Maintaining weight range

I have about a 5lb range. Your weight fluctuates naturally and you shouldn't be too freaked out about 2+3 lbs daily.

IMO, it's useful to think about how much your weight randomly fluctuates across, say, a month, and set the range just a small bit wider than that. (People vary in how extreme their normal fluctuations are, so there's no one right answer).

Then, to me, whether I'm concerned about going over the upper limit will vary depending on how I got there. If I've been eating pretty consistently, and slowly, gradually head over the top of the range, that would be a time to cut back for a while.

On the other hand, if I'm hanging out down in the lower half (say) of the range, and suddenly jump over the top end (without a major food-fest to account for it), then I figure it's more likely water weight that will gradually drop away, without needing to make a signficant intake cut. (Sudden big jumps are more likely to be water or digestive contents variations, while most fat gain is more likely to be slow creep - unless there are major deviations from normal eating or activity patterns.)

Knowing one's own body is really helpful, but it can take a little time to get that understanding.

0.5lbs is a small fluctuation. I would say it is way too early to establish a trend based on that.
And why wouldn't tomorrow's weigh-in be different from today? My weight fluctuates almost every day.
I've had bigger upwards fluctuations than that when I knew I was losing weight.

By the way: some scales have 'fake consistency' built in, where smaller fluctuations aren't shown because it makes the scales seem more reliable. I always weigh myself with something heavy before my actual weigh-in.

Kirstyw4 wrote: »

Ok, so normally i weigh in once a week (every monday morning) but as ive been losing rather than maintaining i changed what ive been doing slightly so been tracking more often for this past week only. I checked this morning and have gained 0.5lb since mondays weigh in. I checked on Wed also and weighed the same as i did this morning (so basically maintained the same weight between wed and today) tomorrow is my actual weigh day so can't see it having changed much (if any) from today. As long as it is the same would you regard half a lb gain a maintain?

I've been maintaining a healthy weight for 5 years now (admittedly with some ups and downs in there, but still well within the normal BMI zone), after around 3 decades previously of obesity.

Overall, right now, I'm on an ultra-slow weight loss trend (half a pound a week or less, on average, since last October).

I'm post-menopausal, so hormonal fluctuations are not a big deal for me.

Over the last week, at pretty consistent calories, my daily scale weight has ranged from 125.4 to 127.2 (those are not beginning and ending, in either order, they're just the high and low during the week). Over the last month, the range has been 125.2 to 128.6 (again, not beginning/ending).

Half a pound of weight change is what happens instantly if I drink a big glass of water. I vary by over a pound in the course of a normal day, just from food input and output and things like breathing/sweating.

If it's half a pound up this week, another half a pound up next week, ditto for another two or three weeks . . . then, maybe think about whether you're gaining. Presuming you're pre-menopausal, comparing the same relative point in two different cycles would be important: The best plan.

It can be helpful to use a weight trending app or keep a spreadsheet with moving averages so you can see a trend, but even trends mislead sometimes (and a trending app or spreadsheet will be more effective with daily weigh-ins than weekly).

If you're not sure, I'd suggest you go with *at least* a +/- 3 pounds range, provisionally, to start. Recognize that with relatively consistent habits, fast jumps on the scale (up or down) are probably water weight or digestive contents in transit, and that fat changes will be more likely to be gradual creep.

I know this is really hard at the start. It's easy and natural to worry about regain. Time living with success will bring calm, but now it may be helpful to cultivate the calm a bit, if you can. A week is not a meaningful timespan. Half a pound is not a meaningful change (unless it keeps going, and going). You're doing fine.

Wishing you the best!