Why do the scales fluctuate so much daily?

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Bigkmc
Bigkmc Posts: 25 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am driving myself nuts by weighing daily. I'm on them before I can stop myself. A big drop gives me a spring in my step and big increase gives me a crap attitude.

Anyone else struggle to stop weighing daily?
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Replies

  • uzmakhanawan
    uzmakhanawan Posts: 3 Member
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    I do have the same issue ... going up and down and more than kg difference on same time of the day... got irritated and thought my all efforts are into vain .... but I am keep myself going .. logging n excercise ...
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Most daily weight fluctuations are due to changes in water weight (humans are about 60% water [when I looked this up I found sources that said as low as 45% for some adults and up to 73% for infants, most people are in between.]) and differences in weighing conditions (before/after eating/drinking/elimination. Part of weighing daily is accepting these fluctuations as normal. If they are going to freak you out, I would suggest not weighing daily.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    water weight

    Yesterday I was up 4lb on my lowest weight which I've been at for the last month (give or take) - today I'm down 1.6lb of that so still up a couple of pounds

    it is directly attributable to: DOMs from exercise, period due in 4 days and extra sodium in diet

    normally it's one or the other, this time it was all 3

    and yes .. it gave me a shock because I generally monitor 2lb swings in water weight not 4lbs .. but it is what it is as my friends reminded me so I'll just give it time
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    If you don't like the fluctuations, why don't you weigh weekly instead?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I weigh daily and I log any shifts because I'm linked, through my fitbit, to trendweight.com which gives me great data on fluctations and trendline

    there are free apps that do similar
  • Bigkmc
    Bigkmc Posts: 25 Member
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    Thanks girls! I do have DOMs after running on Sunday and had a lot of sodium yesterday so that explains a LOT! Going to move the scales from the bathroom to make it a little less easy to jump on as a habit.
  • Bigkmc
    Bigkmc Posts: 25 Member
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    TimothyFish wrote: »
    If you don't like the fluctuations, why don't you weigh weekly instead?

    Because I'm desperate to see results and a sucker for self demotivation. I know, I know....
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Water retention. Did you have a lot of sodium recently? Did you jump right into a strenuous exercise routine? Did you drink alcohol? Are you on your period? Are you on a medication? All these (plus many other factors) can cause your body to lose it's fluid balance. Everyone goes through this. Look at the long term trend of your weight. You did not just all of a sudden gain (or lose) a pound or 2 of fat (or muscle) in a day unless you ate a ridiculous amount of calories.

    Please try to relax and understand that it is normal and part of the process. Think long term!
  • Bigkmc
    Bigkmc Posts: 25 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I weigh daily and I log any shifts because I'm linked, through my fitbit, to trendweight.com which gives me great data on fluctations and trendline

    there are free apps that do similar

    Thanks @rabbitjb - going to look into an app now.

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I've seen Libra mentioned before
  • minizebu
    minizebu Posts: 2,716 Member
    edited May 2015
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    If you have been eating fewer carbohydrates and exercising, then you have been gradually depleting your glycogen stores. Then, if you have a higher carbohydrate day your body will restore its glycogen levels. You will consequently see an increase in weight when you next step on the scale. (Each gram of glycogen attaches to around 4 grams of water.)

    Here is an explanation of that process: http://8fit.com/blog/glycogen-gluconeogenesis-and-water-weight/
  • Jasmunr
    Jasmunr Posts: 147 Member
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    Humans can fluxuate at the high end of 5 pounds in a day. What I find helps is wight yourself first thing in the morning at your lowest weight.
  • JessicaThompson12
    JessicaThompson12 Posts: 82 Member
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    I use Happy Scale just for this reason.
  • Bigkmc
    Bigkmc Posts: 25 Member
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    Thanks @rjmudlax13 - it was just hard to get my head round given how difficult it is to lose 4lbs and then the scales go ahead and swing up that many. It all makes sense now; I need to start weighing weekly and keep thinking of the big picture.
  • Bigkmc
    Bigkmc Posts: 25 Member
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    JessicaThompson12 wrote: »
    I use Happy Scale just for this reason.

    The Happy Scale???
  • nicola8989
    nicola8989 Posts: 381 Member
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    I'm obsessed with weighing myself and do it every day. I just downloaded the Happy Scale app and I'm using that - has only been a few days so I can't say if it's really helping but I hope it will as I get so demotivated!
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    Bigkmc wrote: »
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    If you don't like the fluctuations, why don't you weigh weekly instead?

    Because I'm desperate to see results and a sucker for self demotivation. I know, I know....

    Funny stuff. Even if you weigh once per week you will still see fluctuations.
  • TheBigFb
    TheBigFb Posts: 649 Member
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    Bigkmc wrote: »
    I am driving myself nuts by weighing daily. I'm on them before I can stop myself. A big drop gives me a spring in my step and big increase gives me a crap attitude.

    Anyone else struggle to stop weighing daily?

    Weigh yourself once every too weeks. One solution would be to throw the out
  • SusanKing1981
    SusanKing1981 Posts: 257 Member
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    I weigh every morning, can't help myself. Even if there is a reason for a sudden gain, I still get grumpy, even though I know it's not a "real" gain. My official weigh in day is Monday and as of Sunday last week I had lost 3.5lbs that week - so imagine my frustration on Monday morning to see a 2lb gain. Gutted! But not real. Too much sodium and TOTM. The Monday coming will be better.
  • Bigkmc
    Bigkmc Posts: 25 Member
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    TheBigFb wrote: »
    Bigkmc wrote: »
    I am driving myself nuts by weighing daily. I'm on them before I can stop myself. A big drop gives me a spring in my step and big increase gives me a crap attitude.

    Anyone else struggle to stop weighing daily?

    Weigh yourself once every too weeks. One solution would be to throw the out

    I've only just started my weight loss journey and am a big girl (6ft). It takes a lot of weight loss for clothes to feel different so I rely on the scales to let me know I'm on the right track. Especially given that weighing food and logging everything is relatively new to me too...

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