Possibly Dumb Question: CI/CO and TOM

NinaSharp
NinaSharp Posts: 101 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This is my 9274721 time trying to lose weight. I'm trying to make this *the* time it works out and I maintain my weight. I've been tracking daily, and measuring everything I eat with a food scale and or measuring cups. (I realize there is still a margin of error). So I've been struggling to get passed a certain weight for a week now. I wake up, and I"m 152.8. The next day, I'll be 152.2. The day after though, I'm back up to 152.8. I measure what I eat, and part of my day comes out of a can, so I just read the calories on the side. Why am I losing the same half a pound and regaining it? I'm confused at this, since I realize this whole thing is simple math. Then this morning, I remembered my TOM is coming this weekend. I can't think of anything else that would be affecting me, since like I said I my meals are measured and I hit the gym every day. Could someone explain why TOM affects my weight? I thought if I kept up a deficit it would still cause me to lose?

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    Weight loss is about measurement over time. Several factors affect daily weight like sodium/electrolyte balance, glycogen level, TOM, fluid retention from exercise, level of food in your digestive track, etc.

    Pro tip: track weight loss over 4-6 weeks. It's fine to weigh daily, but expect wide variation within those periods.
  • NinaSharp
    NinaSharp Posts: 101 Member
    Thanks! I kept looking for me to lose weight daily and just have a lump number at the end of the week. This makes sense.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    NinaSharp wrote: »
    Thanks! I kept looking for me to lose weight daily and just have a lump number at the end of the week. This makes sense.

    Also weirdly enough, I have a weekly ranges that are fairly cyclical. I tend to lose most of my weight on Saturday/Sunday. And then it goes back up during the week.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    I gain 2-3 lbs during my TOM, which is mostly water weight. Afterward, I lose the 2-3 lbs and sometimes more if I didn't way overeat during TOM. You can definitely see the trend of losses and stalls on my weight loss graph, due to weight gain during TOM.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,165 Member
    Your weight will fluctuate a lot during the month. TOM can definitely cause it and so can ovulation. Plus new exercises that lead to muscle soreness can cause water retention too as your muscles repair themselves. And you could be up from a high sodium meal. If you want to weigh daily then use a trending app such as Libra for Android or Happy Scale for IOS. This way you can see the overall trend which should be going down. I weigh daily and at first it is a little hard to get used to ignoring the ups and downs, but after awhile I have gotten used to it and the fluctuations don't phase me at all.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Hello, me again, those who know me look away cos I'm repeating the same post and the same pic

    You don't have a weight you have a weight range. Weight fluctuates due to water weight: change up in exercise, hormones around ovulation and periods, dehydration, carbs, sodium etc

    Normally around 5lbs.

    Don't sweat it. Get a trend app like Happy Scale or Libra, or a site like weightographer or trendweight

    I use the last cos it synchs to my Fitbit

    Here normality for 1 year in maintenance

    wxdc478ijz57.png
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Today I weigh 162.6 cos of america and transatlantic flights and dehydration and eating too much

    Flights also increase water weight
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    That is not a dumb question. Since OP is at the beginning of this project, it's great on her to load up with information.
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    My tom "bloat" is always 3 lbs, it happens a few days before and drops the day after I finish. It's annoying but as it's like clockwork it's nothing to panic about :) this is why it's great to learn to understand your fluctuations
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,943 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    NinaSharp wrote: »
    Thanks! I kept looking for me to lose weight daily and just have a lump number at the end of the week. This makes sense.

    Also weirdly enough, I have a weekly ranges that are fairly cyclical. I tend to lose most of my weight on Saturday/Sunday. And then it goes back up during the week.

    Yes, I have the same. My explanation is that I sit behind my desk during the week and store a bit more weight in my legs or elsewhere. I'm a) more active during weekends and b) if not tend to sit with my legs up otherwise. Maybe that plays a role as my diet during week and weekend is similar.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Today I weigh 162.6 cos of america and transatlantic flights and dehydration and eating too much

    Flights also increase water weight

    Tacos? American portions?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I gain at ovulation and right before my TOM. Because of this (and because Lyle McDonald said to) I compare myself to last month, not last week.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6846ZTBu08k&index=4&list=PLUXvX9BaxgqG9yO5XWB3gA_QshvrrcjVr

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