Number on the Scale "Underinflated?"

reginab1984
reginab1984 Posts: 41 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
A lot of us know at this point that the number you see on the scale may be "inflated," and not indicative of your true weight due to water retention, etc... But is there anything that could cause the scale to tell you that you're lighter than what you actually are?

Replies

  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
    If you somehow broke the laws of physics, then yes.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You don't have a "true weight"...your body weight is always in a state of flux. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher...you don't have a "true weight"
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    Dehydration. And pre-replant amputations.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You don't have a "true weight"...your body weight is always in a state of flux. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher...you don't have a "true weight"

    Yes you do. There's a euvolemic weight, that's your real weight.
  • reginab1984
    reginab1984 Posts: 41 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You don't have a "true weight"...your body weight is always in a state of flux. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher...you don't have a "true weight"

    How do you know if you've lost from week to week, then?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited February 2015
    reginab1984 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You don't have a "true weight"...your body weight is always in a state of flux. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher...you don't have a "true weight"

    How do you know if you've lost from week to week, then?

    Trends over a longer period of time than just one week.
    Zedeff wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You don't have a "true weight"...your body weight is always in a state of flux. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher...you don't have a "true weight"

    Yes you do. There's a euvolemic weight, that's your real weight.

    I am aware...and also don't really think it's all that relevant or valuable for someone who is likely obsessed with the number on the scale and doesn't really understand natural fluctuations both up and down. For the average Joe/Jane stepping on the scale every week, they should look at their weight as a running average...not as, "I weigh exactly XXX Lbs."

    Unless someone is suffering from fluid overload and under the care of medical professionals then I really don't think it's relevant.
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    reginab1984 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You don't have a "true weight"...your body weight is always in a state of flux. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher...you don't have a "true weight"

    How do you know if you've lost from week to week, then?

    As others have said, trends. I look at my weight on the first Monday of the month, and it should be about 4# lower than the weight the first Monday of the previous month. In between, it fluctuates a lot. (I'll be up a pound one week, then down 2.5 the next, etc etc.)

    For example, here's my numbers:

    10/4 (starting weight)
    11/6 (-4.4)
    12/7 (-3.2)
    1/1 (-0.4) (damn holidays)
    2/9 (-6.8) (this is a little misleading, since my weight was all over the place around the holidays. I look at it more that I lost 7.2# in December and January)


  • reginab1984
    reginab1984 Posts: 41 Member
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    reginab1984 wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You don't have a "true weight"...your body weight is always in a state of flux. Sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher...you don't have a "true weight"

    How do you know if you've lost from week to week, then?

    As others have said, trends. I look at my weight on the first Monday of the month, and it should be about 4# lower than the weight the first Monday of the previous month. In between, it fluctuates a lot. (I'll be up a pound one week, then down 2.5 the next, etc etc.)

    For example, here's my numbers:

    10/4 (starting weight)
    11/6 (-4.4)
    12/7 (-3.2)
    1/1 (-0.4) (damn holidays)
    2/9 (-6.8) (this is a little misleading, since my weight was all over the place around the holidays. I look at it more that I lost 7.2# in December and January)


    Interesting. So you only weigh once a month?
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    No, I weigh weekly. But I don't worry too much if I'm up a pound or don't lose much, because it all evens out eventually. December/January was difficult because it took a while to look "right" - there was about four weeks out of 8 where I either maintained or was up. But in the long run, it all came off.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    I like it when the number on the scales is underinflated :)
  • kozinskey
    kozinskey Posts: 176 Member
    Well, my weight definitely changes based on whether I'm dehydrated or not. My weight first thing in the morning is usually 2-3 lbs lighter than midday. I choose to weigh in daily first thing in the morning so my state of dehydration is semi-consistent. If I didn't factor that in I'd go nutty.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    kozinskey wrote: »
    Well, my weight definitely changes based on whether I'm dehydrated or not. My weight first thing in the morning is usually 2-3 lbs lighter than midday. I choose to weigh in daily first thing in the morning so my state of dehydration is semi-consistent. If I didn't factor that in I'd go nutty.

    I second that!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,043 Member
    This is an issue you should take up with Bill Belichek, Tom Brady and the NE Patriots.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

  • reginab1984
    reginab1984 Posts: 41 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    This is an issue you should take up with Bill Belichek, Tom Brady and the NE Patriots.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png

    bahahaha...caught that, did you?
  • No_Finish_Line
    No_Finish_Line Posts: 3,661 Member
    Zedeff wrote: »
    Dehydration. And pre-replant amputations.

    well if retaining water makes you 'heavier then you actually are', then I guess the opposite would record you as 'lighter then you actually are'.

    idk, I'm going to go with, if the scales broken it might read you as less then you actually are?

  • Khukhullatus
    Khukhullatus Posts: 361 Member
    I knew someone who used to get "colonics" (horrible, ridiculous practice by the way) and that would throw his weight into a crazy back and forth flux for obvious reasons.

    I think in the normal course of events, the only way to show an artificially low number would be dehydration, like someone said. I know I could lose several pounds during a hockey or football game growing up, almost all of which was obviously water.
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