Scale-- "fake weight gain"

patriot201
patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I know I should only weigh myself once per week, and I had been doing that for a while, but for the past three days, I have been weighing myself multiple times per day (long story...).

My weight has been fluctuating between 126.2 and 129.6 over the course of the past few days. I know weight fluctuates, so I was not worried about the fact that I have a 3.5 lb "range" in which I have been falling. No problem.

This morning, when I woke up, I weighed 127.0. I took a shower, dried my hair,did some minor cleaning of my house, and then watched a movie. I did not eat breakfast, and only drank about 4 oz. of water. When I went back upstairs to get ready to go for a walk, I weighed myself again-- 131.2. ???????? How did I gain 4.2 pounds when I hadn't eaten anything?

Thinking it was just a "fake" weight gain, I went for a walk. When I got home, I weighed myself again. 131.0. I pulled out my other scale (which always weighs within 0.2 pounds of my favorite scale). It also read 131.0.

What the heck?

My question is, what causes this "fake" weight gain? I know there is no way I actually gained that much weight. I have been eating well and have been consistently "sticking" in the 126.2 to 129.6 range for days and days.

It better fall back off. I am NOT happy right now.
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Replies

  • Michelle_M2002
    Michelle_M2002 Posts: 301 Member
    I don't know for sure..but that's why you should only weigh yourself once a week.. twice MAX.

    It could be water retention. If all you had all day was 4oz of water, then you're not drinking enough water. If you don't drink enough water then your body retains it instead of flushing away the excess.

    Also, when you exercise, your muscles tear, and when they are repairing themselves they retain water.

    You need to mentally get back on track so you don't feel the need to weigh multiple times a day.

    :hugs:

    God bless!
  • akgary
    akgary Posts: 52
    i weight different depending on time of day, it could be the hum idty and you just having water weight gain it could be a ton of things. i find i weigh more when i first wake up in the morning before i eat and shower than after i work out in the afternoon. try to weigh yourself only once a day it will help you not get as mad i know i get upset about things like that
  • patriot201
    patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
    Thanks!

    I did drink a lot more (40 oz.) of water after I got back from my walk, but I just didn't drink much early this morning. :)
  • sharishar
    sharishar Posts: 44 Member
    water retention is my downfall - and i drink at least 8 glasses a day - watch the sodium intake as well;

    :wink:
  • jozzi
    jozzi Posts: 5 Member
    stick to weighing yourself once a week and drink LOTS of water -- not to mention you should eat something after your weigh in. I find that if I don't drink enough water 6-8 glasses a day -- I do gain a couple of pounds.
  • ayshamc
    ayshamc Posts: 226 Member
    I am a shocker for getting on the scale every single day, I have to, I can't help it....BUT I will only ever do it once a day, in the morning, once i've been to the loo and then that's it for the rest of the day, regardless of what I have eaten or drunk.

    The most tiniest things can effect your weight gain and I tell you, I get in a right mood for the rest of the day if I think i've gained and then I feel more likely to eat crap because I think i've already "blown it". So to save everyone elses sanity and my own, I just do it the once in the mornings. :smile:
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    Those pesky scales!!

    One minute they are your best friend and the next minute you want to throw them out the window...I swear they do it to make you work harder :wink:

    Keep up the good work x
  • Butrfli
    Butrfli Posts: 50
    I know how you feel and I don't have an answer to that but just wanted to give you a bit of advice my brother told me the other day. I was complaining of the scale and how I'm not losing regularly (get stuck in long plateaus) and he said, "It's like the stock market. You've invested into it but can't watch it daily because you'd lose your mind." I asked how often would I check the market then? He said, "You wouldn't!" Leave it alone and check it in 6 months! With that being said, I can't stay away from the scale but I'm not driving myself crazy with the flucations. It will drive you nuts if you let it. Take your lowest weight and keep that. Let all the rest go!
  • patriot201
    patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
    Oooh! Love that! It's like the stock market. :)
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    So maybe it was the 127lb measurement that was wrong? Are you constipated?
    Whatever you do, stop weighing yourself more than first thing in the morning.

    Personally I weigh myself every day, first thing in the morning, after going to the lavatory and before having a drink.
    Yes it fluctuates daily, but I can see an overall downward trent.

    When you are losing a couple of pounds a week, weighing yourself weekly is fine, if there is a fluctuation you're still likely to show a loss. The trouble with weighing yourself daily when you're only losing half a pound a week is that sooner or later the fluctuations will happen to form a pattern of weight increases week to week, and you can be massively discouraged. By weighing yourself daily, that can be avoided.

    A while back I was comparing weights with a friend once a week, and several Tuesdays running the weight on that day happened to be higher than at any other time that week. If I hadn't been weighing myself daily (and therefore known that those few Tuesdays were a glitch) I'd have spent three weeks being miserable and thinking my diet was failing.

    But really, if you can't handle the knowledge of what your body is doing and you're obsessing over it, stop weighing yourself every day.
  • patriot201
    patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
    So maybe it was the 127lb measurement that was wrong?


    Thanks! I hope the 127 was correct because last night I weighed 127.6 and weighed only slightly less than that all day yesterday and the day before. :)
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    So maybe it was the 127lb measurement that was wrong?
    Thanks! I hope the 127 was correct because last night I weighed 127.6 and weighed only slightly less than that all day yesterday and the day before. :)
    If you're constipated or it's fluid retention from TOM or eating more sodium than usual, the 127 being wrong isn't bad news at all.

    There is absolutely no way, unless you spent the whole day stuffing about 15,000 calories down your throat, that you will have gained 4lb of fat in one day.

    Hopefully you'll have better news tomorrow. :)
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    step away from the scale. you weigh more bc you have too much confusion in your head.

    wait til Friday.

    blessings.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Bucking the trend, this kind of quirky scale behaviour is precisely the reason I weigh myself *a lot*. When you know this kind of bizarre thing can and does happen, you can weather bad scale days far better than if you only do the mysterious one weigh in a week.

    I know that my weight can fluctuate as much as six pounds in the average day. I know I've gained weight *while sleeping* before. I know that weight gain and loss is a complex chemical process that is not quite the calories in calories out model that we wish it was.

    In short, I know my body's a bit weird. It sounds like yours is too. Aren't we ace?
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
    When you know this kind of bizarre thing can and does happen, you can weather bad scale days far better than if you only do the mysterious one weigh in a week.
    That is what I was trying to say, but you summed it up far better! :smile:

    Knowledge is power.
  • taem
    taem Posts: 495 Member
    Although water doesn't have calories, it does have weight. That might be the cause of your weight gain. I don't think 4 oz of water would pack on that many lbs though.
  • crfeeney
    crfeeney Posts: 28
    Weight fluctuates throughout the day, due to many factors. It's not your fault. A 5 pounds fluctuation isn't too bad, anything more than that and you've probably actually gained weight. But water retention is a big part of weight gain, as well.
  • patriot201
    patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
    Thank you, everyone. :) YOu have made me feel much better. :)
  • jenttifer
    jenttifer Posts: 90 Member
    That's normal. I weight myself twice a day, once in the morning, naked and after using the bathroom, and once a night before bed. I've always done this, just because it intrigues me how much weight fluctuates. I had to learn, however, that the weight will fluctuate and I can't get bent out of shape when it does. The weight that I count is the morning weight...it's consistent every day. The weight at night is consistently 2-3 pounds more than it is in the morning. I think the way your body holds onto water, the way it digests certain foods, and the way your muscles recover after exercise all can make the difference in your weight. I still weigh myself this way because it's routine, but I do find that it is very normal. Just to show you, the difference in my weight from last night before bed and this morning was 4.5 pounds! And this morning's weight is one pound higher than yesterday morning. But I just figure it has to do with water weight, sodium intake, my menstrual cycle, sleeping habits, etc. So many things can cause differences. Don't let yourself get discouraged because of it.
  • sarahmaryfearnley
    sarahmaryfearnley Posts: 366 Member
    When you know this kind of bizarre thing can and does happen, you can weather bad scale days far better than if you only do the mysterious one weigh in a week.
    That is what I was trying to say, but you summed it up far better! :smile:

    Knowledge is power.

    I am also compulsively on the scale, pretty much every time I go in there but y'all hit it on the head, don't take it too seriously. I only record my official "weigh-in" once a week but I love to check it all the time.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Weight definitely fluctuates about 5 pounds up or down in any 24 hour period. However, the body tends to be consistent with it's fluctuations, so weighing yourself at the same time is key to accuracy.
  • rsparks38
    rsparks38 Posts: 51
    It happens to me too!!
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    I know this may sound obvious, but did someone move the scale? If it's an older spring scale, are you sure it was set to "0"?
  • 2Bgoddess
    2Bgoddess Posts: 1,096 Member
    It happens to me too!!

    hey, you changed your comment. *sad face* i liked it.

    did you know that you are also TALLER in the morning? gravity pulls you down all day...like even a half inch!
  • farmingfool
    farmingfool Posts: 39
    Check the battery on your scale too (if it has one)
  • Michelle9939
    Michelle9939 Posts: 291
    I might weigh myself more than once a week but I do not weigh myself more than once a day.
  • cowlover22
    cowlover22 Posts: 309 Member
    First off maybe you need a new scale second if your hair was met it holds a lot of water too.did yiu drink something??
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
    This may help:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/160943-why-the-scale-lies
  • patriot201
    patriot201 Posts: 117 Member
    I know this may sound obvious, but did someone move the scale? If it's an older spring scale, are you sure it was set to "0"?

    Not moved. :) It is also a digital scale. :)
  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
    Seriously, forget the scale. Go by your measurements and how you feel in your clothes. If you aren't already doing strength training, start! It's the best thing I ever did.
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