What do you Consider Actual Weight Loss vs Fluctuation?

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  • cPT_Helice
    cPT_Helice Posts: 403
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    I won't bother to post anything less than a pound. I do see people who will post 0.2 pounds and even 0.1 pounds as losses. I don't feel we can be that accurate. For me that's maintaining and simply normal fluctuations.

    I also never congratulate a loss of under a half pound. This may sound gross but you can poop and change your weight by that.

    What's everyone else's thoughts?

    I'm pretty much in line with you; + or - 1 lb is pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things (unless it's the last pound before your goal weight :laugh: )

    It always amazes me that people will complain about gaining 2oz or such. Are anyone's home scales that accurate?

    No, they are not!
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    I weigh at the same time Friday mornings. Whatever the scale says I put in my tracker. I'm in Maintainence right now and need to know if what I'm eating is enough to keep me at the same weight. So, if I report a .1 or a .2 difference, it is what it is.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    I won't bother to post anything less than a pound. I do see people who will post 0.2 pounds and even 0.1 pounds as losses. I don't feel we can be that accurate. For me that's maintaining and simply normal fluctuations.

    I also never congratulate a loss of under a half pound. This may sound gross but you can poop and change your weight by that.

    What's everyone else's thoughts?

    I weigh once per week (except for last week, I actually forgot :noway: ), if there is a loss there - even 0.2lbs, I log it. If that 0.2lbs turned out it was just a fluctuation, it will show the next weigh-in.

    I congratulate on every loss that any of those on my friends' list register, as they have all worked their butt off to get thus far and it is certainly not up to me to judge whether their loss is substantial enough to warrant a WTG from me - actually I would consider that a bit of an insult, if I were them and realized that Di3012 did not consider it a big enough loss to say well done LOL.
  • TadaGanIarracht
    TadaGanIarracht Posts: 2,615 Member
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    When I weigh in I record it regardless of whether or not it's a significant loss but honestly I only get excited it I see at least five pounds...
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I agree that there is such a thing as fluctuation. Actually, urination will cause up to a half-pound loss as well. I usually post whatever loss there is whether it is a pound or half a pound. Probably the most accurate way to keep up with weight loss is to do it the same time on a weekly basis and do it whether it is a loss or gain or whatever. As long as the trend is in the right direction, we are on the right path. :smile:
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    I won't bother to post anything less than a pound. I do see people who will post 0.2 pounds and even 0.1 pounds as losses. I don't feel we can be that accurate. For me that's maintaining and simply normal fluctuations.

    I also never congratulate a loss of under a half pound. This may sound gross but you can poop and change your weight by that.

    What's everyone else's thoughts?

    I just want to say that you're correct, from a logical and scientific viewpoint. But have you ever met Mr. Spock? I haven't. Humans aren't logical and scientific, not in practice! However, you are also doing what works for you, surrounding yourself with the people you need around you, so carry on with doing what works for you.
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
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    I weigh everyday and only report a loss. Sometimes a loss occurs days in a row and then a few days with nothing or a gain. It is the weekly or monthly trend to look at for weight loss. The daily thing keeps me on track to push and try my best. Currently I am at goal wt so I like to lose a few pounds to have room to play with .
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    My scale only reads to a half-pound. I weigh daily and usually log it.

    I weight what I weigh, and it fluctuates constantly. I weigh at a consistent time under reasonably consistent conditions and understand that there are still variances. I realize that on a daily basis some of it is water weight gain, undigested food, etc etc, but the trend is what counts.

    "Actual weight" to me is the lowest reading I have managed in the previous week. I'm eating at a deficit, so it's nearly impossible for me to have gained actual bodyweight during a given week.

    My goal is set to 5 pounds below what I'd really like to weigh, so once I finally go on maintenance I'll weigh myself regularly and start a deficit again if I creep above my "real" goal.
  • wsuduce
    wsuduce Posts: 68 Member
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    I put my weight in everyday. If it changes great... if not great. I am looking at the trend. I way myself same time same routine everyday. It fluctuates but I can see that since everyday is logged.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    I think that you should ALWAYS log a loss that you see on the scale. Whether it's .1lb or 5lbs. But I wouldn't log an upward fluctuation greater than 4-5lbs because I know it's water weight.

    Here's why: Your weight on the scale can't fluctuate down past your actual body weight. Only upward. Your lowest point is closest to your actual body weight. Therefore, that's the trend you should be looking at.
  • MrsRawwwr
    MrsRawwwr Posts: 166 Member
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    I record my weight at the same day/time each week-regardless of loss/gain. The number I record is not always the lowest number I have seen over the week (nor is it always the highest). So the number I record will include some amount of daily fluctuation (I fluctuate a lot-3/5/7 lbs from day to day is not uncommon), but I'm looking at the overall trend. I know a lot of people don't record at a regular day/time and only record losses or a "new" weight they have seen for some period of time (days/weeks). As someone who fluctuates quite a bit, I could also see recording the "lows" of the fluctuations-under the assumption that as my actual weight lowers, the "low" end of where I fluctuate to will also be lower.

    So that .2 lbs that someone posted may be recorded from a different standpoint than the way someone else records. Meaning, if I post a .2 lb loss, it's because that's what the scale said on Sunday AM-not necessarily because I jumped on the scale and saw a "new" number. Everyone does things their own way in whatever works for them (or as trial and error to find what works for them). Assuming that everyone is doing the same thing or thinks the same way could be a mistake. As such, I congratulate any loss-I don't know that person's philosophy or what all they might have been doing to get that .2lbs. Perhaps that .2 lbs represents the first "low" after a long plateau or a loss despite a not so good week.

    Well said, this is me too.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
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    I input my weight on my mobile as whatever it says on my digital scales on weigh in day, I don't work out what I have lost, I just see what it says when it posts to my wall. this week it said 0.4lb lost, I was so embarrassed I deleted the post :embarassed:
  • mathiasg
    mathiasg Posts: 32
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    I log my weight every morning the same way, whether it shows a loss/gain or not. Since it fluctuates, I was a little paranoid this would show the same small losses over and over again, but MFP seems to only post new losses to the timeline. At one point, I went in and turned off the posting of weight loss to my wall out of fear of spamming all my new friends, but since my intent is not to solicit accolades for every ounce lost, but simply to keep a daily record, I decided to turn it back on. I'm in this for the long haul, and I like the consistency of being in the habit of checking my progress/status every day. This approach may be overkill for some people, but for me I need to remain diligent and focused. I am definitely addicted to it too. Sometimes I wake up in the wee hours of the morning and my thoughts immediately turn to the fact that I get to weigh-in in just a few hours....
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    I weigh in every Friday. I started recording my weight to the tenth of a pound for the very reason that you mentioned. When I was rounding, a 0.2 lb difference showed up on my tracker as a whole pound. 115.6 was posted as 116. then I went to 115.4, which would have been 115. I thought this seemed deceptive, so I started posting the tenths, so now, yes, it says I lost 0.2 lbs and I think that sounds more honest, so it might not mean anything, but at least it's not saying I lost a pound if I did not.
  • garnet1483
    garnet1483 Posts: 249 Member
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    Count me in with the people who weigh once a week, in the same conditions every week. Anything else that happens during the week is moot.

    At the same time, I do play around with the scale the rest of the time, and one big thing I've noticed, while I'll fluctuate a bit during the course of a day (most obviously around meal times) I don't get nearly the fluctuation from day to day that I used to get when I first started. I could waffle up close to five pounds, and drop them the next morning (water weight). Now, I stay pretty consistent, with tiny fluctuations of less than 1 lb, usually, barring any unusual circumstances or habit changes.
  • thatblueyedchic
    thatblueyedchic Posts: 128 Member
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    "Actual weight" to me is the lowest reading I have managed in the previous week. I'm eating at a deficit, so it's nearly impossible for me to have gained actual bodyweight during a given week.

    ^^^ This!

    I log the lowest weight in the week because I know that I have trouble with sodium and retaining water. I think my scale is pretty accurate, and if I have never weighed that low before, you bet I count it and celebrate it! In the grand scheme of things, a dollar is pretty insignificant, too. But those dollars can sure add up quick. For me, this is a journey and if I don't pat myself on the back now and again or belittle myself because my loss wasn't "big enough," this is going to become more negative than positive. Do what works for you.
  • mellabyte
    mellabyte Posts: 193 Member
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    I pay attention to the trend of my weight. If I land on a weight I have never seen before (even .5 or 1 lb) and I maintain for a few days without spiking back up to the conquered weight then I will certainly log it.

    There could also be some benefit to logging every weight fluctuation to give yourself an understanding of how we lose. Could be interesting in a few years down the road seeing all the spikes and drops etc..

    ^^ This.

    I have a separate app that I use in conjunction with MFP that keeps records and evaluates my "trending" weight. If I see things logging as a consistent downward trend (like I have been since the end of May, yay conquering plateaus), then I know what I'm logging are losses not fluctuations.

    After awhile, I start to understand my 7-day trend variation and estimated forecast for the week - _IF_ I keep up what I'm currently doing (good eating and exercise habits), obviously things all go to hell if I don't. :P

    The smallest I log is .5 lbs losses, since with 1200 net, I'm only estimated to lose .8lbs a week with my current activity level (lightly/moderately active - slowly getting back to working out 5 X's a week from 3).
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    i used to weight every sunday morning to be consistent but haven't been doing so.. just weighing myself about 2 times a week in the morning. i do log it when i weight.. mfp just automatically posts the info when the # is less than previous.. i recently removed it because i find it quite annoying. it's just for my records not to tell anyone that i have lost 0.3 lb or whatnot. i like to see the graph and how it fluctuates like a zigzag.. but in a long run, if the line is heading down, that's a good sign!
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    I post most losses. Not the .2s unless they push me into a new 'decade" of weight. I tend to either drop .8 pounds or gain a bit. I only log decreases.(I've only gone up 1-2 pounds on an "up" period, so I consider that a natural fluctuation.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    I weigh every morning, but I don't record every small fluctuation up and down. My scale reads in .2 pound units, so I'll sometimes record a .6 pound loss, but I usually wait until I've lost at least a pound.

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