Is it normal to lose a couple of pounds in a day?
 

Yesterday morning I was 284 and this morning I was 282.5. I haven't had a loss that big in a day since I started and I'm just wondering if this is something that happens normally.

I didn't even exercise yesterday. It's totally weird.

don't question it, just enjoy! :)

Haha, okay! I'm just so suspicious of success... It's kind of sad, lol.

Fat loss is not the same as weight loss. This is a fundmental fact that all dieters should know.

Fat loss is an equation of energy. You can guestimate how much fat loss you're going to have in a day based on your intake and output of energy.

Weight loss is the total mass of your body including fat and trying to figure out exactly what is happening is almost impossible, especially in women.

If I fast all day I'll lose over 8 lbs. Did I lose 8 lbs of fat? No. I might have lost 2/3 a lb of fat if I'm lucky.

To answer your question then ... yes it is totally normal to lose a couple lbs in a day and you might gain them back and more tomorrow because water flux is all over the place.

Thus - focus on your eating and exercise plan. Take pictures and measurements a couple times a month. Use the scale if you want but recognize it is not going to tell you anything other than your specific weight at that moment in time.

Body weight fluctuates all the time. Yesterday I weighed in at 144, today I weighed in at 142.1, tomorrow I will probably weigh somewhere between 141 and 145. You can't judge by one days fluctuations unfortunately. If you are weighing everyday, I suggest having a chart next to the scale and record your weight daily. That's when you are truly able to see if the weight is going down or staying still.

I am someone who absolutely should not be weighing themselves daily, but I do. I'm addicted to the scale and someone needs to take it away from me.

I haven't gained back a loss yet, even if is water fluctuations, so I'm hoping I won't get heavier than this. I haven't been this weight in ages.

@JohnP I understand what you're talking about, but when it comes to fat loss, how much (pure fat) can a person lose in a day?

Good explanation John. I was wondering about that too. I've seen some jumping around lately.

Yep, I've got a chart and I write my weight down on it every day. It was very interesting to look at the changes over the course of a week, especially when I stalled. I would go up and down and up again. After I had a cheat meal, though, the scale has been going down ever since.

You've posted about being stuck for a while at the same weight. Sometimes after being stuck you get a "whoosh" and the weight goes down.

There are a couple of numbers that I never saw on the way down because of whooshes!

Congrats :)

Thank you. :)

Yeah, I was stuck for a couple of weeks and going up and down but over the past few days I've lost a few pounds. I'm going to try not to panic when I get stuck again, lol.

Not surprisingly this has been studied and the basic answer is it depends on how much fat you have.

The more fat you have to lose the more fat you can potentially use during a day. There is a formula but I can't seem to find it at the moment.

Biggest Loser contestants will do hours and hours of low intensity cardio because the stakes are very high and they have a lot of fat to lose.

I am not sure if I agree a 100% with you JohnP - yes, the weight dropped at that moment is not fat-weight, but it could be that from dropping the water you finally SEE the fat you lost over the past few days/weeks. If it's a downward trend, then it is 'real' weight lost.

I was stuck at the same few lbs for over a month, then I started dropping weight slowly and the last few days I dropped a few lbs in a short time. My measurements have gone down in the same time. If I exercise again now and gain 2lbs, those are waterweight. But my 'actual' weight right now is probably pretty close to the 136 that I am at after a few days of exercise break.

Agree :p

VERY normal. In fact, this is WHY I "weigh every day" - and then I take the lowest weight of the week to be my "true weight". BECAUSE my weight fluctuates 2, 3, 4 or sometimes more pounds within a day! :dizzy: ... but it's like JohnP said - "fat" loss is a different thing than "weight" loss. Heck, I weighed Tuesday morning at 153.2 lb and Wed morning at 154.6 lb... then just for funzies, I weighed again last night (12 hours later) and was 158.0!!! :o ... BUT! - I had a very heavy carb dinner and LOTS of sodium throughout the day. This morning, I was back down to 154.8

So yeah, I'd say what you're experiencing is very, very "normal." :^:

Definitely normal. It's also normal to "gain" a couple of pounds in a day. These daily fluctuations are mostly the product of variations in water retention. Don't be too disappointed if you stall for the next few days.

These days I'm weighing myself a lot, but more as a scientist than a weight-obsessed person. I find it interesting to learn about my body's short-term response to exercise, higher-calorie days, lower-calorie days, etc.

F.