Weight fluctations - help please

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Hi,
I'm always rather nervous about starting a topic like this, but here goes...

I have always been a weekly weigher, thinking any more frequent may result in me being obsessive. In the first 3 weeks I lost 2 lbs, then 1 lb, then 1 lb. Fine. Then I had a couple of "off" days last week, did my weekly weigh-in and was 5 lbs heavier :/ To be honest, I basically just couldn't believe it so weighed myself again this morning - 4 lbs lighter so net gain of 1 vs last week but overall a 3lb loss, which feels probably right. I ate normally (for me) yesterday and I think my calendar is open so you can see roughly what that looks like.

My thing is, can it be remotely normal to fluctuate in 1 day by 5 LBS?!? :o The only food I can think of that might have contributed is some fresh white bread that I ate the day before yesterday's weigh-in.

I'm honestly toying with weighing daily now to see the overall trend rather than get a horrendous shock like I did yesterday.

Anybody?!?!?!

Replies

  • kaileyfry
    kaileyfry Posts: 56 Member
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    Eat around 1700-220)
  • kaileyfry
    kaileyfry Posts: 56 Member
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    2200
  • kaileyfry
    kaileyfry Posts: 56 Member
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    Try your best to stay away from breads
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    Yes, 5lbs is pretty normal. I did a quick search, here are a few other people saying the same thing: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1193897/5lbs-whats-the-most-youve-fluctuated-in-one-day
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    edited July 2015
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    kaileyfry wrote: »
    Try your best to stay away from breads

    There's nothing wrong with breads. And she's talking about fluctuations, which happen regardless of how much you're eating. And you can't recommend her how much to eat without knowing anything about her or her lifestyle. I'd gain weight if I ate as much as you're recommending.
  • shoppie
    shoppie Posts: 618 Member
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    Sorry I should have thought to search :(

    Just seems crazy amount in a single day, but I guess it is what it is! I do tend to eat comparatively high carbs versus some (though obviously still an overall calorie deficit) as I run quite a lot so tend to eat carbs the night before a run.
  • carolinemccreesh
    carolinemccreesh Posts: 2 Member
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    I can fluctuate 5-6lbs easily! What I do is weigh myself 2-3 times a week (no more!)and work off average loss. Loads of factors cause my fluctuations- hormones,foods eaten, digestive Issues- if I worried too much about it I'd have given up ages ago. Keep the faith. X
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,713 Member
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    I've put on 7lb in one week, simply through PMS bloating, and it was gone again by the time my period was through.

    just throughout the day a fluctuation of a pound or two is normal. weighing myself in the AM, before breakfast or drink, after toileting, is going to give a very different result to if I weigh myself in the PM, after dinner, fully hydrated, with full belly, bowel and bladder.

    don't panic over the little blips! they don't reflect what is really happening with regards fat loss and muscle gain. log weekly, and then every month look at your reports to get the bigger picture. you should be looking for a general decline over a longer period.
  • carolinemccreesh
    carolinemccreesh Posts: 2 Member
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    Totally agree. :)
  • noobletmcnugget
    noobletmcnugget Posts: 518 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I prefer weighing daily and using the website trendweight to track my average for this reason. Weighing weekly, you're still subject to the same fluctuations, so I'd rather weigh daily and get more data.

    You need to not let the fluctuations bother you though, because they're going to always happen, no matter how disciplined you are with your diet. If you're up a pound, or two, or seven from yesterday, ask yourself "have I eaten 3500 x number of pounds over my TDEE in the past day?" No. In which case, it's not fat, it's just water weight.

    Really, if you know you're eating at a deficit, you are losing weight, whether the scale says so or not. Trust in your logging.
  • ThomasWright1997
    ThomasWright1997 Posts: 155 Member
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    Right.. Weight fluctuations are just how it is. You know, you might have lost nothing at all. How much do you reckon a bowel full of feacal matter weighs? You see, what you need to do is weight your self EVERYDAY. Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated. Now I'll lay it all out for you in a personal message. Check your inbox.
  • glovepuppet
    glovepuppet Posts: 1,713 Member
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    I wonder how much manners weigh...
  • justinealexandra
    justinealexandra Posts: 5 Member
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    i don't think it's anything to be totally worried about! weight fluctuates all the time. it just has to do with how much water your body retains and all that! the same thing has happened to me several times. if anything, don't let that number on the scale hang around in your mind and make you feel bad. be proud of how far you've come and concentrate on feeling good about yourself and staying healthy. i hope i helped in some way :)
  • robynmoosehead
    robynmoosehead Posts: 66 Member
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    My weight fluctuations are nuts. I use an app called Happy Scale to even them all out so I can look at the overall trend.

    For example, last Friday I hit half a stone loss and had a big family event over the weekend so decided to come off counting for it. Weighed myself Monday morning and that whole half a stone was back on.
    It's now Wednesday morning and I'm back to the half stone loss.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    My weight fluctuations are nuts. I use an app called Happy Scale to even them all out so I can look at the overall trend.

    This^^

    The app is great as over time I can see patterns with fluctuations over the month. Once you realise how normal it is to go up and down all over the shop, suddenly seeing a bigger number on the scale is no longer concerning. I just find it amusing now when I've 'gained' 5lbs over night.
  • SaffronSunrise
    SaffronSunrise Posts: 182 Member
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    I weighed Monday but it seemed like I had lost a little too much (5 lbs). I worked my glutes hard & was sore yesterday and when I weighed, I was 2 lbs up. I know I didn't gain 2 lbs of fat overnight because I've been on point with my deficit. Ain't nothing but a thing. Just keep on truckin!
  • WakkoW
    WakkoW Posts: 567 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Yep, weight fluxuates. This might be TMI, for some reason I'm feeling sort of gassy this morning. So, I weighed myself as normal (naked, upon waking, after peeing) then 15 minutes later after letting some gas escape. Lost 0.4 pounds. <insert joke of being full of hot air>.

    This is also why I weigh every day and look at the trend (wifi scale lined to Fitbit and then to trendweight.com) I'm trying to lose slowly so I'm eating very, very close to maintenance.