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I keep fluctuating in weight

ZeloHello
ZeloHello Posts: 19 Member
edited March 4 in Health and Weight Loss
Well, since I've started keeping track, I've lost about 16lbs roughly.. My only problem is that I keep fluctuating. It's really annoying!
For example, I'll be 350, then I'll go back to 353, and then back down the next time I check.

Is there a reason for this? I've been maintaining my food and exercise (I'll admit, I'm slacking off in my daily exercise, but I'm maintaining it by making it longer, too), so I'm not sure whats up hahah.

Anyone else have this issue with the scale?

(It may also be worthy to note that I do not have my own scale- I use a friends whenever I go to visit, or whenever I go to the doctors.)

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    It's normal. Sodium, stress, TOM/hormones, working out...they can all cause you to gain water weight. Your weight will always be up and down. Also there could be a difference between the two scales...it's best to stick with one you trust.
  • forgivensins
    forgivensins Posts: 90 Member
    Same problem. Similar weight range. Went from 348 down to 339 then back up to 343 now back to 340. Been very consistent with exercise but I slack off on sleep, water intake, sodium maintenance so I can see why it's happening.
  • VelveteenArabian
    VelveteenArabian Posts: 758 Member
    Well, since I've started keeping track, I've lost about 16lbs roughly.. My only problem is that I keep fluctuating. It's really annoying!
    For example, I'll be 350, then I'll go back to 353, and then back down the next time I check.

    Is there a reason for this? I've been maintaining my food and exercise (I'll admit, I'm slacking off in my daily exercise, but I'm maintaining it by making it longer, too), so I'm not sure whats up hahah.

    Anyone else have this issue with the scale?

    (It may also be worthy to note that I do not have my own scale- I use a friends whenever I go to visit, or whenever I go to the doctors.)

    It's normal. Your weight will fluctuate many many times during a 24 hour period. Weightloss and weight gain are not static things. They're based off of averages and patterns of behavior.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    This sums it up pretty well: http://greatist.com/health/understanding-scale-bloat-and-weight-loss

    But also, if you're weighing at a friend's house whenever you visit, my guess is that you're not weighing at the same time of day each time you weigh. It matters. Think of it this way: drink a 12 oz beverage, and you weigh 3/4 of a pound more until you manage to pee and sweat it out. My typical meals weigh a pound and a half. So just based on food and drink your weight can vary by a couple of pounds over different times of the day. It's not converted to fat instantly or anything, it's just the same principle of pouring water into a glass, now the glass weighs more, right? If you weigh at the same time every day (for most people, it's best in the morning) you can normalize for that -- weight right after "emptying both tanks," as it were, and before eating anything, and you'll have a pretty good baseline
  • NK1112
    NK1112 Posts: 781 Member
    Well, since I've started keeping track, I've lost about 16lbs roughly.. My only problem is that I keep fluctuating. It's really annoying!
    For example, I'll be 350, then I'll go back to 353, and then back down the next time I check.

    Is there a reason for this? I've been maintaining my food and exercise (I'll admit, I'm slacking off in my daily exercise, but I'm maintaining it by making it longer, too), so I'm not sure whats up hahah.

    Anyone else have this issue with the scale?

    (It may also be worthy to note that I do not have my own scale- I use a friends whenever I go to visit, or whenever I go to the doctors.)

    It's normal. Your weight will fluctuate many many times during a 24 hour period. Weightloss and weight gain are not static things. They're based off of averages and patterns of behavior.

    This is true ... also, it could be you scale.
    I can weigh myself 3 times on my scale and get 2 different measurements depending on where I place my feet.
    What you want to see is a decline over time. If at the end of the month you are pretty much were you started the month off at, then measure yourelf and see if those are the same as last month. You may be toning up through your weight loss and exercise efforts. Should those measurements also be the same ... well then, revisit your food diary and check out what kinds of food you are mostly eating.

    For example, I had the same problem you are describing and findally realized that I cannot eat bread ... it doesn't matter if it whole wheat or not ... any bread tends to make me just shut down as far as weight loss goes ..... and that goes for my other flour-rich food, pasta.
  • f0r54ken
    f0r54ken Posts: 21 Member
    Definitely Re-consolidate What you are to eat. At 350 or so you should start losing pretty quickly with the right calorie count.

    But to answer your question, Yes Your weight will fluctuate by about 6 pounds Here's an example of mine.
    Date Morning | Evening
    9/1 201 | 203
    9/2 199 | 203
    9/3 198 | 200
    9/4 197 | 199
    9/5 196 | 200
    9/6 196 | Pending


    Before anyone Tells me My weight loss is extreme keep in mind about that 6 pound window lol.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    On a completely different tangent...
    You're 350 and you only want to lose 66 lb (284)??
    Either you're reallllly tall or that's an intermediate goal.

    To maintain 350 lb, you need 3500 cal per day. If you eat 2500, you should lose 2 lb per week. Starting out so heavy, that's entirely doable, and you could probably lose 3-4 lb with a little self-control about eating & exercise.
    Or you could use a BMI chart (http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf) to find a healthy goal weight for your height (start by aiming for the top end of the green range), then multiply that by 10 & work down to eating that much food.

    Weigh & measure your food.

    This calculator will tell you how many servings of various foods to eat to maintain your weight.
    If you enter your healthy goal weight, this will help you plan your food intake.
    https://www.bcm.edu/research/centers/childrens-nutrition-research-center/healthyeatingcalculator/eatingCal.html


    Here are some helpful threads, esp. sexypants.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    On a completely different tangent...
    You're 350 and you only want to lose 66 lb (284)??
    Either you're reallllly tall or that's an intermediate goal.

    Dude, WTF?!? That seems like a really unnecessary thing to say. Obviously you figured out on your own that it's "an intermediate goal," so what on earth is going through your mind to say that to the OP?
  • ZeloHello
    ZeloHello Posts: 19 Member
    On a completely different tangent...
    You're 350 and you only want to lose 66 lb (284)??
    Either you're reallllly tall or that's an intermediate goal.

    It's a mini-goal. My complete goal is to reach at least 200. I would prefer to not be questioned about my goals, but ask and you shall receive.
    Dude, WTF?!? That seems like a really unnecessary thing to say. Obviously you figured out on your own that it's "an intermediate goal," so what on earth is going through your mind to say that to the OP?

    Thanks for backing me up there, sympha.
This discussion has been closed.

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