How do I lose weight and keep it down?

Repeating the question: What do you mean by way up and then back down?

I agree with Sollyn if what she describes is your scenario.

However, if you're just getting started on a new eating/activity routine (since I see you're new here), it's normal for the scale to jump up and down from one day to the next by up to several pounds. That's mostly because of shifts in water retention, and different amounts of waste in the digestive tract that haven't made it to the exit (toilet) yet.

If that's the scenario, don't worry: You need 4-6 weeks of scale data to know what's happening with fat gain/loss on a new routine. (Use whole menstrual periods as the test duration, if you have those.) With consistent activity and eating, fat loss - even fast fat loss - is a tiny amount per day, just a few ounces. The larger water/waste fluctuations can mask the fat changes for a surprisingly long time.

The body fat changes show up in those multi-week trends: If my weight is up and down around 135 pounds this week, say maybe 133 to 137 (not as start and end, but anywhere during the week), then in a week that's a month from now my weight is up and down from 129 to 132, I've likely lost 4-5 pounds of fat that month.

If this is the kind of scenario you're seeing, don't let it get to you. This thread (especially the article linked in the first post) would be a useful thing to read:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10683010/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-fluctuations/p1

Also, don't try to defeat or game your body's water/waste fluctuations. Those fluctuations are part of how a healthy body stays healthy, and our bodies know what they're doing. We shouldn't be trying to mess with that. Better: Try to understand and accept it.

Best wishes!

Please note that I am not a health professional; just an MFP user these past few years.

If there is no typo I am reading a 17lb variation over the course of a single week. And I am also understanding that weight changes of similar magnitude have occurred more than one time and again during a time period of a few days.

A major FIRST check would be the status of your scale:

is it positioned on HARD unyielding level ground? Have you changed the battery? Are the scale "feet" clean of fuzz and/or debris? Is the scale on carpet? Does it get moved between uses?

Are you "weight swings" measured under similar conditions? i.e. First thing in the morning wearing no or very few clothes that are extremely similar between measurements, after using the washroom, before eating or drinking anything?

Beyond that, for me, the issue is not that you gain and lose a significant amount of weight, this happens to a lot of people, but the absolute value of the weight change you are discussing.

I am aware that women (often) have weight swings associated with their menstrual cycle. But as far as I am aware these are typically in the 1.1lb range and sometimes go up to the 5lbs-ish range. 17lbs is
quite a way up from that.

Of course there is the issue of regularity/constipation. People might "go" less frequently and this could create a significant weight change. But again I think that such swings even coinciding with a menstrual phase would still only amount to a fraction of the 17lbs you are discussing.

Based on your descriptions you are not eating low carb so the water weight swing associated with glycogen changes doesn't apply. Do you fast for large amounts of time? If you do, this might fall under the taking your weight measurements under similar conditions category so that you are comparing similar to similar as food has weight while getting processed through our body

Beyond that: Do you notice any noticeable swelling of your lower feel? Feeling bloated/swollen anywhere else? If yes, or if a reasonably believable explanation for such a large swing cannot be found, I would encourage you to visit a doctor to discuss and rule out any health issues.

MeaganCox136 wrote: »

So my normal weight is about 181 and when it goes up it's around 197, then it will drop back down under 180. That's why I wasn't sure if it was normal. It normal happens in a course of a week. As for my family situation, I live with my parents and both are bigger people. I am in the middle and am trying to keep it down and not up because I see there struggles and don't want that. My mom buys food because she is picky about brands and what food she eats. I do have my own money but it's hard finding the right foods when all that's around me is pizza and fries along with many other types of food. I have been trying to watch how much I eat and drink for over a month now so I just need help understanding if everything is normal and if there might be something I should change.

Would your mother be willing to buy fruits and vegetables when she shops? Tell her you are aiming to make your plate look more like this: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/



I eat a lot of frozen and canned fruit. It's cheaper, convenient, and doesn't spoil. I also buy fruit with long storage times like apples and oranges.

For dessert, I'm more satisfied with a 60 calorie fruit bowl than @ 300 calories of baked goods. I'll also skip dessert and add fruit to my meal - I added 4 oz of mandarin oranges to my stir fry tonight.

I have fruit and Greek yogurt for a bed time snack, and when it gets warmer, I'll have fruit, Greek yogurt, and high fiber cereal for breakfast. (Greek yogurt has more protein.)

After moving the scale I would make sure that you follow the re-calibration procedure it suggests. I would ask again if it is on a stable, flat, HARD surface (not carpet, even if low pile, not on a soft yielding surface). Does the scale bend/is it in good shape?

To make sure we are on the same wavelength here: If you were saying you have 5lbs weight swings most of us would not bat too much of an eyelid. But you are saying you are having 10% of your total weight level weight swings (17lbs out of 180lbs) -- more than once -- and in time periods of a week or so?

So 15+ lb weight swings that are way more than a few percentage points of your total weight are not common, as far as I am aware, hence I am trying to help you find an explanation.

Are these type of weight swings continuing or were they a one time event?
If you are trying to manage your weight are you finding success and is your general weight level coming down, or is it static still?

Have you talked specifically about these weight swings with a doctor. As in NOT "hey is PCOS potentially causing me to gain weight and weigh more than I would like" but along the lines of: "hey doc: I weight daily and over the past X months I've observed on Z occasions that I have had YY+ lb weight losses or ZZ+lb weight regains that took place over the course of just N days", can you help me figure out what may be causing this?

I mean if this happened a while back and it was a one time event... I would chalk it to a scale malfunction and be on the lookout. If it is something that is continuing and has happened a few times... I would continue to troubleshoot!