up/down scale numbers

ehk33
ehk33 Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ive been weighing myself all week every morning, same time, before eating/drinking anything, naked. This was my first week logging. Ive been so excited because i noticed i was losing all week. A 1/2 pound, then 2 pounds....3.5 pounds. Sunday (day 7) the scale said I was down 4.5 pounds! yay! But then this morning (my log in weight day) its a totally different number in the wrong direction! So basically Mon-Mon i only lost 2 pounds when it used to be 4.5? Im bummed because I spent all day yesterday thinking this morning I could log a 4.5 pound weight loss for last week :( Anyone know why this happens?

Replies

  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    water weight.

    Did you really think you lost 4.5 lbs of FAT in a week? That is a 2250 calorie deficit per day to achieve that.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    While there is nothing wrong with daily weigh ins, you have to look at trends over a 4-6 week time period to eliminate daily weight fluctuations.
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    Your weight is going to vary, especially as a female. It won't be exactly linear. You need to look at your weight over an extended period of time, as psulemon said. That's one reason why I only weigh once a week, and even that can be frustrating depending on the week. :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Normal fluctuations. You are looking for downward trends. High sodium meals can throw numbers off, TOM can throw numbers off, sore muscles hold water....again messes with the scale.

    Take measurements too. Often a scale will reflect 0 loss....but the tape measure says different.

    If fluctuations drive you crazy....weigh less often.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Water weight. I hit under 200 pounds for the first time Saturday, Sunday was a pound and a half heavier, and today was back to the first number. It's natural, especially if you consume more sodium or are closing in on TOM.
  • ehk33
    ehk33 Posts: 33 Member
    edited October 2014
    TOM?

    I never really understood "water weight" either. I was consuming probably like 4000 bad calories a day and being super lazy. Now Im eating 1200 really good calories and working out daily. On biggest loser they lose like 20+ pounds a week sometimes(and yes i know its different on there), but yea, i figured 4 pounds wasnt totally out of the question for my first week of really trying hard.

    I think I might just weigh once a week though lol ;)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    TOM=time of the month (a kind of nicer way of saying your period)
  • ehk33
    ehk33 Posts: 33 Member
    ahh lol I know it as AF online lol ;) And actually, it is getting super close, so that might be it too!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    TOM = time of month

    Biggest Loser is bogus. Their "weeks" are at least 10 days. Very obese people can lose faster, contestants exercise hours a day, and may take diuretics for weigh-ins, etc.

    This is more realistic:

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    Water weight .....your muscles store water, your bowels are storing water, your body needs fluids. If you are doing low carb....expect most of the initial weight to be water (glycogen stores).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    body weight isn't static...nobody weighs exactly XXX Lbs...thus weight loss isn't going to be a linear function, it's going to be a general trend. You have constant fluctuations due to fluid retention/release, more/less waste in your system at any given weigh in, etc.

    You need to look at the overall trend over time, not the day to day.
  • allie_00p
    allie_00p Posts: 280 Member
    My weight fluctuates by about 3 lbs throughout the day. I can make the variance up to 4 or 5 lbs over the course of 24 hours if I really try. I weigh everyday, but only log weight changes every two weeks and I just use the number that I've seen the most consistently those last several days (I also try to make sure I'm eating the same types & amount of food and maintaining about the same hydration level throughout those days to control the fluctuation).

    As long as your overall trend is going in the right direction, there's no need to worry. If you're the type of person that feels significant stress or anxiety over those fluctuations, it's probably best not to weigh every day... especially with a brand new baby, you've already got your hands full and your body is still recovering <3 Your profile pic is precious!
  • ehk33
    ehk33 Posts: 33 Member
    Thanks!! I think i might have to stick to weighing just once a week for my sanity. I get bummed when I see 168 one day and 172 the next ;) lol

    Aw! Thanks! But my new baby is now 20 months old ;) lol I joined mfp when I first had her when I thought I could lose the baby weight and still breastfeed her. But unfortunately that was impossible, so i took a long break until she weaned/s. She is almost done nursing(just barely once a day now), so now Im starting my weight loss journey to fit back in my pre-3kids-pregnancy jeans! :) 2 pounds down, 51 to go

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