Is it normal for weight to fluctuate up to 10 pounds?
Replies
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I have had the same extreme fluctuations for years, but it would sometimes take a week or two to get back to the original low weight. I found that increasing my potassium made them much steadier. After discussing with my doctor, he put me on a potassium sparing diuretic. He also said that while minor fluctuations were normal, ones that extreme weren't. I also realized that when I get a bit dehydrated I'll see a gain the next day. Now, my biggest overnight gain is around 3 pounds instead of 8-10.1
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I have had the same extreme fluctuations for years, but it would sometimes take a week or two to get back to the original low weight. I found that increasing my potassium made them much steadier. After discussing with my doctor, he put me on a potassium sparing diuretic. He also said that while minor fluctuations were normal, ones that extreme weren't. I also realized that when I get a bit dehydrated I'll see a gain the next day. Now, my biggest overnight gain is around 3 pounds instead of 8-10.
Interesting. So it was a potassium deficiency that was causing the extreme swings?0 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I have had the same extreme fluctuations for years, but it would sometimes take a week or two to get back to the original low weight. I found that increasing my potassium made them much steadier. After discussing with my doctor, he put me on a potassium sparing diuretic. He also said that while minor fluctuations were normal, ones that extreme weren't. I also realized that when I get a bit dehydrated I'll see a gain the next day. Now, my biggest overnight gain is around 3 pounds instead of 8-10.
Interesting. So it was a potassium deficiency that was causing the extreme swings?
That seems to be the main cause. When I started tracking potassium I realized I was barely getting any in my regular diet. Sodium, alcohol, and dehydration are also issues for my weight fluctuations, but as soon as I added more potassium they shrank way down. Like before, if I ate out and had a couple drinks I would gain 5+ pounds overnight, even if I was within my calorie goal. After adding potassium, it's 1-2 pounds max.2 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I have had the same extreme fluctuations for years, but it would sometimes take a week or two to get back to the original low weight. I found that increasing my potassium made them much steadier. After discussing with my doctor, he put me on a potassium sparing diuretic. He also said that while minor fluctuations were normal, ones that extreme weren't. I also realized that when I get a bit dehydrated I'll see a gain the next day. Now, my biggest overnight gain is around 3 pounds instead of 8-10.
Interesting. So it was a potassium deficiency that was causing the extreme swings?
That seems to be the main cause. When I started tracking potassium I realized I was barely getting any in my regular diet. Sodium, alcohol, and dehydration are also issues for my weight fluctuations, but as soon as I added more potassium they shrank way down. Like before, if I ate out and had a couple drinks I would gain 5+ pounds overnight, even if I was within my calorie goal. After adding potassium, it's 1-2 pounds max.
What kind of supplements do you use for potassium? Or was it increased by diet alone?0 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I have had the same extreme fluctuations for years, but it would sometimes take a week or two to get back to the original low weight. I found that increasing my potassium made them much steadier. After discussing with my doctor, he put me on a potassium sparing diuretic. He also said that while minor fluctuations were normal, ones that extreme weren't. I also realized that when I get a bit dehydrated I'll see a gain the next day. Now, my biggest overnight gain is around 3 pounds instead of 8-10.
Interesting. So it was a potassium deficiency that was causing the extreme swings?
That seems to be the main cause. When I started tracking potassium I realized I was barely getting any in my regular diet. Sodium, alcohol, and dehydration are also issues for my weight fluctuations, but as soon as I added more potassium they shrank way down. Like before, if I ate out and had a couple drinks I would gain 5+ pounds overnight, even if I was within my calorie goal. After adding potassium, it's 1-2 pounds max.
What kind of supplements do you use for potassium? Or was it increased by diet alone?
I started taking a magnesium potassium aspartate supplement (I think the brand is Country Life) and also got the No Salt sodium free seasoning. My dr prescribed me spironolactone, so when I take that I don't use the supplements so the potassium levels don't get too high and damaging. I also add high-potassium foods like chard, spinach, potatoes, bananas, orange juice, etc.2 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »Yes that is normal. Are you weighing yourself at the same time each day?
Carbs hold onto water. Its one of the main reasons people like the keto diet at first is because they loose alot of weight fast in the beginning. All it is is your glycogen storage depleting so its not true fat loss.
So if on Wednesday you ate higher carbs that day it would make sense why Thursday you weighed 10 heavier along with other factors.
My experience is exactly the opposite. I weigh daily and the pattern I'm noticing is that my 5-10 pound increases are the days after eating low carbs and high fat/protein/meat. My 5-10 pound drops are always the days after high carb and low fat/protein. Ironic lol.
Oh gotcha I wasn't sure what exactly you meant by your last sentence.
Have you been in a calorie deficit for a long time? I ask because when I do that too when I've been in a deficit for a few months and take a diet break and typically eat more carbs then as well it helps force a "whoosh" in a way.
A weekly deficit yes. I calorie cycle and carb cycle. I go by weekly calories. I used to be keto (for my epilepsy) but couldn't sustain it long-term and gained 40 pounds on it so I threw in high carb days (2 or 3) each week.
I wonder if the cycling attributes to the larger fluctuations then if you are happy with it I'd say continue to do it. My weight fluctuates as well. Do you track your weight with an app or in Excel so you can see a trend? That helps me not go crazy lol.
I track on LoseIt app. Here's the trend I see.
*eats 1,000-1,400 calories of meat, coconut oil, green veggies, cheddar cheese, etc* - (weighs 3-10+ pounds the next day). Trend continues. Is up over 10 pounds by the end of the weekday.
Weekend comes around. *eats 1,400-1,800 calories of rice, fruit, oats, beans, egg whites, lowfat cheese, veggies, cereal, grits, frozen waffles, syrup, etc* - (weighs 3-10+ pounds less on Sunday and Monday morning).
Mind you, I do keto for epilepsy, otherwise I would go back to my high carb, low fat vegan/vegetarian diet I used to be on when I was 40 pounds lighter and had more energy and less digestive problems.
Not only have I gained on keto over the years (before tossing in occasional high carb days). Keto gives me reflux, bloating, gas, etc. And I feel sluggish on keto days. The carb-ups I recently began throwing in are a life saver. On high carb days I have a flat stomach and full of energy.
I could be wrong, but I think you're weighing at the end of day, and considering it a gain, and then a loss Sunday/Monday morning?
I only weigh first thing in the morning after I wake up. I don't weigh in the afternoon because water and food combined will cause the scale to be way higher. Fluctuations happen every day for me, but never that high.
If you plan on weighing at the end of the day, you should do that on Sunday/Monday (any day you weigh) as well.1 -
cmhubbard92 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »Yes that is normal. Are you weighing yourself at the same time each day?
Carbs hold onto water. Its one of the main reasons people like the keto diet at first is because they loose alot of weight fast in the beginning. All it is is your glycogen storage depleting so its not true fat loss.
So if on Wednesday you ate higher carbs that day it would make sense why Thursday you weighed 10 heavier along with other factors.
My experience is exactly the opposite. I weigh daily and the pattern I'm noticing is that my 5-10 pound increases are the days after eating low carbs and high fat/protein/meat. My 5-10 pound drops are always the days after high carb and low fat/protein. Ironic lol.
Oh gotcha I wasn't sure what exactly you meant by your last sentence.
Have you been in a calorie deficit for a long time? I ask because when I do that too when I've been in a deficit for a few months and take a diet break and typically eat more carbs then as well it helps force a "whoosh" in a way.
A weekly deficit yes. I calorie cycle and carb cycle. I go by weekly calories. I used to be keto (for my epilepsy) but couldn't sustain it long-term and gained 40 pounds on it so I threw in high carb days (2 or 3) each week.
I wonder if the cycling attributes to the larger fluctuations then if you are happy with it I'd say continue to do it. My weight fluctuates as well. Do you track your weight with an app or in Excel so you can see a trend? That helps me not go crazy lol.
I track on LoseIt app. Here's the trend I see.
*eats 1,000-1,400 calories of meat, coconut oil, green veggies, cheddar cheese, etc* - (weighs 3-10+ pounds the next day). Trend continues. Is up over 10 pounds by the end of the weekday.
Weekend comes around. *eats 1,400-1,800 calories of rice, fruit, oats, beans, egg whites, lowfat cheese, veggies, cereal, grits, frozen waffles, syrup, etc* - (weighs 3-10+ pounds less on Sunday and Monday morning).
Mind you, I do keto for epilepsy, otherwise I would go back to my high carb, low fat vegan/vegetarian diet I used to be on when I was 40 pounds lighter and had more energy and less digestive problems.
Not only have I gained on keto over the years (before tossing in occasional high carb days). Keto gives me reflux, bloating, gas, etc. And I feel sluggish on keto days. The carb-ups I recently began throwing in are a life saver. On high carb days I have a flat stomach and full of energy.
I could be wrong, but I think you're weighing at the end of day, and considering it a gain, and then a loss Sunday/Monday morning?
I only weigh first thing in the morning after I wake up. I don't weigh in the afternoon because water and food combined will cause the scale to be way higher. Fluctuations happen every day for me, but never that high.
If you plan on weighing at the end of the day, you should do that on Sunday/Monday (any day you weigh) as well.
Sorry if that confused you. By end of the weekdays, I meant by Friday or Saturday morning (usually before a carb up). I do weigh on only the mornings.0 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »cmhubbard92 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »Tankiscool wrote: »Yes that is normal. Are you weighing yourself at the same time each day?
Carbs hold onto water. Its one of the main reasons people like the keto diet at first is because they loose alot of weight fast in the beginning. All it is is your glycogen storage depleting so its not true fat loss.
So if on Wednesday you ate higher carbs that day it would make sense why Thursday you weighed 10 heavier along with other factors.
My experience is exactly the opposite. I weigh daily and the pattern I'm noticing is that my 5-10 pound increases are the days after eating low carbs and high fat/protein/meat. My 5-10 pound drops are always the days after high carb and low fat/protein. Ironic lol.
Oh gotcha I wasn't sure what exactly you meant by your last sentence.
Have you been in a calorie deficit for a long time? I ask because when I do that too when I've been in a deficit for a few months and take a diet break and typically eat more carbs then as well it helps force a "whoosh" in a way.
A weekly deficit yes. I calorie cycle and carb cycle. I go by weekly calories. I used to be keto (for my epilepsy) but couldn't sustain it long-term and gained 40 pounds on it so I threw in high carb days (2 or 3) each week.
I wonder if the cycling attributes to the larger fluctuations then if you are happy with it I'd say continue to do it. My weight fluctuates as well. Do you track your weight with an app or in Excel so you can see a trend? That helps me not go crazy lol.
I track on LoseIt app. Here's the trend I see.
*eats 1,000-1,400 calories of meat, coconut oil, green veggies, cheddar cheese, etc* - (weighs 3-10+ pounds the next day). Trend continues. Is up over 10 pounds by the end of the weekday.
Weekend comes around. *eats 1,400-1,800 calories of rice, fruit, oats, beans, egg whites, lowfat cheese, veggies, cereal, grits, frozen waffles, syrup, etc* - (weighs 3-10+ pounds less on Sunday and Monday morning).
Mind you, I do keto for epilepsy, otherwise I would go back to my high carb, low fat vegan/vegetarian diet I used to be on when I was 40 pounds lighter and had more energy and less digestive problems.
Not only have I gained on keto over the years (before tossing in occasional high carb days). Keto gives me reflux, bloating, gas, etc. And I feel sluggish on keto days. The carb-ups I recently began throwing in are a life saver. On high carb days I have a flat stomach and full of energy.
I could be wrong, but I think you're weighing at the end of day, and considering it a gain, and then a loss Sunday/Monday morning?
I only weigh first thing in the morning after I wake up. I don't weigh in the afternoon because water and food combined will cause the scale to be way higher. Fluctuations happen every day for me, but never that high.
If you plan on weighing at the end of the day, you should do that on Sunday/Monday (any day you weigh) as well.
Sorry if that confused you. By end of the weekdays, I meant by Friday or Saturday morning (usually before a carb up). I do weigh on only the mornings.
It's alright. I'm soŕry I just don't have any other ideas on what's going on there (except be happy that you end up back down on Monday)0
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