What do you Consider Actual Weight Loss vs Fluctuation?

I weigh myself twice a week and try to log both. Whether it's a loss, gain or maintain. Every little bit counts. And for me, it’s often more about reflecting on my eating habits that week than just the number on the scale. I consider it a “gain” if I’m up 2 lbs. It’s a “loss” if it’s anything at all lol- 0.1 lbs. is a victory to me.

Different strokes:flowerforyou:

i dont weigh myself as often as i should because i dnt loose as much or as quickly as i wish i could i look and dnt see a difference so i get discouraged i do zumba w/ weights so im loosing fat and gaining muscle which is good but also bad cuz it makes me think im not doing something right or enough last time i weighed myself was about 3-4 months ago and ive only lost 3lbs :ohwell: but ive toned up my legs and arms but havent lost anywhere else yet.....

What could possibly cause your weight to go down and be something other than genuine weight loss though? I can understand how some things can make your weight temporarily go up, but what else could make your weight go down? Yes you can do a nice big poo and as a result weigh less, but that's meant to leave our body anyway meaning that lower weight is what weight you actually are at that time, and if it's the lowest you've weighed then that happens to be the lowest you are, not something you should just assume is a fluctation.

If we weigh a bit more with a poo in us, are we meant to take that number and believe it is our genuine weight at the time? It just makes sense to me that the lowest number you see on the scale is just the lowest weight you are at that time. I could be wrong and I would really like someone to explain why if I am indeed wrong!!

I understand people logging a loss of 0.1 or 0.2 pounds might seem a bit odd but maybe people would rather log tiny significant losses than log large fluctuations that aren't representative of their true weight?

In my crazy brain, my weight only fluctuates up, not down. :laugh:

So I recorded any loss that happens on my weigh-in day, providing it was under normal circumstances (ie, I'm not going to log a weight loss caused by a stomach flu, nor will I weigh myself and log it after I run and sweat off a few pounds). And I'll record a gain if hangs in there longer than a week or so.

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.

I completely agree. Your weight cannot be less than you actually weigh, so why not log it as a loss? Why wait until the same number hits a few days in a row?

I do not post anything less than a pound loss. Furthermore, I have to have it on the scale for at least 2 days before I will post it.

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.

voice of reason!

I weigh each day and log on a separate sheet. I only have 7lbs to go, and am at 1/2lb loss / week, so a weekly loss of 0.2 or 0.1 of a lb is significant to me.

As someone beat me to it on here, on MFP, it's weightloss if it goes down, fluctuation If it goes up!

My thought is that I pick a day of the week and time to weigh in and whatever it is is what I post. I always weigh on Wednesday morning, no clothes, before breakfast and - preferably - after using the bathroom. If the scale says I lost 0.2, I post that. I don't consider all the fluctuations that I see if I happen to peek at the scale at a different time of day or a different day of the week.

I log every day regardless of gain or loss. For me, I consider something to be an actual loss if I've been at or below that number for 3 consecutive days. For example, today I weighed in at 169.4 for the first time. If I weigh in at less than 170 the next two days I will consider myself to weigh 170.

didgital scale only works in 0.5 lbs. incraments.....I only record the lowest number I get in the morning on the weekend. My weight can fluctuate up to about 10 lbs over the week and 5lbs over any given day.

I've noticed a similar volatility in my daily weighing (and I'm even a relatively scrawny guy)...but careful, there are people on MFP that would claim this is impossible.

Oh, and I enter what the scale says. Period. However, I am not at all any happier or sadder because of a one day change in scale weight. For that matter, I am not any happier or sadder based on a scale weight change...well, ever. (My wife has never looked across the room at me and said (or thought), I bet when he steps on a scale, it says 162 pounds...and I want that).

bump

I weigh myself every morning, if I see a lower # than I have seen before then I "consider" it a loss. but, I restrain myself from changing my weight on here more than once a week.. I don't log it on here every morning or 2-3 days that I dropped .2 lbs.. I just make a mental note of that weight.

I have stayed at almost same weight for months was getting really fed up until I started measuring my waist. No weight loss but masses of cms down!!