confused with my weight. A scale/calorie/HELP ME question

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I am so confused with how much i weight right now. I always pretty much eat healthy i did have a couple slip ups last week but i had calories left over to help cushion the fall.... haha but i am not sure if i have a broken scale or what cos one week it says 172 then 174 then i tried indulging on one meal to see if that would help and then the scale said 168 but i just weighed myself now and it says 175!!!!

(my diary is open to friends only, please disregard yesterday as i was just being an idiot and put in an absurd amount of calories and what not for my dinner as "various vasty super bowl foods" I really did not eat that much i probably consumed about 1800-2000 yesterday and those are on the high side. I generally follow the Eat Clean Diet)

There is no way that i consumed enough calories over the last 2 days to put on 7 pounds, there is just no way. I am always under my NET calorie goal for the day (by 300 or less calories) and i workout 6 days a week.

will TOM make you retain that much water?? The last couple of days i did have a couple meals that are higher in sodium than what i usually eat and i also drank less water....

I am going to return my scale and just buy an old fashion dial scale.

I also read that switching up your daily NET calorie goals help sometimes. For instance:
mon-1400
tue-1000
wed-1200
thur-1000
fri-1400
sat-1200
sun-1200

What is your opinion on the above?

I mean whatever happened to eat less move more lose weight? It's gotten so technical lately with formulas and HRMs and stuff....

Replies

  • mellybiene
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    Hi there,

    In my case, my weight fluctuates quite a sum as well. What more, the weight at home is almost always not the same if I weigh myself outside. Best if you wait it out, in my opinion. Don't weigh yourself everyday and give it time since you might be in the process of losing water weight. Weigh yourself in the morning after a bath and before you eat, and maybe alternate the days of weighing.

    Sometimes if you exercise in particular the strengthening side, you can gain some pounds but it by no means imply that you're heavier.

    Hope I've helped and good luck! :)
  • irishgal44
    irishgal44 Posts: 1,181 Member
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    I'm frustrated today with the scale as well...I'm sure it is sodium that you have gained. Hopefully someone can take a look at your diary and give you a better idea. Sodium seems to be the thing that punishes me on the scale.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
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    I am so confused with how much i weight right now. I always pretty much eat healthy i did have a couple slip ups last week but i had calories left over to help cushion the fall.... haha but i am not sure if i have a broken scale or what cos one week it says 172 then 174 then i tried indulging on one meal to see if that would help and then the scale said 168 but i just weighed myself now and it says 175!!!!

    (my diary is open to friends only, please disregard yesterday as i was just being an idiot and put in an absurd amount of calories and what not for my dinner as "various vasty super bowl foods" I really did not eat that much i probably consumed about 1800-2000 yesterday and those are on the high side. I generally follow the Eat Clean Diet)

    There is no way that i consumed enough calories over the last 2 days to put on 7 pounds, there is just no way. I am always under my NET calorie goal for the day (by 300 or less calories) and i workout 6 days a week.

    will TOM make you retain that much water?? The last couple of days i did have a couple meals that are higher in sodium than what i usually eat and i also drank less water....

    I am going to return my scale and just buy an old fashion dial scale.

    I also read that switching up your daily NET calorie goals help sometimes. For instance:
    mon-1400
    tue-1000
    wed-1200
    thur-1000
    fri-1400
    sat-1200
    sun-1200

    What is your opinion on the above?

    I mean whatever happened to eat less move more lose weight? It's gotten so technical lately with formulas and HRMs and stuff....

    I'm not sure of the answer, but I wanted to give you credit for trying to fnd out the answer and educate yourself instead of just giving up an walking away. :drinker:
  • imagineaballoon
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    Honestly, I think as long as you are seeing a general overall trend downward week to week, you're on the right track. It doesn't have to be technical. :D

    ETA: if you ate heavily this weekend and had a good deal more sodium than normal, 7 lbs. "gain" (temporary) is not out of the realms of possibility. I've read that extra sodium can add from 3-10 lbs to the scale before it's flushed out. I'd just eat clean this week and workout and not worry overly much about today!
  • Wwannabe
    Wwannabe Posts: 10 Member
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    Weigh yourself once a week, guys, not every day! And see if you can calibrate your scale. Try weighing something fairly heavy on it, a few times and see if it's at least consistent.
  • katzplay62
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    Find something of a known weight and test your scale. If you used it that many times, right close together, it shouldn't be varying that much.

    Also, don't rely completely on your scale. Take your measurements. If you're exercising, even weeks when the scale doesn't change you may see a reduction in inches (which is what we all want more anyway, right?).

    Cheers

    Kat
  • jrueckert
    jrueckert Posts: 355 Member
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    I'm in the same boat right now. I'm doing everything right with calories, exercising 4-5 days a week, and I'm dropping about .2 or .3 a week. ANNOYING!!!!!
  • twooliver
    twooliver Posts: 450 Member
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    Most experts agree that weighing at the same time of day is important exactly because of the body's fluctuation throughout the day. Watching Dr. Oz a week or so ago and he says to do it first thing in the morning after you've gone to the bathroom.

    Might try it out and see if it makes a difference. I only weigh once a week...primarily because I don't want to be motivated by the scales on a daily basis.

    hang in there!
    t
  • shannonshock13
    shannonshock13 Posts: 355 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies!!

    I usually don't weigh everyday, i just got curious and was kind of wary of my scale, and also because im going to the dr today and wanted to know if my weight had changed that way i dont go in there and they ask how much i weigh and im like "168" and then they weigh me and are like "ummm you are 175" hahaha

    thats a great idea of finding something with a known weight and using it on the scale, i will try that.... after i get a new scale. :D

    I didn't know that sodium could effect people THAT bad up to a 10lb weight gain is crazy!

    I am in this for the long haul and trying to do it the right healthy way so i appreciate all the input!! :)
  • carspyder
    carspyder Posts: 2 Member
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    I am with most of the other comments. Test your scale - you can even use a couple of hand weights that you know how much they weigh and see how far it is off. Also like others say your weight can fluctuate a great deal due to life factors - stress, tom, as well as food factors - higher sodium content and less water. Plus while tom is in town you will retain water. Add in the higher sodium and less water means more water weight. Water weighs a lot! Pay attention to how many inches (and remember those will probably be higher while tom is in town too) and the trend. Not to mention do you feel healthier and more toned. Numbers can be very frustrating and very misleading. I am very small and people assume in shape and healthy. Not true at all - my numbers do not show that I have no muscle tone, no endurance and would probably have a hard time slowly jogging a mile!!! I do not feel healthy nor am I despite my low numbers!! So keep at it and look at the whole picture and the trends of what your weight does during tom and when you slack off on drinking water. Those trends can give you huge insights into the unique workings of your own body. :D Hope this was helpful and not redundant!