why is it possible to lose weight while bloated?

trulyhealy
trulyhealy Posts: 242 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
i lost weight despite looking bloated in the stomach (i would guess from my chest meal and then alcohol last friday ) but the scale went down which i was surprised at.

does this mean i’m actually lighter than the new weight? like in terms of fat and if i wasn’t bloated i would be down more?

idk if this makes sense i’m just confused although saying that my arms and legs look smaller despite my stomach and last time i was at this weight and lost 10 more pounds it was the arms and legs that got A lot thinner quicker

Replies

  • Redordeadhead
    Redordeadhead Posts: 1,187 Member
    There is no way to know that.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 10,433 Member
    Maybe it helps you to remember that no scale measurement is correct and ultimate. At times your body hols onto a bit more water, at other times it doesn't. A bit more waste in your intestines, at other times less. Late meal? Possibly still food in your stomach. Hot night? Maybe you drank some water during night. And that is next to the scale showing slightly different results each day, clothes, timing of weighing, etc. And none of this is related in any way to the weight as you think of it; the one you want to see moving downward to reflect a reduction in bodyfat. Just don't sweat it.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    trulyhealy wrote: »
    i lost weight despite looking bloated in the stomach (i would guess from my chest meal and then alcohol last friday ) but the scale went down which i was surprised at.

    does this mean i’m actually lighter than the new weight? like in terms of fat and if i wasn’t bloated i would be down more?

    idk if this makes sense i’m just confused although saying that my arms and legs look smaller despite my stomach and last time i was at this weight and lost 10 more pounds it was the arms and legs that got A lot thinner quicker

    You weigh a range and yes there is a chance the lowest point of your range is not where you are today. When you lose fat and some lbm it drags your entire curve down. Sometimes it takes some time to show up on the scale.

    If you have been losing weight consistently and maintaining fairly consistent habits for a time you should be able to look at your trend and take a good educated guess as to whether or not you might be at the low point. You would not be exact but you might be able to tell if the scale owes you another pound or two. I have a spreadsheet that does this for me. As of right now I am "owed" 3.27 pounds. When I am still inside the margin of error, which I doubt at the moment, I will usually be within .4 pounds of my projected low weight at the end of a whoosh cycle.
  • trulyhealy
    trulyhealy Posts: 242 Member
    ALZ14 wrote: »
    Have you seen a therapist yet? Your posts are frequent and show signs of disordered eating and body image issues.

    i’m just asking because i wasn’t expecting to lose weight while i was bloated. i don’t feel like that’s disordered i was just shocked/happy

    and my relationship with food isn’t as bad as my posts make out to be and i post a lot because i’m bored/interested/have questions
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 36,130 Member
    I'm in the "no way to know" camp.

    I don't even think we have a "true weight". Current weight is a range, cycling up and down with (mostly) changes in water weight and digestive contents. Over weeks to months, that range gradually cycles downward (mostly fat loss), upward (probably fat gain), or stays around the same zone (maintenance). Over many months to years, if we're working hard at muscle gain, that can have some scale impact, too, potentially.
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    Are you sure you are bloated? Maybe that's just what your stomach looks like. There's a thread on here somewhere entitled something like "Does this uterus make me look fat?" Could be you're just female rather than bloated.
  • Diatonic12
    Diatonic12 Posts: 32,344 Member
    Thoughts that are repeatedly directed towards weight loss and those around you just not getting that it's all just about the deficit. The belly bloat and weight loss. These thoughts do not go away on their own. You've created a self-induced food prison for yourself. You need to free yourself so that you can be yourself for the rest of your life. Those around you do get it. Constant weight loss/deficit thoughts result in obsessive behavior patterns. I feel the air being suxed out of the room and those around you feel it, too. It's time to sit down with someone. Face-to-face.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Most of the time bloating is simply gas buildup. While gas does have a weight, it will not affect the scale.
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