I NEVER have two days in a row where my weight is the same. Generally, if I am on plan, it goes down pretty steadily, but occasionally, it will jump up overnight, sometimes by as much as two or three pounds, even when I am on plan. This past week, I went to sleep one night and woke up with an 8-pound increase. I wasn't strictly on plan that day, but I ate fewer than 1400 calories that day and had exercised for an hour, and BAM! Up eight pounds! I am happy when I lose quickly, but frustrated when I gain it all at once, often for no discernible reason. I know that the scale is fickle. But, I see people here who see to lose steadily from one week to the next by a pound or two, or even plateau where they stay the same weight for weeks on end. I am not envious of that, as that causes its own set of frustrations, but I do wonder how the scale can be so consistent over that long of a period for so many people when it never seems to sit still when I weigh. I know this is sounding a bit "poor me," but I really don't mean for it to sound that way. I am really not intending to complain - as I said, the weeks where I lose eight pounds are really nice, and I think I would go a bit crazy if I went for several weeks without losing anything. I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts on why my weight is so fluid, or even whether my experience is as unique as it seems to me.
Well, I have a couple of thoughts. First off, you're a woman and so your body retains water at different times and in different amounts. So, yes, your weigh IS fluid! Second, speaking physiologically, there is NO WAY that calories you eat or don't eat today make your weight go up or down tomorrow (honestly, this is kind of a pet peeve of mine, when someone says...not that this is what you're saying...that "I ate off plan yesterday and gained 3 pounds"). Our bodies just don't work that quickly. Day to day fluctuations are fluctuations based upon normal body function, food/water not yet excreted, water retention due to excess sodium, the list could go on and on. That's why the trends are what are important to watch. The steady general upward or downward trend of the scale over a week or even a month is the only "real" indicator of your plan....that AND your measurements.
Last edited by royalsfan1; 11-02-2007 at 02:54 PM.
I have that happen all the time. It depends on a lot of factors.
1) how much sleep did I get?
2) What did I eat the day before (or even the days before)?
3) Did I exercise the day before (or days before)?
4) What type of exercise have I been doing?
5) Have I been stressed?
6) Have I drank enough water?
7) Am I thirsty when I weigh myself?
8) "Bathroom" activities
9) Day of the month (related to hormones)
10) Perhaps other factors
Really, the overall result is a downward trend but my weight jumps around a bit.
My weight also fluctuates quite a bit from day to day. I was watching a television program the other night that claimed that up to 30 lbs of undigested food can "sit" in an obese person's digestive tract. They were focusing on people around 275 - 350 lbs. I would guess therefore, that for a person 1/2 that size, there could be a variation of at least half that much. For even a thin person, that could mean up to 10 lbs just in the weight of undigested food.
Water from liquids and foods also can take a while to process. Sodium and potassium can affect the water processing cycle and how fast it works. Hormones definitely also. Even if you eat the same number of calories daily, the weight of the food may vary. Some days you may eat more nutritent dense foods which weight less, and some days you may eat foods containing a lot of water and fiber.
Some people may vary more than they might think or communicate to others, because they weigh less often (or communicate their results less often). I don't change my ticker for example, during TOM, even though I usually gain up to 12 lbs in water weight. I don't consider it "real" weight, and within 3 or 4 days of period end, the water is usually gone.
If the scale drives you crazy, it can be helpful to weigh only once a week. However, weighing daily can also give you a better understanding of your body. I compromised to get the best of both worlds, and weigh in daily, but only "count" Monday weigh-ins. Some times the Monday weigh-in might fall on one of my high weight days, but then seeing the low weight written down the days before, and looking at my food journal for those days, I can pretty much judge if it's "real" weight or not.
It is normal for your weight to fluctuate, you can ease your anxiety by only weighing once a week , this wll give you the net amount and you won't be bugged by the fluctuations.Weighing too often is guarenteed to drive you crazy.
Some good answers here but I'll add my 2 cents anyway - lol.
I weigh daily (ok, more than daily but that's another discussion). But I only count Wednesdays. From my daily weigh-ins I now know quite well how "fluid" my weight is. I weigh less in the morning, more during & before my period, less after using the bathroom, more after a day of saltier eating, etc. And yes I can fluctuate almost as much as 10lbs "overnight", but I now know it's not "real" when it's that quick. As well, as a rule if I do go off plan I will see the gain 2-3 days later, definitely Not the next day!
Keep up the good work - you'll get to know you're body & how the fluidness works.
Yes it is normal. Yes it can drive you crazy if you let it. I weigh myself first thing in the morning - almost every day. It can be really depressing to see a dramatic change. Since I really LOVE the positive reinforcement of seeing my weight drop, I try to mitigate the damage that fluctuation's cause. Thus, I put my weight into a spreadsheet and have columns that look at weekly loss and monthly loss as well as daily changes. This usually helps me put things into perspective and helps me account for natural "cycles" that my body seems to have. So my weight has been the same for 4 days. My monthly loss says I'm down 6 lbs from 30 days ago. Sanity restored.
And - yeah - I'm a data junkie - I am a data coordinator for a school district. Excel - charts, graphs, make me happy. How weird is that?
Last edited by CountingDown; 11-02-2007 at 09:24 PM.
I think weighing daily or weekly both have advantages and disadvantages. A recent study found that people who weigh daily lose more weight than people who weigh weekly or monthly. But this is only based on averages, it doesn't take into account individual differences, so it doesn't prove that everyone who weighs daily will be more successful than everyone who weighs less frequently. I think you have to know yourself, and do what's right for you. The one thing that is almost guaranteed to work against you though is comparing yourself to others whether it is just one person such as a sibling, parent or spouse or whether it is "everyone else."
Laurie, What you describe is certainly common for me. I only track my "lows", so as my weight goes up and down, I don't change any tickers or my profile. My weight is almost never what my ticker shows. This week it has fluctuated from 186 - 194, weighing the same time of day on the same scale.
Sleep is the time for our bodies to restore & rejenerate. Without enough of that our bodies cannot fully adjust to any "changes" that have happened to it the day(s) prior. Or at least, that's my best "guess".
There have been several studies linking sleep deprivation (at least the cumulative effects of long term sleep deprivation) to weight gain. I believe that the theory has something to do with sleep deprivation affecting leptin and/or cortisol levels which in turn lower metabolism and increase hunger.
How much sleep I get definitely affects the number I see on the scale in the morning. I don't know why, but Colleen's theory sounds good.
Laurie,
My weight also fluctuates during the week. It's very rare that I'm the same weight 2 days in a row. Actually, I tend to stay within a pound or so most of the week and then drop all of my weight (1-3lbs) in the last 3 days. I also had the scale jump 8lbs on me a couple of weeks ago. It was the day before TOM, but I've never, ever gained weight for that before so it freaked me out quite a bit. I will also jump up to 5 lbs if I eat something really salty (chinese food, etc.)
Hi I found an article on it... interesting, never heard this before.
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According to research presented on October 18, 2005, at the annual meeting of The Obesity Society, getting your Z's may help you lose weight!
A study presented by researchers from Laval University, Quebec, showed sleep may influence levels of leptin -- a hormone produced by fat cells.
Leptin affects body weight regulation in the hypothalamus by suppressing appetite and burning fat stored in tissue.
Additionally, the research suggested that there may be an "ideal sleep zone" that helps the body regulate its weight.
"This is a new and very exciting area of research which raises the possibility that lack of sleep may be an unrecognized and potentially modifiable risk factor for obesity," explained Jean-Philippe Chaput, who conducted the study.
"Getting the optimal amount of sleep, along with modifications to diet and exercise may become an integral prevention and treatment strategy for weight management," said Chaput.
Americans sleep one to two hours less per night than they did 40 years ago during which time obesity rates have increased, the researchers pointed out.
Previous studies have suggested the link between lack of sleep and leptin levels.
Leptin has a direct impact on the development and retention of fatty tissues in the body.
To fall asleep easier and sleep better, give some of these suggestions a try:
Have a light, healthful snack before bed.
Take a warm bath before turning in.
Don't use your bed for other activities like eating, reading or watching TV.
Limit or cut-out caffeine beverages.
Avoid alcohol as it can disrupt your sleep pattern.
Rise at the same time daily ... even on weekends.
Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime.
Sleep disruption -- not staying asleep, rather than not getting to sleep -- has also been shown to have an effect on levels of leptin and ghrelin (a hormone that signals satiety). One of the many causes of sleep disruption among adults is overactive bladder.
My weight is incredibly fluid - is this "normal?"
Second, speaking physiologically, there is NO WAY that calories you eat or don't eat today make your weight go up or down tomorrow (honestly, this is kind of a pet peeve of mine, when someone says...not that this is what you're saying...that "I ate off plan yesterday and gained 3 pounds"). Our bodies just don't work that quickly. Day to day fluctuations are fluctuations based upon normal body function, food/water not yet excreted, water retention due to excess sodium, the list could go on and on. That's why the trends are what are important to watch. The steady general upward or downward trend of the scale over a week or even a month is the only "real" indicator of your plan....that AND your measurements. 
