10 lbs up and down and up and down, normal?

g2baleoparx
g2baleoparx Posts: 19 Member
edited November 25 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I reached my goal three years ago, 5'3" and weight when I switched to maintenance mode was 134. I regained 5 after a month and realized after research that it's mostly water and waste weight and stayed within 138 to 142 for two years. But this past year I have been all over the place 133 then 147 then 138 then now most recent 143. I work out 4 to 5 days a week HIIT once a week then weights and steady cardio the rest. Calorie intake is 1600 most days and 2200 on Friday and Saturday. But I can't seem to keep weight down . Any one have a problem maintaining after a long maintenance period all of a sudden? Is a 10 lb fluctuation normal back and forth several times a year?

Replies

  • Ashtoretet
    Ashtoretet Posts: 378 Member
    Well how are your clothes fitting, are you getting fatter or just heavier on the scale? If you're doing strength training and not on a deficit, some of that weight is likely new muscle.
  • squander
    squander Posts: 3 Member
    A gallon of water weighs 8lbs. I woke up ate breakfast, weighed 153. Worked out, weighed 150, now I am going to bed at 157. If you weigh yourself often throughout the day you'll see a lot of variation.

    10lbs seems a normal range. You've been at it for years, you know how to cut back when you are over.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    It is normal for me. I expect when I go away on holiday/vacation to gain about 1lb a day.
    Just back from a two week holiday and gained 10lbs despite being very active. About half is just temporary bloat and goes within a few days - currently working on getting rid of the other half.

    My maintenance range is nominally 7lbs but really I just set an upper intervention weight which triggers me to correct an upward trend.

    For me trying to maintain in a narrow range would feel overly restrictive - like being on a permanent diet.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited October 2015
    Everyone is different and has different/personal ideals, for me 10lbs would be too much of a fluctuation, I would get uncomfortable with more than a 5lb gain.... I'm small even a few lbs make a huge difference to how my clothes fit so I adjust my calories and eat at deficit until they fit better once more.

    The thing is that 10lbs could become 15lbs etc... better to create a deficit now so you don't slowly keep increasing.

    I've been maintaining 2+ years, I never let my weight swing more than +/- 5lbs. In winter it is inclined to get close to the top of my range but I always get it under control again. I like being slim too much so I'll do what it takes to keep this way :smile:
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    g2baleoparx wrote: »
    Is a 10 lb fluctuation normal back and forth several times a year?

    Is for me. I usually go up 10 from October thru January, then back down 10 through spring, then fluctuate in there over summer.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    g2baleoparx wrote: »
    I reached my goal three years ago, 5'3" and weight when I switched to maintenance mode was 134. I regained 5 after a month and realized after research that it's mostly water and waste weight and stayed within 138 to 142 for two years. But this past year I have been all over the place 133 then 147 then 138 then now most recent 143. I work out 4 to 5 days a week HIIT once a week then weights and steady cardio the rest. Calorie intake is 1600 most days and 2200 on Friday and Saturday. But I can't seem to keep weight down . Any one have a problem maintaining after a long maintenance period all of a sudden? Is a 10 lb fluctuation normal back and forth several times a year?

    how often are you weighing yourself? a 10 Lb fluctuation day to day or even week to week doesn't seem right to me. gaining and losing 10 Lbs throughout the year though...that's pretty easy to do. I typically put on 8-10 Lbs over the winter mostly due to the fact that I don't put as many miles in on my bike...then they come right off in the spring when I start riding a whole bunch...

    my day to day/week to week fluctuations tend to be in the 3-5 Lb range.
  • g2baleoparx
    g2baleoparx Posts: 19 Member
    I weigh myself once in the morning and once at night I usually don't pay much attention to those weights, the one that I actually mark down and I'm going by as far as the fluctuation is on Wednesdays in the morning that weight is the one I actually record. The fluctuation is only over the course of maybe 5 or 6 weeks I'll be up and then a couple weeks later I'll be down and then a few weeks later I'll be back up and then back down
  • MissJay75
    MissJay75 Posts: 768 Member
    If your CI/CO is pretty consistent over those 5-6 weeks, then you can be sure it's just normal body fluctuations, which normal for you may be a greater range that what is normal for other people. If you are eating and or working out loads at times and barely any at others it's hard to say.

    I suggest you try to stick to the calories MFP gives you pretty closely every day for a month and see what happens. You should also record somewhere morning and evening weight every day for that month and see what patterns you can discover.
  • scrittrice
    scrittrice Posts: 345 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    g2baleoparx wrote: »
    I reached my goal three years ago, 5'3" and weight when I switched to maintenance mode was 134. I regained 5 after a month and realized after research that it's mostly water and waste weight and stayed within 138 to 142 for two years. But this past year I have been all over the place 133 then 147 then 138 then now most recent 143. I work out 4 to 5 days a week HIIT once a week then weights and steady cardio the rest. Calorie intake is 1600 most days and 2200 on Friday and Saturday. But I can't seem to keep weight down . Any one have a problem maintaining after a long maintenance period all of a sudden? Is a 10 lb fluctuation normal back and forth several times a year?

    how often are you weighing yourself? a 10 Lb fluctuation day to day or even week to week doesn't seem right to me. gaining and losing 10 Lbs throughout the year though...that's pretty easy to do. I typically put on 8-10 Lbs over the winter mostly due to the fact that I don't put as many miles in on my bike...then they come right off in the spring when I start riding a whole bunch...

    my day to day/week to week fluctuations tend to be in the 3-5 Lb range.

    I agree that 3 to 5 pounds is more normal, but there's one exception (for me, at least) that's not a factor for you (@cwolfman), presumably: every once in a while my weight swings up drastically, as much as 10 pounds in a day or two (I don't weigh every day); inevitably, two weeks later I get my period and realize I was ovulating (which isn't a regular occurrence for me anymore). The weird thing is, I don't even feel bloated when it happens. It's just startling to see the number. OP, you might want to track where you are in your cycle and how it correlates.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    What you describe to me sounds more like weight gain rather than natural fluctuation. Ten pounds is a big range to me, and I'd be uncomfortable with this.
  • allyphoe
    allyphoe Posts: 618 Member
    If you're eating your exercise calories back, it's possible that your exercise is becoming more efficient as you become more fit. So fewer calories out, even though you're doing the same thing.

    Track your weight using one of the trend apps, if you want to distinguish slow gain over time from normal fluctuation.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    allyphoe wrote: »
    If you're eating your exercise calories back, it's possible that your exercise is becoming more efficient as you become more fit. So fewer calories out, even though you're doing the same thing.

    Track your weight using one of the trend apps, if you want to distinguish slow gain over time from normal fluctuation.

    Ref the bolded part - no, that's not how it works.
    Calories are units of energy, energy expenditure is physics not feeling easier.
  • g2baleoparx
    g2baleoparx Posts: 19 Member


    I agree that 3 to 5 pounds is more normal, but there's one exception (for me, at least) that's not a factor for you (@cwolfman), presumably: every once in a while my weight swings up drastically, as much as 10 pounds in a day or two (I don't weigh every day); inevitably, two weeks later I get my period and realize I was ovulating (which isn't a regular occurrence for me anymore). The weird thing is, I don't even feel bloated when it happens. It's just startling to see the number. OP, you might want to track where you are in your cycle and how it correlates.[/quote]


    I also having a very irregular ovulation cycle as of lately and I never thought of this as being a reason. And about 2 years ago when my weight was more steady I was having very regular cycles. This makes much sense to me. Thank you

  • Bansh3e
    Bansh3e Posts: 71 Member
    Maybe it`s just water, don`t` stress it. :)o:)
  • pkw58
    pkw58 Posts: 2,038 Member
    I only weigh once in the morning. I have been maintaining since 2013. 3-5 pounds up or down after salty foods. After 10 days in Venice and a cruise, up 3 pounds this morning. Will go on my Dukan PP and PV days for two weeks. We averaged 15000 steps a day, all my clothes are loose and my rings are very loose. I have a 5k to run on October 31st, so want to make sure I am at my optimal easy to run with weight of 128. That's the big huge at maintenance world I am still acclimating my self to. When I got to my healthy weight range, then I had to adjust to what size /range I wanted to maintain, and keep adding on the healthy nutrition and water and sleep and exercise. Sustainability is key for me.
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
    RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
    sijomial wrote: »
    ... I just set an upper intervention weight which triggers me to correct an upward trend...

    +1

    @g2baleoparx Do you have any sort of 'intervention weight' set? That helps tremendously to differentiate from normal flux & actual gain.

    And for the most part I'd not say affirmatively that a 'normal' weight flux range exists because every body holds on to water weight differently.

    Personally my weight flux within 1-2 lbs. While others tend to be in the 3-5 lbs & some as much as 7-10 lbs. It just depends.

    Have you noticed a pattern of when the additional weight occur? Is it around menstrual cycle? Drinking less water? Increased sodium intake?

    Women also has the added complication of hormones flux which does impact weight for some women. So if there are any changes in that department (hormones related) that can be a factor in the additional weight.

    Try not to panic and really look at the nutrition slice to spot any changes there first - if the menstrual cycle is not offering an obvious pattern.

    Set an 'intervention weight' and really try to chart & log everything to help see if a pattern emerges. If not then look at your macros.

    Best of luck to you!
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