So on Saturday I weighed 173 pounds, I felt so good! This morning I weighed 176 pound, I sort of cried inside but I did have a big supper and felt bloated. This evening I weighed myself 179!!!! That can't happen after one meal! I didnt even reach my calorie budget and I worked out! I knew when I stepped on the scale a month ago after dieting for 6 months I would mentally kill myself but I did not think it would happen this fast. Damn it, this hard! I'm not weighing my self until I am love the person I see in the mirror, then it won't matter. Sorry just my rant. Has anyone else experienced this?
It is water weight, was your big meal high in carbs or sodium? Both of those things will cause your body to hold on to extra fluid. Drink plenty of water to flush your system and it will be gone in a few days. Don't get discouraged, it is very common! Also I always weigh 3lbs more in the evening than in the morning from the weight of food and water that I have taken in that day.
I've gained as much as 7 lbs in a few days after eating a lot of carby, salty food! It happens. It's not actual "fat" gained, but a combination of the weight of the undigested food and water weight. Drink water... between various bathroom functions it will likely be gone in a few days.
If you weigh frequently like I do, you just have to be prepared for these kind of fluctuations and take them in stride.
Weigh yourself in the morning at the same time, without clothes and after you've done your business. That's usually when you're at your "real" weight. Is it always accurate? No. You could be retaining water, you could still have food you're digesting, etc. That's why if you're weighing every day then you need to look at the overall trend rather than the day to day trend. Weight will fluctuate and this is why I kept track of (and still do) my weight in Excel and graph it. It's a great way to see the overall trend.
That said if you might want to just avoid the scale for a few days to clear your head.
all good points, and I'll repeat indiblues -- when you weigh after eating you're also counting the weight of the food and water you ate and drank!
As others have said, weigh under the same conditions to help minimize these problems. And remember the scale weighs ALL of you and your water weight shifts a LOT!
Nothing good comes from stepping on the scale at night. I have seen the scale go up 4 -5 lbs. in the evening from a morning weigh-in and then get up the next day and the scale is down from the previous mornings weigh-in.
Yep, one of the downfalls of weighing daily. Definitely weigh yourself at the same time with (ideally) the same clothes on. If I do the daily thing, its always right after I wake up.
Sounds like water and possibly sodium weight. Give yourself a couple days and everything will balance out.
My weight can fluctuate up to 7-8 pounds in a single day... And like the others, I definitely recommend weighing only under the same conditions each day, and maybe even skipping a few days if you've had an especially heavy meal (at least, if you're prone to reacting emotionally to the scale number).
The scale doesn't dictate you and your weight loss! Honestly, I've been dropping dress sizes, seeing amazing changes, getting compliments and toned since I started In May - and the scale hasn't moved in months - plus, I'm sure a lot fo ppl can agree - you should NOT weigh yourself several times in the same day - the body does different things at different times & it will drive you crazy if you try to track every change. I've lost 5 lbs sleeping before and gained more after a workout!
On a humid night you can gain weight breathing. For real. Weight is such an approximation
There are 2 choices
1) either learn what kind of fluctuations are normal for you so you can deal with changes without emotion. See the sticky on water weight and fluctuation.
2) avoid the scale
I personally do mostly 1 with a little bit of 2. I AM a daily weigher but if I saw 173 on Saturday THAT would be my official weight until I saw a better number as long as I stay on plan or 2 weeks. Everything else is just garbage number.
AND if I have a big meal, especially a sodium/carby dining out meal and wake up feeling bloated (like this morning!) I dont go near the scale. I know I am bloated I dont need to see the evidence, but I'll focus on the flush today and weight tomorrow.
(I will confess to occasionally weighing right before bed if I feel particularly unbloated because then I get to anticipate seeing a loss in the morning. If I feel lean before bed I almost always have a big drop)
Have you ever heard of the term 'hunger edema'? If you are not even reaching your daily calorie budget, please search for that and read what comes up. We certainly don't get it as bad as third world citizens without adequate food resources, but it can definitely be induced through dieting.
Last edited by Arctic Mama; 12-19-2011 at 01:03 PM.
Last spring my dog weighed 46.5 lbs., a bit too fat. Made efforts to get her to lose weight. Went to the vet two weeks ago and she weighed 44.5 lbs. Had to go back again last Monday and she weighed 43.5 lbs. I asked the girl how could that be and she said the dog likely needed a bm and pee when she weighed in at 44.5. I was surprised that that would make a lb. difference. I made the dog get on and off the scale like 5 more times (she was not amused) and the 43.5 stuck.
Bodily fluids and water retention can really mess with the scale. I notice the scale go up 3 lbs or so whenever I eat carby foods like bread, pasta, etc. or if I don't drink enough water. The body just holds onto it.
That's just not possible!
This morning I weighed 176 pound, I sort of cried inside but I did have a big supper and felt bloated. This evening I weighed myself 179!!!! 
