Why did I lose 4lbs in 2 days???

leeishla13
leeishla13 Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, I've been using this app for over a month now. I've lost around 16lbs. For some reason it says I've lost 4lbs within a 2 day span. I wanted to know why?!

Replies

  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    There could be several reasons for this, but there's not enough information in your post to answer it.

    It's most likely fluid related for some reason or another, though.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,371 Member
    What data did you enter for it to say you've lost this weight?

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    leeishla13 wrote: »
    Hey, I've been using this app for over a month now. I've lost around 16lbs. For some reason it says I've lost 4lbs within a 2 day span. I wanted to know why?!

    because weight loss isn't linear
  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,281 Member
    It is the same mystery that occurs when you gain 2 overnight!: just don't be disappointed if the scale jumps up tomorrow before heading down again.

    I changed from weekly to daily wrigh-in awhile back. Was really glad I did. It has clearly demonstrated the fickleness of the scale so I no longer over-react to these aberrations.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    jan110144 wrote: »
    It is the same mystery that occurs when you gain 2 overnight!: just don't be disappointed if the scale jumps up tomorrow before heading down again.

    I changed from weekly to daily wrigh-in awhile back. Was really glad I did. It has clearly demonstrated the fickleness of the scale so I no longer over-react to these aberrations.

    Its not really a mystery. its very easily identifiable. Also you wont gain overnight from the weight you went to sleep at.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Are you saying the app changed your recorded weight but you did not enter a 4 lb loss or you suddenly weigh 4 pounds less on your scale?
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    how often do you normally weigh yourself? at the same time of the day?

    weight goes up and down daily. even within a day. my weight in the AM VS PM can be 2-5pds different. Day to day I have seen fluctuations of 2-3-4 calories. Usually related to water retention or whatnot (other legit reasons - for example women can weight more in the middle of their cycle).

    I use a weight trending app and weigh myself daily at the same time. after months of doing this I am much more accepting of random days where I am up a few pounds randomly as I know it will drop off eventually. Because minor bumps up and down don't change the general trend I can see by doing this type of tracking.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Water.
    Food volume in transit.
    More water.
    Scale a bit wonky.
    Hydration (aka, water).
    A little bit of fat, if you've been eating in a deficit.

    I'd also recommend weighing every day and using a weight trending app, but then again I recommend that to (nearly) everyone.
  • Addy_Caddy
    Addy_Caddy Posts: 5 Member
    Food/water weight.
    4 pounds is actually a typical fluctuation for a day. To get your most accurate weight, weigh in the morning before you've eaten and after you've peed, the day after a bowel movement.
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
    leeishla13 wrote: »
    Hey, I've been using this app for over a month now. I've lost around 16lbs. For some reason it says I've lost 4lbs within a 2 day span. I wanted to know why?!

    It's called a "whoosh" (not a technical term). Because fat loss is slow and is only one component of your weight, it gets masked or exaggerated by other things (fluids, digestive track, etc.) that fluctuate more rapidly.

    Get used to that and focus on your trend. It'll go the other way sometimes too.

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Awesome article about weight fluctuations...

    http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
  • belleflop
    belleflop Posts: 154 Member
    Here's a fun mental activity. You lose 4lbs in 2 days. You gain 4lbs in 2 days. Both of these examples are highly improbable under normal eating/exercise conditions. But yet, we tend to believe and over emphasize the 4lb weight gain more than the 4lbs loss. Why is this?

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