Identifying a genuine weight gain

Mistraal1981
Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
learning about exercise, food types, water etc and their impact on weight I understand they contribute to daily fluctuations on the scale. I totally get it.

This got me wondering... How can you tell when a weight gain is true compared to it being a fluctuation? Is there a guideline you use? Like, if I register the higher scale weight for more than x days it's a true gain (for example).

I am ashamed to admit my Google-fu has failed me. Most hits just explain fluctuations. So I though I would turn to the collective wisdom of mfp in order to understand how to decide if a genuine weight gain has occurred.

Replies

  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    You might like to try a site like trendweight.com

    I usually know if I'm overeating so I use logic to discern fat mass gain from fluctuation. I can't say an exact number of days, but just looking at the flow of the weight overtime gives you an indication. You'll never know with exactness, but it's good enough.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Logging accurately is key... I know there's no way I gained a pound of fat eating at a 400 calorie deficit.

    Then you just keep going and compare from month to month.
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
    I can tell from tracking my calories day to day and then at the end of the week. I have projections at three calorie levels over three months at a time. It is typically correct within .4 lbs... Hope that helps...
  • afatpersonwholikesfood
    afatpersonwholikesfood Posts: 577 Member
    edited August 2015
    What others have said. If you are logging accurately, then you know how many calories you're eating. If you're not consuming too many calories (averaged out over the course of the week or month; one binge will show a temporary upswing but doesn't have to do permanent damage by any means), then you haven't gained actual fat.
  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
    edited August 2015
    Thank you for the replies so far.

    Let me clarify, I was thinking about the long term. I don't want to count calories on an app for the rest of my life so I was wondering if my plan (when I eventually DO reach the magical maintenance point) of just keeping an eye on the scale and if it inched up I'd know I'd need to eat a bit less, if it inched down, I'd know to eat a bit more.

    In order for that to be an effective strategy I realised I had no clue how to identify a real gain as opposed to a fluctuation.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    Probably the easiest way would be to establish a range, say ± 5 pounds, and only adjust once you go outside of the range.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited August 2015
    Mistraal1981 wrote: »
    learning about exercise, food types, water etc and their impact on weight I understand they contribute to daily fluctuations on the scale. I totally get it.

    This got me wondering... How can you tell when a weight gain is true compared to it being a fluctuation? Is there a guideline you use? Like, if I register the higher scale weight for more than x days it's a true gain (for example).

    I am ashamed to admit my Google-fu has failed me. Most hits just explain fluctuations. So I though I would turn to the collective wisdom of mfp in order to understand how to decide if a genuine weight gain has occurred.

    I've been in maintenance for almost two and a half years now...I don't log...I do weigh myself regularly and track the trends. When I first started I used an app that graphed the overall trend as per the weights I was putting in...eventually, I learned to just be able to watch it on my own.

    true weight (fat) gain really doesn't take place over days...it tends to take place over weeks. in maintenance you should basically see fluctuations a few Lbs either way from your average weight....if the average number climbs over the course of weeks, you are gaining weight.

    In performing trend analysis, you have to get out of the day to day minutia and look at the bigger picture and numerous data points.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    You get to know yourself. Short of a period, my weight doesn't usually fluctuate more than two pounds. If I went up three or more that wasn't period-related, I'd know I'd gained.

    I don't sweat minor fluctuations because I've been getting on the scale every day for a long time and I know they don't mean anything. As long as I keep seeing new lows, I know I'm losing.

    One day, I'm 159, the next I'm 161. Although I would much rather see a 5 than a 6, it's not a big deal. :)
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
    I don't use an app to count just to track. I have a pretty good mental cal. dictionary at this point. Calories are like money and I spend it frugally. I see things as numbers in food shapes, lol. I know when I'm getting more than enough or not enough by how I feel. It just comes second nature at some point. I like to keep my eyes on numbers, which is why I track as I do. I feel more secure that way, but I don't have to...Over time you'll get your stride. I would suggest if you fluctuate more than 5 lbs in a month, to buckle down for the next month...5 bs is a big gap if you already have an idea of what you are doing. Calorie amnesia can happen, so there is that...
  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
    Excellent thank you! I really like the idea of a leeway and only adjusting once the leeway is exceeded. (Periods notwithstanding :smile: )

    Maybe i will make it so that anything that is 3lbs over my standard weight will be my warning.

    Thank you all, I do like planning ahead and being prepared.
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
    Mistraal1981 wrote: »
    Excellent thank you! I really like the idea of a leeway and only adjusting once the leeway is exceeded. (Periods notwithstanding :smile: )

    Maybe i will make it so that anything that is 3lbs over my standard weight will be my warning.

    Thank you all, I do like planning ahead and being prepared.

    You're welcome! :)
  • Pinesgurl
    Pinesgurl Posts: 39 Member
    I got discouraged today with the scale up 2 lbs when I've been under my calories all week, even with eating out once. It is excruciatingly slow (losing 9.1 lbs in about 2.5 months)I could carve this lb of fat off faster using a butter knife. :/
This discussion has been closed.

Categories