Why did the number on the scale go up this week? Here's why.
AliceDark
Posts: 3,886 Member
At some point early when you start trying to lose weight, it’s highly likely that you’ll step on the scale one day and see that your weight is up. When this happens, people panic, get angry, get frustrated, or sometimes, give up. (It's heading toward late January, so a lot of people are hitting this point now or will be soon). The thing is, it’s absolutely normal to see your weight go down one day and up the next.
Nobody has a definite weight; we all have a weight range. We don’t always know this until we start trying to lose weight, but your weight will always fluctuate up and down across some range. Your starting weight was really only your starting weight at the moment when you weighed in; an hour later, you would’ve probably seen a different number on the scale.
Some of the most common factors that influence your weight range include:
1. Hydration
2. Sodium
3. Sleep
4. TOM
5. The weight of food processing through your system
6. Exercise (new/increased exercise can cause water retention, which can show up as a gain or stall on the scale)
7. Time of day of your weigh-in
If you’re seeing a bump up on the scale, the first thing to do is to be patient. If you’ve been trying to lose weight for less than 4 weeks or so, just ride it out and give your body time to adjust. (It might also be a good time to double-check your logging accuracy and see if something needs to be tightened up, but that’s not always necessary if what you’re seeing really is just a blip on the graph). If anything on the above list is different from your last weigh-in, just ride it out and give your body time to adjust.
If you’re doing daily weigh-ins, realize that you will almost never see the same number on the scale, so you need to be okay seeing that variability on a daily basis. If you’re doing weekly weigh-ins, you may just have caught yourself on a high day, so don’t freak out there either. As long as the overall trend line is going down, you’re losing weight. Just trust yourself and keep going.
Nobody has a definite weight; we all have a weight range. We don’t always know this until we start trying to lose weight, but your weight will always fluctuate up and down across some range. Your starting weight was really only your starting weight at the moment when you weighed in; an hour later, you would’ve probably seen a different number on the scale.
Some of the most common factors that influence your weight range include:
1. Hydration
2. Sodium
3. Sleep
4. TOM
5. The weight of food processing through your system
6. Exercise (new/increased exercise can cause water retention, which can show up as a gain or stall on the scale)
7. Time of day of your weigh-in
If you’re seeing a bump up on the scale, the first thing to do is to be patient. If you’ve been trying to lose weight for less than 4 weeks or so, just ride it out and give your body time to adjust. (It might also be a good time to double-check your logging accuracy and see if something needs to be tightened up, but that’s not always necessary if what you’re seeing really is just a blip on the graph). If anything on the above list is different from your last weigh-in, just ride it out and give your body time to adjust.
If you’re doing daily weigh-ins, realize that you will almost never see the same number on the scale, so you need to be okay seeing that variability on a daily basis. If you’re doing weekly weigh-ins, you may just have caught yourself on a high day, so don’t freak out there either. As long as the overall trend line is going down, you’re losing weight. Just trust yourself and keep going.
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Replies
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Good thread.2
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This is why I weigh myself weekly, first thing in a morning and naked. The scales have never gone up.27
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Nice.
A couple more things can cause water weight retention.
Travel/flying
Injury/Sunburn
Excessive outdoor temperatures22 -
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There are useful tools for showing your trending weight vs. what the scale says, and these can be helpful for those weighing daily (or even weekly). They help you focus on how the trend is vs. specific days where weight might be up.
For iOs there is Happy Scale
For Android there is Libra
For Web there is trendweight.com
Here is a screen capture of my trendweight showing Christmas time
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Good additions! I totally forgot about travel and outdoor temperatures. Some medications can cause water retention or constipation too.8
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Needs more bumps.1
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Good thread. This is why I try and stay off the scale, I let my clothes do the talking. I used to drive my self crazy.5
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And if it goes up tomorrow it's totally worth it because I crumbled a serving of Do-Si-Dos on 1.625 servings of Blue Bell No Sugar Added Homemade Vanilla and STILL have a calorie deficit.20
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I’m up 1.2 pounds since yesterday morning because yesterday I ran a 5k and then took the dog for a long walk (running always and forever causes a little bump on the scale for me), then had Thai food for dinner (a higher-sodium meal). I still hit my calorie goal for the day, and I knew that 1.2 pound bump was coming. Actually, I thought it would be more than that. It’ll be gone by Tuesday morning.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »And if it goes up tomorrow it's totally worth it because I crumbled a serving of Do-Si-Dos on 1.625 servings of Blue Bell No Sugar Added Homemade Vanilla and STILL have a calorie deficit.
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I’m up 1.2 pounds since yesterday morning because yesterday I ran a 5k and then took the dog for a long walk (running always and forever causes a little bump on the scale for me), then had Thai food for dinner (a higher-sodium meal). I still hit my calorie goal for the day, and I knew that 1.2 pound bump was coming. Actually, I thought it would be more than that. It’ll be gone by Tuesday morning.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »And if it goes up tomorrow it's totally worth it because I crumbled a serving of Do-Si-Dos on 1.625 servings of Blue Bell No Sugar Added Homemade Vanilla and STILL have a calorie deficit.
I’m wondering why running causes a bump up on the scale?0 -
I know exactly why my loss slowed. I work a pretty active job and having two days that I was out due to weather really impacts my goals. One of those days was not good for doing more than my indoor workouts (sleet, icy running routes, and I'm really not prepared for running in temperatures well below freezing). And when I'm not chasing babies, I get bored and that leads to snacking.
But I'm noticing that my clothes are fitting better and I was still down half a pound. And having the short push through prepared me a little for the oncoming cold morning runs I'm starting.2 -
Exercise can cause temporary water retention due to muscle repair. That’s why we see so many people start threads saying “I started exercising for the first time and gained weight!” I’ve been tracking my weight on a daily basis for a few years, and it’s just one of my own personal quirks: when I’ve gone running (or gone for a long hike, or walked WAY more than normal), I’m more likely to see either a small increase on the scale than on other days. This also happens if I’ve had to take a longer break than usual from lifting (for example, if I’d been sick for a week or something): the day after my first workout, I’ll be more likely to see a bump.orangegato wrote: »
I’m up 1.2 pounds since yesterday morning because yesterday I ran a 5k and then took the dog for a long walk (running always and forever causes a little bump on the scale for me), then had Thai food for dinner (a higher-sodium meal). I still hit my calorie goal for the day, and I knew that 1.2 pound bump was coming. Actually, I thought it would be more than that. It’ll be gone by Tuesday morning.JeromeBarry1 wrote: »And if it goes up tomorrow it's totally worth it because I crumbled a serving of Do-Si-Dos on 1.625 servings of Blue Bell No Sugar Added Homemade Vanilla and STILL have a calorie deficit.
I’m wondering why running causes a bump up on the scale?
The bigger picture is that knowing this helps me make more informed and dispassionate decisions about my activity and intake. The benefits I get from running far outweigh (haha) a day of seeing a slightly higher number on the scale. That’s true for people just starting out too — building a fitness practice is much more valuable in the long run, even if it means that you have to suffer through a few weeks where the scale isn’t moving the way you’d like it to.15 -
Another bump. A lot of posters are running into this right about now. Hopefully this will help clear some things up for some.9
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Great timing!!! I buckled back down after a year of gaining 30 back and the scale is being a *kitten*.
So I measured, and I’m shrinking. All is well again in my loopy world.
Thank you!!9 -
exactly!! It has taken me 4 weeks of consistent exercise and my weight is FINALLY starting to slowly go down. You can't use the scale for motivation because its not always a good indicator of success.
As far as the person that says they only weigh in once a week and never gain, I find that very hard to believe. Either that person is very close to goal or they aren't doing any sort of high intensity workout program...or like another poster says just luck. I think bodies naturally fluctuate, even weekly.6 -
Great post. bump.0
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Aww, heck yeah! I'm excited for youangelb1983 wrote: »exactly!! It has taken me 4 weeks of consistent exercise and my weight is FINALLY starting to slowly go down. You can't use the scale for motivation because its not always a good indicator of success.
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I know first hand that it is so frustrating when you are eating so good and working out every single say and boom, the scale shows you gained two pounds! When I first, first started my journey many moons ago, I was pumped and wanted instant results. I weighed every single day and got frustrated half the time and seriously it made me want to quit right then and there. I had to breath and say "hey, this is a long haul goal so chill and do this as a long haul process!" So I decided the weighing in every day wasn't for me. I would weight every other week. That seemed the best for me. (Everyone is different) And do you know how exciting it was to see 5lbs down or 6 lbs down (of course that was in the beginning when I weighed ALOT. That kind of progress slowed to none-4 lbs but by then it was a lifestyle.) That kept my motivation going so hardcore especially in the beginning when I was trying to make it a habit. DON'T QUIT!!! Be kind to your body and your body will be kind to you!11
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ah - really needed this! BUMP BUMP BUMP 1
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What a relief. I thought it was all the beer and food I had on vacation! Five pounds up last week.7
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So glad you guys bumped this up! I ate more than usual than this weekend, because I felt I was under-eating and fatigued only to see the scale about 1.5 higher this morning. I'll attribute a little of that weight to Saturday's long ride and Sunday's run.
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Today was my first weight gain. I thought maybe you were watching my progress. I have no intention of stopping, even if I loose no more weight, I feel better, and that's what i'm hoping for. 8
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Good thread to remind people that the scale is a fickle measurement!5
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Totally appreciate this thread today.1
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1. Hydration
2. Sodium
3. Sleep
4. TOM
5. The weight of food processing through your system
6. Exercise (new/increased exercise can cause water retention, which can show up as a gain or stall on the scale)
7. Time of day of your weigh-in
Excellent points.
I bolded the four with the greatest potential for impact. Any hormonal change will result in intracellular water uptake (water weight). This is the body's natural defense against change occurring, whether it be hormonal, exercise change, sodium change, etc. The weight of a human adult body is ~60% water, so even small shifts in hydration - sweating, drinking, etc. and or drop pounds quickly. 16 oz water weighs 1.04 lbs.
At 6'4" 226 lbs my daily water weight fluctuates ~5 lbs throughout the day - this is perfectly normal.6 -
1. Hydration
2. Sodium
3. Sleep
4. TOM
5. The weight of food processing through your system
6. Exercise (new/increased exercise can cause water retention, which can show up as a gain or stall on the scale)
7. Time of day of your weigh-in
Excellent points.
I bolded the four with the greatest potential for impact. Any hormonal change will result in intracellular water uptake (water weight). This is the body's natural defense against change occurring, whether it be hormonal, exercise change, sodium change, etc. The weight of a human adult body is ~60% water, so even small shifts in hydration - sweating, drinking, etc. and or drop pounds quickly. 16 oz water weighs 1.04 lbs.
At 6'4" 226 lbs my daily water weight fluctuates ~5 lbs throughout the day - this is perfectly normal.
You geek, you.
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1. Hydration
2. Sodium
3. Sleep
4. TOM
5. The weight of food processing through your system
6. Exercise (new/increased exercise can cause water retention, which can show up as a gain or stall on the scale)
7. Time of day of your weigh-in
Agree 100% with your assessment. I mostly included #5 because I refuse, on principle, to ask an internet stranger "when's the last time you pooped?"
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Great info and well timed, so thank you!!!!1
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quiksylver296 wrote: »1. Hydration
2. Sodium
3. Sleep
4. TOM
5. The weight of food processing through your system
6. Exercise (new/increased exercise can cause water retention, which can show up as a gain or stall on the scale)
7. Time of day of your weigh-in
Excellent points.
I bolded the four with the greatest potential for impact. Any hormonal change will result in intracellular water uptake (water weight). This is the body's natural defense against change occurring, whether it be hormonal, exercise change, sodium change, etc. The weight of a human adult body is ~60% water, so even small shifts in hydration - sweating, drinking, etc. and or drop pounds quickly. 16 oz water weighs 1.04 lbs.
At 6'4" 226 lbs my daily water weight fluctuates ~5 lbs throughout the day - this is perfectly normal.
You geek, you.
...and yet I smile
1
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