Scales

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Blessed_luv
Blessed_luv Posts: 47 Member
in Motivation and Support
am I the only one out there that wants to throw her scale up against the wall? The 20th it weighed me at 252.2, on the 21st at weighed me at 255.5, today I weighed me 252.3. My food choices day today don't change that much. How do I ever know which numbers are accurate? I'm just frustrated my doctor requires me to weigh every day.

Replies

  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
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    Daily fluctuations happen to everyone. Look for a downward trend over a longer time period.
  • Elle_Bronwyn15
    Elle_Bronwyn15 Posts: 296 Member
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    Don't sweat it, I weigh daily too but only log once every week. The scale can move up and down for many reasons non-weight(fat) related. Some days you could weigh more because of water retention (it is summertime now after all), hormonal bloat, or even if you haven't used the bathroom in a few days (eww). Weight loss will never be a perfect slope downward. As long as you are consistently trending down over time, you'll be alright.
  • griffinca2
    griffinca2 Posts: 672 Member
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    Yep; could be water retention and your weight does fluctuations happen.
  • Blessed_luv
    Blessed_luv Posts: 47 Member
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    It's just so frustrating when you're trying so hard to reach your goal and your weight goes up and down up and down. I think I'm finally passed fluctuating between 270 and 260. Now I need to get past fluctuating between 260 and 250. I tried to speak with my doctor about not weighing every day but he thinks it's important for me to do it. He says it's helps us recognize if there's any specific foods that are causing weight gain. I'd like to be at 200 by Christmas wave my way to fluctuating I'm not sure that's a reasonable goal anymore. Eventually I'd like to get to 160, 170.
  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 409 Member
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    I think that if you log everything that goes into your mouth each day, and only weigh once per week, you still can look back and see if you ate something that might have caused your weight to fluctuate. Weighing every day is a nonproductive and extremely frustrating and un-motivational way to lose weight, especially if you are a woman. I'm not saying to ignore your doctor, but I would ignore my doctor and only weigh once per week lol.
  • Blessed_luv
    Blessed_luv Posts: 47 Member
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    I do appreciate your suggestion thank you.

    With most of my doctors I would not have a problem with ignoring them, but my primary care doctor that I have now is the only doctor that I've ever had that's really helping me to feel better I have a lot of different health issues and their chronic condition so I'll always have them but he is helping me to be able to live with them and I just can't bring myself to ignore him.

  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
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    Day-to-day fluctuations of 2%, even 5%, are sometimes nothing at all... As long as the general trend over time is decreasing, then you are doing fine!
  • Kimberly_Harper
    Kimberly_Harper Posts: 409 Member
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    mitch16 wrote: »
    Day-to-day fluctuations of 2%, even 5%, are sometimes nothing at all... As long as the general trend over time is decreasing, then you are doing fine!

    Yes I agree - and like you said, at least you are fluctuating at a lower range than before. So...if you are weighing every day are you writing it down? Maybe if you write down your Sunday weight each week in a different color than the other days, it won't be as frustrating? Otherwise - I hear ya! It is good when you finally find a good doctor! And maybe invest in some rugged scales that you can throw at the wall but they still work afterwards - haha!
  • Blessed_luv
    Blessed_luv Posts: 47 Member
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    Thank you Mitch16
  • rugbyphreak
    rugbyphreak Posts: 509 Member
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    First of all, is your doctor looking for a food allergy or intolerance? That would be the biggest reason to weigh in every day instead of every week. If he's looking for an issue with food digestion, please keep track of what you eat and what you weigh each day. Sometimes, it's as simple as finding the allergy and altering your eating habits. Dairy and gluten are the big ones, but anything could be setting off a negative reaction. If not, bring up how frustrating it is. My weight fluctuates daily depending on what time of the month it is, how much water I drink, how much I work out, what I ate that day, but as long as it keeps steady or goes down over time, I'm okay with it. This weekend I put on weight. Beer will do that. But I'm sure tomorrow, when everything flushes through and I re-hydrate with appropriate liquids, I'll be fine.
  • hobbeskastiel
    hobbeskastiel Posts: 221 Member
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    I have about an 8 lbs weight fluctuation. I just look at the high and the low and as long as at the end of the month the high is lower then the high from the month before then i'm going ok.
  • Blessed_luv
    Blessed_luv Posts: 47 Member
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    That is some really good advice everybody thank you so much!
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    When I was losing, I logged my weight every day. When I ate high sodium or drank ANY alcohol (even one glass of red wine) my weight would spike 3-4 lbs. It's water weight, it fluctuates. Log your weight every day like your doctor recommends and then view your Report in MyFitnessPal for 3 months at a time. You should see the downward trend.

    In one week I could fluctuate up 4-6 lbs and still end the week having lost 1 lb.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    If you're weighing everyday and it's driving you crazy, I'd say shoot for twice a week. Beginning of the week and end of the week. So Monday & Friday. Or if you can't go that long... Tuesday and Friday.
  • BumbleBreeBuzz
    BumbleBreeBuzz Posts: 83 Member
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    Also try weighing yourself at the same time every day. Like someone else said, we fluctuate throughout the day so you may weigh more in the morning than you do in the evening. I try to weigh myself around 9 every morning. Also make sure you wear the same outfit/are naked as that can make small changes as well
  • Kathy379
    Kathy379 Posts: 49 Member
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    Don't sweat the fluctuations, I have found that my weight can vary up to 5lbs a day! Even if you weigh daily, just log once a week maybe :)
  • gothicfires
    gothicfires Posts: 240 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Weight loss is not linear. I wish it was, but it doesn't work that way. The first thing I want to mention is that you should always stay hydrated. I hate with people talk about 'water weight'. Unless you are given a pill by a doctor to expel water it simply isn't a factor. You're body can maintain it more on one day and less on another but over all it evens out in the wash. The second thing that I would recommend is to have a high fiber diet. Your body can retain a lot of poop. Your digestive system is happiest when it is well lubricated. I had one day where I couldn't stay out of the bathroom. I had so many bowel movements I was near tears by the time I went to bed. I lost 3.8 pounds that day. Of course I gained some of it back the next day. Third, as someone mentioned before you need to weigh the same time every day. I wake up, go to the bathroom to do my business and then weigh naked. The scale goes down a bit, then it goes up a bit, then it goes down a bit more, then it goes up again but not as far as the last and then it goes down again.... you get the drift. The important thing is that your overall trend is in the downward motion.
  • Blessed_luv
    Blessed_luv Posts: 47 Member
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    gothicfires, Thank you, I appreciate the advice I to try to weigh the same time every day at 8 AM after I eliminate and naked however on Dr. days sometimes it ends up being earlier because I have to leave the house earlier. I try to eat a high-fiber diet, but I have some limitations there as well because I'm prone to kidney stones. Not sure why I get them I don't drink soda and I don't eat the things that I'm not supposed to like kale and spinach my annual test always show that I'm not eating things that would cause them so I guess my body just makes them. Now that I'm thinking about it my overall trend is going in the downward direction. I shouldn't get so frustrated it's just hard sometimes. I'm gone from 329 pounds to 252 so over a period of about 2 years. It is just taking so long.
  • Blessed_luv
    Blessed_luv Posts: 47 Member
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    I so appreciate everybody's advice it's really good advice and I'll be taking it all!
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
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    There's an app called Libra that gets you to enter your daily weight. It shows the trend etc. I'd suggest trying that. I'm a bit of an old-fashioned person and if your Dr has suggested it, then I'd listen to him/her

    Best of luck!!!!!

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