Fluctuating weight daily

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pennymedsecservices6123
pennymedsecservices6123 Posts: 3 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi All. Any advice please on why my weight moves around such a lot each day? One day I am heading in the right direction, the next I can be several pounds heavier. This is very demoralising! Basically means that over the month nothing has really happened. Clothes are looser and I seem more toned, but I am very driven by the number on the scales. Is the mindset wrong?

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  • AlannaWulf
    AlannaWulf Posts: 25 Member
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    Mindset is wrong. Weight fluctuations are 100% normal. You need to watch it as a trend, which means some days it will go up and some days it will go down.
  • Chris144mph
    Chris144mph Posts: 66 Member
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    pennymedsecservices6123 wrote: »
    Hi All. Any advice please on why my weight moves around such a lot each day? One day I am heading in the right direction, the next I can be several pounds heavier. This is very demoralising! Basically means that over the month nothing has really happened. Clothes are looser and I seem more toned, but I am very driven by the number on the scales. Is the mindset wrong?

    I'm in the same situation. My weight over the course of a week varies by 6lb! It's demoralising! (which then makes me think what's the point!)
    It then puts me in such a bad mood. I'm sticking with my calorie count limits every day but it's been the wrong type of calories... No breakfast & an orange for lunch so I can have a KFC for dinner! (I know totally the wrong thing to do, but I'm finding myself so down in the dumps lately)
    I just wish I could snap out of this.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,135 Member
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    This is a good read:
    https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
  • myfp67
    myfp67 Posts: 27 Member
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    Weight does fluctuate. That's why I weigh myself every day to get the overall picture.
    This morning I was expecting my weight to be higher than normal as, even though my calories was under target (accounting for exercise), I had a large meal last night (Indian takeaway). So, I'm up about a pound and a half on the day before. Hopefully tomorrow I will be back on track.

    If your clothes are looser though I would take that as a win. The only time weight really matters is if you are a boxer aiming to get in a weight range, or (like me) a cyclist and carrying extra weight is hard work. Oh, weight loss can be good for the joints - especially knees.
  • myfp67
    myfp67 Posts: 27 Member
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    Lietchi wrote: »
    This is a good read:
    https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

    Brilliant article. Haven't read all of it but it makes so much sense. Puts it better than I could ever say.
  • Grace_spaceship
    Grace_spaceship Posts: 80 Member
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    Try focusing on how you look and feel instead of the scale. I have been working on getting fitter and losing weight since last November. From then to the middle of may I didn't lose a single pound on the scale, but I took mesurements and I had lost almost 2 inches off my waist and gained half an inch around my biceps. Try taking mesurements or progress pictures and see if you can find motivation off the scale.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
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    As everyone has said, weight fluctuations are perfectly normal. I find it helpful to use a tracking app like Happy Scale so I can see my long term trends.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
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    This is my weight chart over the last 3 months. I weigh daily. I am in the same overall deficit the whole time. As you can see, there are some recent individual weigh-ins that are even higher than some of the weigh-ins 3 months ago. I am not gaining weight. The dark blue line is the trend.

    ebz5f7h9ftn3.jpeg

    My weight can vary as much as 8 pounds from one day to the next based on Temporary water retention due to carb/sodium Intake, more food volume, workouts, weather, hormones, aliens.

    The overall trend is down. That’s what matters.
  • sksk1026
    sksk1026 Posts: 213 Member
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    I use a weight-trending app called Libra. It shows me that my over all trend is downward. Similarly, it's a warning to me if the trending arm points upward! It also has a cool feature showing when I'll reach goal weight based on my current weight trend.
  • thelastnightingale
    thelastnightingale Posts: 725 Member
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    I also think the more readings you have, the better. I mean, yes, if you weigh daily, you're inevitably going to see the scales go up and down at some point. But it also means the more data points you have, and the more reliably you can map the trend. @Lietchi's graph illustrates that point really well.

    Incidentally, if your clothes feel looser, well done, you. You're doing something right! The scales will catch up in time.
  • JoeMO
    JoeMO Posts: 524 Member
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    I can relate. If you're driven by numbers, try to do some of the recommended body measurements instead of the scale or in addition to. Abs, arms, calves, chest, hips, thighs, waist. Other numbers that could change in time may include cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.. Lastly, I officially record my weight once a week. I tend to weigh myself more, but only record every Monday. I hope you find what works for you. TTT - things take time.
  • myfp67
    myfp67 Posts: 27 Member
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    I know that weight fluctuates daily. I tell myself and others this. I like the graphs above showing the trend. However, do people still feel a little sad when they get on the scales and their weight is greater than yesterday - like me this morning - and there was even a good reason for today's weight gain.
  • suzij27
    suzij27 Posts: 199 Member
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    I know it is hard, but try not to let the # on the scale dictate your mood.

    We’ve all fallen into it at times. If I am eating clean and staying under my calories for the day, then I know I am losing no matter what the scale says.

    I met a lady a long time ago that was doing WW. She would only lose 1/2 lb per month but she stuck with it. At the time I marveled at her commitment because I wanted to lose 10 lbs in 3 days like the magazines wrote about. That story has stuck with me 25+ years later. This is a marathon, not a sprint. If you do the work, you will get the results.

    Hang in and be kind to yourself!

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