5-6 pounds lost/gained in a day?

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bexominglex
bexominglex Posts: 130 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Can't remember if I posted something similar before. I have noticed that I can "gain" as much as 5-6 pounds (or lose that much) in a very short period of time (24 hours or so). My scale is pretty accurate and digital and it happens on other scales too. I weigh myself with my shoes and any bulky clothes off each time, and some of it might be water weight (if I drink a liter of water the scale generally tells me I have gained a pound) but a sudden drop or jump of 5 or 6 pounds seems like a lot. Does anyone else have this problem?How can I know if what I am losing or gaining is fat, and not water? Thanks.
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Replies

  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    water loss is pretty temporary. Fat loss shows on the scale in a more persistant way. So the way I do it, is I see a loss on the scale for a few days before I actually "claim" it on here LOL
  • libland
    libland Posts: 285 Member
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    You aren't going to lose 5 lbs of fat in a day. It is probably water weight. How much sodium and processed food are you consuming. This can cause you to retain water.
  • Tyffany130
    Tyffany130 Posts: 53
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    Im a lurker here, but seen your question and thought I would offer my opinion. When this happens to me, I always consider it a water weight gain/loss. If it is a gain, I just make sure I drink plenty of water.
  • jagar07
    jagar07 Posts: 330 Member
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    I would suggest not weighing yourself so frequently. To see a more accurate reading from thew scale 1-2 a week is plenty
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    It's water. Weighing every day will drive you crazy
  • Blueberry09
    Blueberry09 Posts: 821 Member
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    I wish I could lose 5 lbs in a day - mine is always going up! The downs are more like .6 or .8 so it takes a lot longer to get to that down weight!
  • Crystal_R84
    Crystal_R84 Posts: 88 Member
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    My weight is different from am-pm but you are only supposed to weigh yourself the same time once a week...usually in the morning after you go potty (#2) Our weight can flucuate almost 5-8 pounds daily due to water intake, too much sodium, horomones, the moon, the way you look at someone, which side you rolled out of bed...anyways in all seriousness don't stress it...hide the scale and bust it out once a week. Unless you ate 20,000 calories you didn't gain actual pounds.
  • carriann2012
    carriann2012 Posts: 180 Member
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    water loss is pretty temporary. Fat loss shows on the scale in a more persistant way. So the way I do it, is I see a loss on the scale for a few days before I actually "claim" it on here LOL

    I do that too Just to be safe :bigsmile:
  • Luandanielle1979
    Luandanielle1979 Posts: 747 Member
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    I can gain between 4 - 5 lbs in one day due to eating and drinking. It amazes me that by the morning and one pee (excuse the wee part lol) I am back down again to what I was the morning before.

    I now weigh once a week and ignore my scale x
  • MyCoachNYLA
    MyCoachNYLA Posts: 158 Member
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    water weight / retention.

    High sodium foods and around mences can induce that.

    Asparagus and Vit. B2 are natural diaretics as well.

    Coach Nyla
    ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer
    NPC Figure Competitor
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    If you're going to weight yourself more often, you'll start to notice patterns... like weighing more after an extra-hard workout or a sodium rich meal. Chalk it up to fluctuations.

    I found, especially as I got closer to my goal, that measurements, how clothes fit, and pictures taken with a self-timer were a lot better way to gauge my progress than the scale.
  • tstorr
    tstorr Posts: 56 Member
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    I get the same exact thing. I do weigh myself often (4 times a day). I agree that it is water.
  • VanillaSky72
    VanillaSky72 Posts: 57 Member
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    My friend she has done that before. Time of the month thing. I gained weight like that recently because I didn't sleep.
  • CaptainGordo
    CaptainGordo Posts: 4,437 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/390212-weight-fluctuations-why-do-they-happen
  • Jorra
    Jorra Posts: 3,338 Member
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    If you weigh 5-6 pounds more in the evening than you did in the morning, it's also probably because you ate food and haven't pooped it out. That's why it goes away in the morning, you go to the bathroom.
  • albayin
    albayin Posts: 2,524 Member
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    haha, I just did it over the weekend, after a big bowl of ramen noodle and swiss cake....
  • dimoul
    dimoul Posts: 137 Member
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    a gallon of water weighs 8 pounds. A gallon is 128 ounces. Put another way, if you drink a 64 oz drink, you are going to weigh 4 pounds heavier until you pee.
  • dimoul
    dimoul Posts: 137 Member
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    there are also 16 cups in a gallon. this means every 8 oz cup of water you drink is an extra 0.5 pound of weight until you get rid of it.
  • lalalazzz
    lalalazzz Posts: 131 Member
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    I "gain" 5 lbs everyday in water weight. I am 119 in the morning and 124 at night-everyday and every night. Don't worry. I also LOVE salad fingers ;)))
  • mrrodriguez
    mrrodriguez Posts: 158
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    I am so glad someone posted something on this. I weigh myself every morning after I go to the restroom and before I have anything to drink. I too have noticed fluctuations by as much as 4 lbs from day to day. I agree that it must be water weight, so I am trying to not weigh myself so often. Weird things seem to affect the weight. I exercised real hard one day and gained two pounds using this method. When I have alcohol (champagne) I usually LOSE weight the next morning.

    I am getting convinced by this that daily weighing is counterproductive as you approach your goal weight. I have lost 26 lbs and now am at a plateau. The weighing is actually reducing my motivation to work out, as I sometimes think "why bother" with all the working out if I just gain weight the next morning.

    I agree that it must be sodium induced or exercise induced weight gain. I notice my clothes getting looser, and probably should resort to daily waist measurements if I need to do something daily. Otherwise I guess we need to be patient and only weigh once per week.

    Anyway, that is my .02 worth.

    Oh, thanks for the numbers dimoul. Those were helpful.

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