Daily weigher - gained 3 pounds???

Tashlovesfood
Tashlovesfood Posts: 51 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've somehow gained 3 pounds overnight. How is that possible? I know our weight can fluctuate but still 3 pounds is a lot and it doesn't seem to be going back down. Has anyone experienced this before and how long can it last? I did go over my calories 2 days ago by around 400 calories but I was still eating at maintenance so shouldn't have had a gain... I don't understand and feel a bit crappy at the moment :/ will I ever get this weight off?
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Replies

  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    I've seen much bigger fluctuations in much less time. If you are going to weigh every day, use something like trendweight.com to help level out the fluctuations.
  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
    Take pleasure in persevering. That is what separates those who keep pushing forward from those who throw in the towel. I have gone up and down as much as 5 lbs. It can be because of sodium in a meal that has you retaining water, or a meal that had fiber that you are still processing. Don't stress. :-)
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    Can you open your diary?
    Once I saw someone that had high salt chips and alcohol the night before.
    (still kept under calories).
  • CollieFit
    CollieFit Posts: 1,683 Member
    I've had 6lb over night once before TOTM. Water weight. Whooshed back out over a couple of days. I can fluctuate 3lb from morning to evening based on stomach contents alone. The general direction of travel is what matters.
  • maasha81
    maasha81 Posts: 733 Member
    I usually gain 5 - 6 lbs after eating chinese due to the sodium. If you're weighing daily then expect these types of fluctuations due to water retention, sodium intake, totm, hormonal changes etc
  • Annr
    Annr Posts: 2,765 Member
    CollieFit wrote: »
    I've had 6lb over night once before TOTM. Water weight. Whooshed back out over a couple of days. I can fluctuate 3lb from morning to evening based on stomach contents alone. The general direction of travel is what matters.

    Yep I hate TOM. He only visits a couple of times a year....and I hope he loses my address entirely SOON.
  • blancoms
    blancoms Posts: 165 Member
    I've had a 5lb weight increase then it would drop 6+ lbs a week later.
  • Debbjones
    Debbjones Posts: 278 Member
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    I've seen much bigger fluctuations in much less time. If you are going to weigh every day, use something like trendweight.com to help level out the fluctuations.

    Must have a WiFi Scale in order to use that app... :-(
  • lcottomsvcs
    lcottomsvcs Posts: 25 Member
    Annr wrote: »
    CollieFit wrote: »
    I've had 6lb over night once before TOTM. Water weight. Whooshed back out over a couple of days. I can fluctuate 3lb from morning to evening based on stomach contents alone. The general direction of travel is what matters.

    Yep I hate TOM. He only visits a couple of times a year....and I hope he loses my address entirely SOON.

    That TOTM thing, I totally agree it can wreak havoc with your weight loss. I retain water during that time like crazy. And being in perimenopause just adds the fun of unpredictability. So three pounds is perfectly plausible. I am a daily weight logger too so I have learned what makes me fluctuate. Don't be stressed over the gain, it is the overall trend that matters.
  • fatfudgery
    fatfudgery Posts: 449 Member
    Isn't the point of weighing yourself daily not having to worry about normal day-to-day fluctuations?
  • ncfitbit
    ncfitbit Posts: 1,058 Member
    Debbjones wrote: »
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    I've seen much bigger fluctuations in much less time. If you are going to weigh every day, use something like trendweight.com to help level out the fluctuations.

    Must have a WiFi Scale in order to use that app... :-(

    Or a fitbit synced to MFP. I enter my weight on MFP and it automatically shows up in Trendweight.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,318 Member
    Tashlovesfood wrote: »
    I've somehow gained 3 pounds overnight. How is that possible? I know our weight can fluctuate but still 3 pounds is a lot and it doesn't seem to be going back down. Has anyone experienced this before and how long can it last? I did go over my calories 2 days ago by around 400 calories but I was still eating at maintenance so shouldn't have had a gain... I don't understand and feel a bit crappy at the moment :/ will I ever get this weight off?

    If a weight gain of 3 pounds is going to bother you, stop weighing daily. I have seen as much as a 6 pound increase, pretty much all of it was water weight. There is nothing unusual about those sorts of weight variations from day to day. It is water weight, but it will still take several days to go away. Drink lots of water, that will help.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I was up 2lbs this morning, higher sodium than usual yesterday. It'll be gone by tomorrow... hopefully.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    I'm up 1.5 pounds because bulking without lifting. I'm doing something wrong I think!
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    It could be anything: sodium, TOM, ovulation (I hold water during ovulation), muscles holding water, etc. I doubt it's fat though. Trendweight is really helpful, but if you're logging your weight in MFP or Fitbit they both will show you a graph of how you're losing.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    ncfitbit wrote: »
    Debbjones wrote: »
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    I've seen much bigger fluctuations in much less time. If you are going to weigh every day, use something like trendweight.com to help level out the fluctuations.

    Must have a WiFi Scale in order to use that app... :-(

    Or a fitbit synced to MFP. I enter my weight on MFP and it automatically shows up in Trendweight.

    Yes, that is how mine works too. MFP sends to Fitbit, Fitbit sends to Trendweight.
  • AmyMahan2016
    AmyMahan2016 Posts: 13 Member
    I know how you feel...I put on 10lbs. In 2 day (4 lbs. Saturday &6 lbs.today) ....I weight daily on the wii...water weight is what everyone is telling me
  • endlessfall16
    endlessfall16 Posts: 932 Member
    I'd gained 6 lbs overnight from eating at a buffet the day before. I pigged out to the max! Took 2 days to lose all and more! It's 1 step back and 2 steps forward.

    I was at my lowest weight this morning, but still bingeing as I'm writing this. I don't care if the scale shows 10 lbs gained tomorrow morning. I have oodle of willpower and opportunities for workout!! :) hehehe

    So, don't stress!
  • Tashlovesfood
    Tashlovesfood Posts: 51 Member
    Thank you everyone. I am very close to TOTM so it could be that but also I had a meal out on Saturday ( burger with rice) and although the calories were on their website and fit my macros I worried that it could have done the damage. It's so difficult when you have to eat out!! How long does it take for water weight to go away? Xxx
  • Fursian
    Fursian Posts: 548 Member
    Debbjones wrote: »
    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    I've seen much bigger fluctuations in much less time. If you are going to weigh every day, use something like trendweight.com to help level out the fluctuations.

    Must have a WiFi Scale in order to use that app... :-(

    You can use a free fitbit account, you don't need a fitbit, and sync it to trendweight. no scales or devices needed. :)
  • subakwa
    subakwa Posts: 347 Member
    Don't worry about it! That's not a big fluctuation for a daily weigh. You know it can't be real as you weigh daily and you know you didn't cram an extra 10000 calories in yesterday! I have a pattern forming on my weight from daily weighing and it shows up and down by that amount every couple of weeks. I go up a touch, hold, then drop down and lose for a week or so, then repeat around the new lower level.
  • size102b
    size102b Posts: 1,370 Member
    I lost 11.5lbs in 7 weeks the last 2 weeks gained 1/2lb then stated the same and I've been strict since day one
    The body is frustrating at times & I think like said keep going drink the water and it will come good.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,268 Member
    Once you accept that weight fluctuates on a daily basis is when you will be truly happy while losing. With this being said stop weighing yourself on a daily basis. It can be very disheartening when you see a gain and its only water weight from your muscles recovering or from too much sodium the day before, etc. As long as you make a plan and stick with it by staying at a deficit and exercising, it will in fact come off. Good luck and be patient.
  • 257_Lag
    257_Lag Posts: 1,249 Member
    Up 5 today (daily weigher and charter) after the Easter bloat. Calories weren't that bad but the sodium was through the roof! I've been doing this long enough to know that lots of water and some patience is all I need. It will be gone on 2 or 3 days.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    I'm renaming yesterday's diary, "An Ode To Sodium and Chocolate". As a result, I'm up 2 lbs on the scale today but I know it's water retention from Easter indulgence.

    OP drink plenty of water and it should be gone in a day or two. Don't sweat it. Actually do sweat it, that will help!

  • ntnunk
    ntnunk Posts: 936 Member
    As others have said: it's water weight. When this happens and it freaks you out, just consider the raw numbers: 1 lb of weight gain from fat requires about 3,500 calories above your maintenance level. So, since I have no idea what your numbers actually are, we'll substitute mine as an example:
    1. Maintenance level: about 2,300 cals per day
    2. 1 lb = 3,500 cals, 5 lbs = 3,500 x 5 = 17,500 cals
    3. To truly gain 5 lbs overnight, I'd have to eat 2,300 + 17,500 = 19,800 cals in a single day.
    So if you were tracking calories even kind of accurately you should be pretty confidant that you didn't over eat that spectacularly in a single day. If that's the case, then it can't be actual weight gain. On the other hand, given that water weighs a bit over 8.3 lbs per gallon, a little bit of water retention can cause a lot of perceived weight gain. And it gets worse because that same water retention generally causes you to feel bloated. For me at least, little things like my wedding ring being tighter on my finger on those bloated days just make me feel fatter, even when realistically I know I'm no fatter than I was yesterday.

    I was up 3 lbs this morning after the weekend's indulgences so I can sympathize, but these days I'd almost rather see a huge, unrealistic spike like this because I *know* there's no way I over-ate that badly.

    Hope this helps you keep it in perspective. Good luck.
  • m303psss
    m303psss Posts: 6 Member
    Why would you want to weigh yourself everyday ? Is there a reason you want to chart daily trends ?
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    m303psss wrote: »
    Why would you want to weigh yourself everyday ? Is there a reason you want to chart daily trends ?

    For me, I like to see all those fluctuations because it helps me understand the patterns. I'm in maintenance now but even when I was losing, weighing daily (and even sometimes twice a day) enabled me to predict my weight and I could even tell you the day of the week and week of the month my weight would be the lowest.

    When the weight is higher (mine is almost always 2 lbs higher on Mondays than it is on Fridays) then I can look back and see that it is likely because of increased sodium or other contributing factors from the weekend.

    When you weigh infrequently I think people often get surprised when the scale doesn't reflect what you were hoping to see, and a lot of people get frustrated and give up. Many people use trendweight or other apps to minimize the noise of those normal fluctuations and just watch the overall downward trend over time.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    Tashlovesfood wrote: »
    I've somehow gained 3 pounds overnight. How is that possible? I know our weight can fluctuate but still 3 pounds is a lot and it doesn't seem to be going back down. Has anyone experienced this before and how long can it last? I did go over my calories 2 days ago by around 400 calories but I was still eating at maintenance so shouldn't have had a gain... I don't understand and feel a bit crappy at the moment :/ will I ever get this weight off?

    Depends on what your days were like leading up to that gain. Did you work out a lot? Did you consume a lot of food with sodium? Is it close to that time of the month?

    I find that I will have a high gain when I've worked out different muscles because my body will retain water to repair the muscles and that can last for a couple days sometimes. Just stay on track and remember your body is doing a lot of things other than just trying to lose weight so it will fluctuate at times.
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    m303psss wrote: »
    Why would you want to weigh yourself everyday ? Is there a reason you want to chart daily trends ?

    I'm a daily weigher. It helps me to see what is going on with my body. I also track it daily on the happy scale app on my phone and like to look back in the past and see my weight changes. :)

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