What is an acceptable range for maintaining weight?

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MrBiggiesworth wrote: »

I feel like it's impossible to maintain the same weight as my weight fluctuates as much as 5-6 lbs throughout the day. How far should I set control limits from a center set point weight that I want to maintain?

Honestly it's entirely up to you.

Maintenance is a moving target so even if you set your calorie intake to a given level you aren't likely to exactly maintain, and some people are going to fluctuate weight more than others.

It's really up to you entirely.

Minor point, the 5-6 pound intra-day variance isn't really relevant since you should be taking weigh ins under the same conditions and only comparing those weigh ins.

Likely upon rising from bed after a nights sleep and after voiding ones bladder and before drinking anything your naked weight ought to be most consistent. You exhale a lot of water breathing during the night so weighing in at this time and in this manner will minimize water weight, the biggest daily weight variable.

I used to work on a limit of +/- 3lbs but it's evolved a bit to set an intervention weight limit instead.
My weight can vary 5lbs from day to day but as long as the trend weight rather than spikes are around my nominal 164lbs goal weight I'm happy.
If that trend weight starts to consistently push my invention weight of 168lbs then that's what I will do - intervene.

I only try to precisely control my weight before a big cycle event and then drop a few pounds to help with the hills!

I have a 5lb window. I weigh myself every morning-if my weight is within my 5lb range then I move on with my day. If it creeps over or under it, I make a note of it, and if it stays outside of my range for more than a few days, then I make adjustments (I've only had this happen a couple times so far, in two years of maintenance).

For example-my weight was 127lbs this morning, and my maintenance range is 120-125lbs. I'm not freaking out though, because we ate out last night and I had a high sodium pasta dinner. Calorie wise I know I didn't overeat, but it's going to take a day or two for my body to process it. I anticipate being back in my maintenance range by Wednesday. However, if come Friday morning I was still at 127lbs, then I'd make adjustments.