[mudbugs]

What I MEANT to say is ...how come the scale just bounces back and forth all the time?

Yesterday I was down two lbs. from my lowest weight in the past month. I didn't even eat 1000 calories yesterday (not even 700, to be honest). Today I am back UP two pounds. This has been going on since I started earnestly watching what I eat a month ago. It's like taking two steps forward one step back, ALL the time. Why? Is it water weight? My husband consistently is at least a few ounces down every morning. Is it a WOMAN THING???

And most importantly, now that I finally have my little scale thing in my signature at 199, do I HAVE to go change it back to 201???

[Jennifer 3FC]

Daily scale watching has this side effect. You'll get the encouragement when you see a true loss, but not when you see water retention, undigested food, etc. The scale is telling you how much your total package weighs, not just how much the fat weighs. Do you write down your weight every day? You might be able to see a pattern if you do. Maybe you are eating high sodium food, or if you are particularly low carb one day and high the next then you might retain water also. Becoming a good water drinker can add a little also if you were dehydrated a bit before the water started. Lifting weights can also hang on to a couple of water pounds in the muscle the day after.

Maybe logging this in will help you see a stairstep pattern that you can learn to expect, rather than be disappointed about. The scale is a double edged sword!

PS - Congrats on the 11 pound loss!

[judes26]

I only allow myself to weigh once a week. If I do it more often, I get discouraged by the day to day fluctuations!

[srmb60]

Oh yes, we're women, that's right. And we have fluctuations.
I wonder where that there of Anne's is about flutuations. She weighed herself several times a day of a period of time and learned alot about how her body works. I'll see if I can find it.

[srmb60]

Here it is ....

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=51927

[mudbugs]

Thanks Susan, for that link --that was a VERY interesting post. I think I will do that (weigh myself every few hours) for a few days to see how my weight fluctuates even from hour to hour.

[srmb60]

I really think that all the knowledge you can gain about how your body works is sooo valuable! Watch the salty foods as you go and let us know would you?

[blues4miles]

Thanks for the link Susan. I read that post a long time ago and I always think of it when I am weighing myself, and wondering what the number really means. I love the idea of tracking your weight and averaging it, though I'm usually too lazy to actually follow through with that, so I just give it some time and wait to see where my weight settles.

[purplepansy912]

I'm weighing in every other week. I see a sodium or a tom of the month gain and I freak!!!

[judes26]

Susan! There you go again with the helpful information! Wow, that is EXACTLY what I needed to hear this morning. Thank you!!

[MariaOfColumbia]

I had problems with a crummy scale for a while. It made a several pound difference depending on where on the platform you stood.

I finally got so disgusted with it that I bought a doctor's scale, with the mechanical beam arm. It works great. I still bounce some, but I can always correlate it to a reason, now. It's not just random like with the old scale.

[hockeyfan7]

I have the doctor's scale with the mechanical beam as well.

I daily weigh -- but I record each day and then take an average and that is my weekly weight. That seems to be more accurate to me than weighing one day a week and calling it a day.