try to only pull it out once a week so I'm not agonizing over daily fluctuations.
  • eslcity
    eslcity Posts: 323 Member
    I use to do daily weight in... but now that i'm very close to the finish line... and exercising more... I do it once a week at the gym...

    no changes either up or down... but that is the key to life style change... learning to balance your weight where you are happy.

    -MS
  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    My first 6 weeks of Stronglifts 5x5, I lost 3 waist inches, 2 hip inches, 4 arm inches and 2 calf inches. I lost 2 lbs of weight if I listened to the scale. I tend to enjoy tracking the lost inches as they don't fluctuate as much. Weight loss (especially for ladies) is not linear. Finally, 3 months after starting Stronglifts, I'm down 15 lbs. This didn't really start to show until month 2 of my lifestyle change.
  • lilly57573
    lilly57573 Posts: 14
    My first 6 weeks of Stronglifts 5x5, I lost 3 waist inches, 2 hip inches, 4 arm inches and 2 calf inches. I lost 2 lbs of weight if I listened to the scale. I tend to enjoy tracking the lost inches as they don't fluctuate as much. Weight loss (especially for ladies) is not linear. Finally, 3 months after starting Stronglifts, I'm down 15 lbs. This didn't really start to show until month 2 of my lifestyle change.

    I am tracking inches as well, i lost 2 off my waist and 1 off my hips and my pouch is almost gone. But i feel it's going too fast so it won't last.
  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    My first 6 weeks of Stronglifts 5x5, I lost 3 waist inches, 2 hip inches, 4 arm inches and 2 calf inches. I lost 2 lbs of weight if I listened to the scale. I tend to enjoy tracking the lost inches as they don't fluctuate as much. Weight loss (especially for ladies) is not linear. Finally, 3 months after starting Stronglifts, I'm down 15 lbs. This didn't really start to show until month 2 of my lifestyle change.

    I am tracking inches as well, i lost 2 off my waist and 1 off my hips and my pouch is almost gone. But i feel it's going too fast so it won't last.
    Keep going. That's great progress! You will be surprised how great it feels and how easy it becomes. :flowerforyou: It will last if you eat right and keep training.
  • lilly57573
    lilly57573 Posts: 14
    My first 6 weeks of Stronglifts 5x5, I lost 3 waist inches, 2 hip inches, 4 arm inches and 2 calf inches. I lost 2 lbs of weight if I listened to the scale. I tend to enjoy tracking the lost inches as they don't fluctuate as much. Weight loss (especially for ladies) is not linear. Finally, 3 months after starting Stronglifts, I'm down 15 lbs. This didn't really start to show until month 2 of my lifestyle change.

    I am tracking inches as well, i lost 2 off my waist and 1 off my hips and my pouch is almost gone. But i feel it's going too fast so it won't last.
    Keep going. That's great progress! You will be surprised how great it feels and how easy it becomes. :flowerforyou: It will last if you eat right and keep training.
    Thank you!:)
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    If your scale keeps jumping, perhaps you should staple it to the floor.
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    I'm not counting calories at the moment,just eating different foods\a little less and exercising alot. I just want to know if this right for me or i should start something else.

    Just be aware that weight loss is probably 90% diet or calorie deficit. So if you are not counting calories you will never know what your actual intake is or if you are in a deficit. I've done this before and did loss weight but ultimately regained it.. Also without tracking calories you will either tend to not eat enough or under estimate what you are eating. Hope you succeed but consider starting to understand what your caloric requirements are.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
    Give it some time with the same routine, two weeks isn't long at all. That said, personally my method is to weigh myself every morning at the same time, and then take the average of the past 7 days to see if there is a downward trend. I know my weight tends to fluctuate 3-4 pounds at any given time. I also use the 7 day average method for my calories. I'm kind of nerdy when it comes to numbers though.

    Daily weighing definitely isn't for everyone though.

    ^This

    If you want to weigh every day, take the weekly average and keep track to see the trend. For me, it's the only way to tell where my weight is going.

    ^Yup

    Except I use a monthly average as opposed to weekly.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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