How to tell if I gained a pound?

Seriously, take a step back and listen to yourself, don't you think this sounds like obsessive behaviour? I would recommend you ditch the scales for a while and use a tape measure instead.

Honestly, a pound, even on a 5'0" person, doesn't make that much of a difference. Your weight is definitely going to fluctuate daily, but I find it best to weigh myself first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom. I don't obsess about the number, but I look at the trend in the numbers and see if I'm maintaining.

Sorry, no. I am short too and one pound does not make a "big" difference. You're at a healthy weight with a completely normal fluctuation of about five pounds. If you can't handle that, you should probably stop weighing daily.

lilylenz wrote: »

I know what you're thinking..."seriously, A POUND?"...and yeah, I'm a very short person (5'0), so a pound matters...a lot! :P

Anyway, my weight fluctuates a LOT. One day I could weigh in at 102lbs (3 lbs above my normal), the next day I could weigh in at 99 lbs (my normal), and then the day after that I can weigh in at 104 lbs. So, there's really no way of telling, scale-wise, if I gained weight.

However, the other night (probably 1 - 3 weeks ago) I saw a number that I've never seen before (105 lbs) - granted, it was after I drank a gigantic glass of rice milk - so I tried again the next night - one minute I was 105 lbs, the next, I was 104 lbs...what!?

So, I was just wondering if there are any other ways to tell if I gained weight? I haven't changed my diet or my workout routine, and my clothes fit like they normally do..

I apologize for my insanity.

Hang on. You obsess about fluctuations minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day, but you have waited 1-3 weeks since seeing the highest number EVER and you are just now asking about it? What has the scale done since then?

Your best measure against fluctuations is consistency. A 16 fl oz glass of fluid is generally equivalent to an extra pound on the scale. A good pee or BM can get rid of a good amount of oz on the scale. Why weigh yourself right after having a big glass of anything, except curiousity? If you choose to weigh daily, make sure its done under the same circumstances each day. Most people stick to weighing before they eat anything that day after using the bathroom, which might be first thing in the morning for you. Differences in hormones and sodium intake from day to day will influence your weight, but the general trends over time are most informative. If you like weighing in daily you might benefit from using WeightGrapher.com - you will see the overall trend through the daily fluctuations.

For example, over the past two weeks (including TOM) I have had scale readings ranging from 205.8 to 2011.2. Throughout the spikes and valleys, my general trend indicates a ~2 lb loss over that time. Really helps put it in perspective.

It makes no sense to weigh yourself at night. If you want a better picture of how your weight fluctuates daily, weigh yourself first thing in the morning with an empty bladder and stomach. Just think about what you eat during the day. Where do you think it's gone by evening? Plus, weighing yourself after having a big drink is just silly. Come on. You're being silly. Regardless, you'll never know if you've really gained or lost such a small amount as one pound. Never. You need to have a wider margin, say up or down five pounds from your target weight to spur some kind of corrective action. You can't do it based on one pound.

Bathroom scales aren't precision instruments. They number it gives you can very +/- 1lb depending on what it feels like. I highly recommend you only weigh yourself once a week. You're going to lose your mind if you keep this up.

lalepepper wrote: »

Your best measure against fluctuations is consistency. A 16 fl oz glass of fluid is generally equivalent to an extra pound on the scale. A good pee or BM can get rid of a good amount of oz on the scale. Why weigh yourself right after having a big glass of anything, except curiousity? If you choose to weigh daily, make sure its done under the same circumstances each day. Most people stick to weighing before they eat anything that day after using the bathroom, which might be first thing in the morning for you. Differences in hormones and sodium intake from day to day will influence your weight, but the general trends over time are most informative. If you like weighing in daily you might benefit from using WeightGrapher.com - you will see the overall trend through the daily fluctuations.

For example, over the past two weeks (including TOM) I have had scale readings ranging from 205.8 to 2011.2. Throughout the spikes and valleys, my general trend indicates a ~2 lb loss over that time. Really helps put it in perspective.

205.8 to 2,011.2? That's a huge fluctuation!

atypicalsmith wrote: »

lalepepper wrote: »

Your best measure against fluctuations is consistency. A 16 fl oz glass of fluid is generally equivalent to an extra pound on the scale. A good pee or BM can get rid of a good amount of oz on the scale. Why weigh yourself right after having a big glass of anything, except curiousity? If you choose to weigh daily, make sure its done under the same circumstances each day. Most people stick to weighing before they eat anything that day after using the bathroom, which might be first thing in the morning for you. Differences in hormones and sodium intake from day to day will influence your weight, but the general trends over time are most informative. If you like weighing in daily you might benefit from using WeightGrapher.com - you will see the overall trend through the daily fluctuations.

For example, over the past two weeks (including TOM) I have had scale readings ranging from 205.8 to 2011.2. Throughout the spikes and valleys, my general trend indicates a ~2 lb loss over that time. Really helps put it in perspective.

205.8 to 2,011.2? That's a huge fluctuation!

For sure. My trending weight is still 206.6, which is a good example of how the fluctuations can seem a lot scarier than they really are.

I want one with feelings too. And one that won't say anything negative to me. If it can car a tune, well huge bonus.

You realise that if you drink a pound of milk you weigh a pound more immediately after, right?