Does anyone else lose weight nonlinearly?
Thin_Thesis
Posts: 3 Member
It’s so frustrating because I average a pound a week, but I only see that trend after a month or two. In the meantime, the scale goes so up and down not only from day-to-day, but week-to-week! It makes me feel like I’ll never hit my goal. But sure enough, if I stick with it, the trend tends to even out. It just makes everything so much less predictable 
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Replies
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Everyone loses nonlinerly.19
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"Weight loss is not linear" is kind of a mantra around here.
Up a half pound today, despite undereating yesterday. Could be extra exercise, as my upper body was sore this morning; could be ovulation. Could just be that the scale is an *kitten*.7 -
Thin_Thesis wrote: »It’s so frustrating because I average a pound a week, but I only see that trend after a month or two. In the meantime, the scale goes so up and down not only from day-to-day, but week-to-week! It makes me feel like I’ll never hit my goal. But sure enough, if I stick with it, the trend tends to even out. It just makes everything so much less predictable
Yep, same for me. I've been weighing daily for about six months and the overall trend is good, but the daily can be frustrating. Still, I prefer the daily data.
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Weight loss by definition is non-linear5
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Yes. All humans do. It's only frustrating if you have false expectations. We are humans not machines. Water weight will go up and down along with other things. Our weight trend will never be linear.
It's helpful to acquire some patience, utilize long term trends with a weight trending app. And then sit back and enjoy the ride knowing you are improving your appearance, your health and your quality of life. Awesome isn't it?5 -
I lose logarithmically12
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yes. I often hit a 'new low' and then bounce back up and down for a couple weeks before hitting a new lower low. my average loss is 1.5kgs a month. might be low for some, but it's the best plan for me. I've hit 12kgs loss over 8 months. I think it's important to remember also, you may not be one of those people who just magically 'drop' the kilos without gaining back. it will go up and down.5
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Non linear here. Typically I flatline for a while and then get a sudden 4-5 days of large daily weight loss, e.g. 6 pounds in 5 days. Then another flatline. The flatlines are frustrating, but the sudden drops are fun!1
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I have only seen one person who had a fluctuation in her last 5 pounds that claimed she never saw one in the 40 she lost before. I am not sure of her weighing schedule.
I assume I lose fat weight linearly. I just can't see it on the bathroom scale that way.3 -
Perfect example of why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day. I recommend doing it on a schedule at the same time, each time. Like say every Monday morning while you brush your teeth for example. Doing it every day will give you moments of doubt as you see the changes go up and down or stay the same. Same goes for doing it at different times of the day instead of always at the same time. This can also cause anxiety for some people, and can be harmful to your success. But if you give it a larger amount of time, you are far more likely to see the small amounts of loss between check-ins. Which for most people will help with the mental part of losing the weight. Just keep doing what you are doing and only tip the scale once every so often to check it.6
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Even if you were losing fat in a linear fashion that more than likely won't be reflected on the scale as your weight at any point in time is made up of more than just fat.
You can see in the graph above the blue (fat) goes down consistency but the grey (water) and other orange ('stuff' like waste in your digestion system) fluctuates and causes your red (scale weight) to bounce all over the place8 -
I think everyone loses weight in a linear manner but it doesnt show on the scale like that, the 2 things are not the same.
Ive had about 3-4 weeks of not really seeing much difference, bouncing about between a couple of pounds, perhaps a pound off, then this week, in a matter of days the scale shows 4lbs off. But those 4lbs I think came off me during that 3-4 week period, its just that the scale didnt show it, I could tell by a bracelet I wear all the time.
So now Im anticpating the next 3-4 weeks will be the same and then I'll show another lump sum off my weight on the scale.
(this is all assuming that you're sticking to the right deficit I suppose)0 -
Perfect example of why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day. I recommend doing it on a schedule at the same time, each time. Like say every Monday morning while you brush your teeth for example.Doing it every day will give you moments of doubt as you see the changes go up and down or stay the same. Same goes for doing it at different times of the day instead of always at the same time. This can also cause anxiety for some people, and can be harmful to your success. But if you give it a larger amount of time, you are far more likely to see the small amounts of loss between check-ins. Which for most people will help with the mental part of losing the weight. Just keep doing what you are doing and only tip the scale once every so often to check it.
But then I’m weighing my toothbrush and paste! 😱😂😂9 -
Yes, nearly everyone will sometime during the time they’re losing. Some not until they get close to goal. If you weigh yourself only once a month it may not be noticeable.0
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My weight loss graph would look like the path a bouncy ball takes down a hill if I reported everything.
Humans are never perfectly predictable. Best to come to terms with that sooner than later.
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Perfect example of why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day. I recommend doing it on a schedule at the same time, each time. Like say every Monday morning while you brush your teeth for example. Doing it every day will give you moments of doubt as you see the changes go up and down or stay the same. Same goes for doing it at different times of the day instead of always at the same time. This can also cause anxiety for some people, and can be harmful to your success. But if you give it a larger amount of time, you are far more likely to see the small amounts of loss between check-ins. Which for most people will help with the mental part of losing the weight. Just keep doing what you are doing and only tip the scale once every so often to check it.
Weighing every day was how I figured out I retain water when I ovulate in addition to premenstrually.
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kshama2001 wrote: »Perfect example of why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day. I recommend doing it on a schedule at the same time, each time. Like say every Monday morning while you brush your teeth for example. Doing it every day will give you moments of doubt as you see the changes go up and down or stay the same. Same goes for doing it at different times of the day instead of always at the same time. This can also cause anxiety for some people, and can be harmful to your success. But if you give it a larger amount of time, you are far more likely to see the small amounts of loss between check-ins. Which for most people will help with the mental part of losing the weight. Just keep doing what you are doing and only tip the scale once every so often to check it.
Weighing every day was how I figured out I retain water when I ovulate in addition to premenstrually.
Yes, I think the whole "don't weigh everyday" thing has many disadvantages. What if you are retaining fluid the one day per week you weigh in? What if you are woman in the middle of the cycle? Wouldn't those fluctuation cause the same anxiety? Even more so because you may wonder what has been going on since the last weigh in?
I get that daily weighing makes some people anxious. I also get that many attach too much importance to a daily number. For me, the ideal is to weigh daily without emotional attachment to the number, plug it into a trending app and go by longer term trends. Secondarily, if daily is too stressful, 3 or 4 times per week. But once a week is just a random snapshot in time without much value in my view.9 -
It has certainly helped me see how my own body seems to be working itself out. Although having said that, what I would have seen is 3 weeks at more or less the same weight and then the 4th week down 4lbs so I suppose its much the same0
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SchmancyName wrote: »Perfect example of why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day. I recommend doing it on a schedule at the same time, each time. Like say every Monday morning while you brush your teeth for example. Doing it every day will give you moments of doubt as you see the changes go up and down or stay the same. Same goes for doing it at different times of the day instead of always at the same time. This can also cause anxiety for some people, and can be harmful to your success. But if you give it a larger amount of time, you are far more likely to see the small amounts of loss between check-ins. Which for most people will help with the mental part of losing the weight. Just keep doing what you are doing and only tip the scale once every so often to check it.
I thought about that, but the fluctations happen week to week too. It literally feels like I’d have to do month to month to see it on the scale. Though, I take progress pics monthly which really help because no matter what the stupid scales says, my body is smaller which I suppose is all that matters in the end, right? (Aside from energy, hydration, and all that other good healthy stuff).
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact I eat 1200 cals one day, 2300 the next, then 1500. I just can’t seem to eat the same amount of cals every day! I thought it had something to do with undereating, but I’ve eaten up to 4000 cals after days of eating 2300. I just need to duct tape my mouth! In all seriousness, I know I have trouble binge eating and a therapist who seems very unhelpful in that department other than I need to “stick to a plan”. The internet has much better tips on how to stick to said plan lol
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We always blame it on gravity fluctuations. " Heavy gravity day" we will yell to each other when stepping on the scale and getting a disappointing result.
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rileysowner wrote: »Everyone loses nonlinearly.
This ^^^^^0 -
Thin_Thesis wrote: »It’s so frustrating because I average a pound a week, but I only see that trend after a month or two. In the meantime, the scale goes so up and down not only from day-to-day, but week-to-week! It makes me feel like I’ll never hit my goal. But sure enough, if I stick with it, the trend tends to even out. It just makes everything so much less predictable
That would be everyone....1 -
SchmancyName wrote: »Perfect example of why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day.
I respectfully disagree (unless your comment was directed at a single person).
I weigh daily. It keeps me engaged in the process. My scale also links with my trending app. I understand and accept fluctuations and plateaus.
I do agree that people who freak out at a 0.2 lb "gain" on the scale may need another method of monitoring their weight.3 -
SchmancyName wrote: »Perfect example of why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day.
I respectfully disagree (unless your comment was directed at a single person).
I weigh daily. It keeps me engaged in the process. My scale also links with my trending app. I understand and accept fluctuations and plateaus.
I do agree that people who freak out at a 0.2 lb "gain" on the scale may need another method of monitoring their weight.
I totally agree! If you only weigh once a week, what happens if you are retaining water that day? Does one freak out thinking they had a big gain?2 -
The other way of looking at it is to be amazed at how efficient our bodies are with moving food and fluid back out. On any given day I probably take in 8-10 pounds of food and liquid. Each day when I get up almost all of that is gone again. Some days I get up and that much plus more is gone and I have a new lower weight. The next day most might be gone but a little remains.3
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Weight isn’t static, it’s always fluctuating depending on how much you eat, drink, move etc.0
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Literally everyone. The bouncy ball path for a graph comment made me laugh because that's exactly what a daily weight log looks like.
Also inspiration is all well and good but that waistline in your avatar is almost certainly edited and those kind of shots are single moments in time that are prepped for. You're never going to get to a state where you are one weight and look perfect for longer than an hour or two at a time.2
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