False low weight?

SisterSueGetsFit
SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
edited June 2023 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello all. I think I pretty much know the answer to my question and am likely just here for reassurance. 12 days ago I registered my lowest weight in a while (166.8). This made sense as I was steadily trending down. This was 2 days after my cycle ended. With all of that being said I have hoovered at 170 ever since. In complete openness, I have been under eating, averaging around 1,200 calories/day (some days are 800, some 2,000). I walk about 8,000 steps a day and work out with a personal trainer (weights) twice a week. I know this isn't enough food, but due to some work stress and simply not being hungry, that's what I'm managing. I'm also working on upping those calories.

Am I holding on to water weight? Am I simply fluctuating due to being a 46 year old woman? Am I not being patient enough? It it possible the low weight was wrong? One would think, given the low calories I shouldn't be up on the scale.

I think the answers to all my questions are... yes. Mostly I think I need to be patient. Any other thoughts? I appreciate the advice and support.

Replies

  • herblovinmom
    herblovinmom Posts: 418 Member
    I feel this is pretty common for menstruating woman. I will see my new lowest weight and then bam the next couple days I’m up a couple pounds. At least this is how it works for me.. It does tend to time right with my ovulation and menstruation. I just stay the course and eventually I get a whoosh of a loss. I’ll lose it all and then see my new lowest weight again. And the cycle continues. It use to be very disheartening seeing the scale go up and down or not move much. But eventually with mostly daily weigh ins I was able to see how foods hormones inflammation and stress effect the number on the scale, I now know it’s temporary and can even learn from the insight and make changes if needed. 👍
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    edited June 2023
    Numbers aside, are you happy with the way your body feels right now? Are your clothes fitting any better? I watch the number on the scale but I ultimately use the mirror, my energy level, how strong I feel, and a few pairs of pants to determine if I am where I want to be!
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,826 Member
    Being stressed can cause water retention. A calorie deficit is also a form of stress, so can also cause some water retention possibly.

    We often speak about short term highs being due to water retention (false highs) or changes in food waste in our intestines, but in my experience false lows can also exist: a day with very low food intake/a lot of sweating/less salt than usual,...

    The long-term trend will show you (eventually) what the truth was :smile:
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
    herblovinmom wrote: »
    I feel this is pretty common for menstruating woman. I will see my new lowest weight and then bam the next couple days I’m up a couple pounds. At least this is how it works for me.. It does tend to time right with my ovulation and menstruation. I just stay the course and eventually I get a whoosh of a loss. I’ll lose it all and then see my new lowest weight again. And the cycle continues. It use to be very disheartening seeing the scale go up and down or not move much. But eventually with mostly daily weigh ins I was able to see how foods hormones inflammation and stress effect the number on the scale, I now know it’s temporary and can even learn from the insight and make changes if needed. 👍

    I tend to trend this way lately as well. I really think I just needed to hear "you're not the only one!" :smiley: I'm guessing at the end of my next cycle (2 weeks or so) I'll see a new low weight. I'm just losing patience I guess.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    Being stressed can cause water retention. A calorie deficit is also a form of stress, so can also cause some water retention possibly.

    We often speak about short term highs being due to water retention (false highs) or changes in food waste in our intestines, but in my experience false lows can also exist: a day with very low food intake/a lot of sweating/less salt than usual,...

    The long-term trend will show you (eventually) what the truth was :smile:

    Just what I needed to hear. :smiley: Thank you.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,352 Member
    Two things I always try to remember: you’d need to eat at least 3500 calories above maintenance to gain a pound of fat. Also, sudden fluctuations are almost certainly water weight—our bodies just don’t metabolize body mass (fat or otherwise) that quickly.

    And since it’s clearly water, nothing to worry about.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    Two things I always try to remember: you’d need to eat at least 3500 calories above maintenance to gain a pound of fat. Also, sudden fluctuations are almost certainly water weight—our bodies just don’t metabolize body mass (fat or otherwise) that quickly.

    And since it’s clearly water, nothing to worry about.

    Thank you. And logically, I know this. Especially, the fact that there is NO POSSIBLE WAY I ate 14,000 ABOVE maintenance. Hell, I haven't even eaten 14,000 in a week for several weeks. Really, it just does me good to have someone say this. We all get by with a little help from our friends. :smile:
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    Unless you're questioning the accuracy of your scales, the 266.8 weigh-in was just as true as the more recent 170 ish weigh-ins. Weight fluctuates. Any single weigh-in is just a snapshot in time.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    I will add though that if you're swinging wildly between 800ish and 2000ish calories hoping for things to even out throughout the week, you likely need to be more intentional to see long term success.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
    csplatt wrote: »
    I will add though that if you're swinging wildly between 800ish and 2000ish calories hoping for things to even out throughout the week, you likely need to be more intentional to see long term success.

    Yes, this is absolutely not the long term plan, just sort of happenstance at the moment. The work stress should end by Friday. Then absent some already known 4th of July indulgence, I'm going to be much more vigilant about keeping an average that's more appropriate.
  • SisterSueGetsFit
    SisterSueGetsFit Posts: 1,211 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    Unless you're questioning the accuracy of your scales, the 266.8 weigh-in was just as true as the more recent 170 ish weigh-ins. Weight fluctuates. Any single weigh-in is just a snapshot in time.

    I was more curious if anyone had experienced a "false low." I read something on here the other day stating "weight can fluctuate up a lot, but only fluctuate down so far." Honestly, I know the weight will drop, it was trending in the right direction, and the 166 weight was only a 2 pound drop from my last recorded weight, so it wasn't a widely inappropriate loss. I think I'm just frustrated. I've been at this a long time, I know how it works... Just looking for some validation I think.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    I don't know what you mean by a "false low" if you don't mean the scale is inaccurate. You weigh different amounts different days. That doesn't make some of the measurements false. Even you had an intestinal illness that caused you to drop a lot of water weight, it still would your actual, true weight at the time. Then you would feel better, you would replenish your fluids, gain weight, and the New weight would be your actual, true weight at that time.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    SisterSueGetsFit wrote: »
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    Unless you're questioning the accuracy of your scales, the 266.8 weigh-in was just as true as the more recent 170 ish weigh-ins. Weight fluctuates. Any single weigh-in is just a snapshot in time.

    I was more curious if anyone had experienced a "false low." I read something on here the other day stating "weight can fluctuate up a lot, but only fluctuate down so far." Honestly, I know the weight will drop, it was trending in the right direction, and the 166 weight was only a 2 pound drop from my last recorded weight, so it wasn't a widely inappropriate loss. I think I'm just frustrated. I've been at this a long time, I know how it works... Just looking for some validation I think.

    I wouldn't call it a "false low." It's not at all unusual for menstruating women to have a low at the same point in their cycles every month. Think of it as a "monthly low" :smiley:
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,437 Member
    If you’re weighing regularly you’ll start noticing trends.

    My lowest weight is reliably on Saturday morning. Monday and Tuesday are higher, Wednesday the highest, Thursday starts the decline til Saturday, which is yet again, the lowest.

    Yet Sunday-Thursday are typically my lowest cal days.

    I think it has something to do with my workout schedule.

    It helps knowing the data and knowing that I’m not magically “gaining weight” during the week.
  • MrsHovvels
    MrsHovvels Posts: 10 Member
    @SisterSueGetsFit I totally understand what you're saying, I literally came here looking for this prior to posting myself! My weight fluctuates hugely at TOTM. As i'm nearing my goal weight, I weigh daily. I started around 190lb in Jan 2023, I was at a plateau of 162lbs (I'm 5'9) for 10 days or more after consistently losing 1-1.5lb each week. The scales then jumped to 164-165lb for 3 days! I couldn't believe it as everything was tracked, workouts consistent etc. The scales then dropped right down to 160lb (from 165lb) in 1 day and then hopped back up to 161lb. I think my 'real' weight is likely the 161lb in line with trends. I find daily weighing is key for me to not get disheartened.
    My 'official' weigh day is Tuesday, as I train with my PT then - if I took my Tues-Tues weight I'd be +4lb for last week, in real terms I was +/- 0 or - 1lb when taking my weekly average. There are seemingly 'false' high's and lows on this journey, you're not alone and I'm super thankful to read your post and replies to see that I'm not either.

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