Water weight or real weight?? PLEASE HELP

clairenann
clairenann Posts: 7
edited November 16 in Health and Weight Loss
okay so here's the situation I need help with. About a year ago I got to a place where I felt heavier, clothes weren't fitting, I looked bigger and my face looked fatter and there were physical signs that I looked quite a bit larger and my clothes hardly fit or didn't fit at all, when I weighed myself though, I had only gained about 5-6 pounds. I then lost the weight and got down to my usual weight and even 2 pounds under and, I haven't weighed since until this morning. I knew I had eaten over my calories a bit (for sure 3 pounds, possibly even 6 pounds worth) and can tell a difference in the way my clothes fit, but they still fit but when I weighed myself I had gained like 15 pounds from what I used to be! I am so confused because last year when the scale read that I gained 5-6 pounds I felt and looked large and my clothes really didn't fit at all. This year when I look at myself I don't look much different (I do see areas that clearly have gained but nothing like last year) but the scale reads so much more. Bottom line question is does 10 pounds of water weight look less than 5 pounds of fat fat? Does that make sense?

I just finished my period last week, I have taken two doses of miralax in the past week and I frequently drink 110 fl oz of water a day. Please someone help or provide some insight!!

Replies

  • Laurend224
    Laurend224 Posts: 1,748 Member
    I have no idea. It could be water, it could be fat. The only way I personally know if my gain is water or actual fat is because when I log, I know I am not eating enough to actually gain fat, so it must be water. Have you been logging?

    In terms of what water gain looks like, vs a fat gain, I see water gains in my ankles, my face and my fingers. When it's an actual gain, my pants won't zip.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,372 Member
    Is there a genuine reason for taking the miralax? According to the link below it increases water in the intestinal tract...presumably there is some temporary fluid retention.

    http://www.drugs.com/miralax.html

    Scales can be misleading...particularly when weighing different times of the day, different scales, not a hard level surface, batteries playing up etc.
  • holly55555
    holly55555 Posts: 306 Member
    15 lbs seems like too much for water. Try weighing yourself over the next few days and see what the fluctuation is.

    In example, first thing in the morning I weigh 130. If I weigh myself towards the end of the day, I could be 134. The important thing is that your range keeps going down.

    If I were you, I would treat it as my new weight and go from there. If your clothes still fit and you're comfortable, don't worry about what the scale says. If you want to lose weight, then use that as your starting number.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,195 Member
    edited April 2015
    a. stop taking laxatives for weight loss
    b. start weighing yourself at the same time, in the same clothes every day to get a sense of what you really weigh

    15 pounds does seem a bit extreme. The last time I had a surprising weight like that, one of the rubber feet had come off of my scale and it wasn't giving me an accurate number.
  • clairenann
    clairenann Posts: 7
    azulvioleta6 wrote: »
    a. stop taking laxatives for weight loss
    b. start weighing yourself at the same time, in the same clothes every day to get a sense of what you really weigh

    15 pounds does seem a bit extreme. The last time I had a surprising weight like that, one of the rubber feet had come off of my scale and it wasn't giving me an accurate number.
    I wasn't using it for weightless? I don't even know how that would work. I've just struggled with bein regular ever since I stopped running so I've been using it 2/week for a while. My scale is the Fitbit aria scale I changed the batteries and the rubber things looked fine to me and I did it on a tile floor. See why I'm just dumbfounded?
  • snowflakesav
    snowflakesav Posts: 649 Member
    most clothing now days has spandex in it...not all that reliable. Tape measure. Start weighing more regularly. The aria is pretty accurate. Keep an eye on it over the next month and you will get a sense of where your weight is.
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