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rgrove0172
Senior Member
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Posted: 25 Aug 2010 11:48 pm |
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I lost about 60 lbs during the first 4 months of this year (diet and LOTS of exercise) and have kept it off with continued exercise and a slightly increased but still very disciplined diet. Feeling great, doctor is thrilled, blah blah... but
I notice and am constantly stressed by considerable wieght variation from day to day, #%@&! even hour to hour!
I hear people talking about losing a couple of lbs a week and such and to be honest, throughout my entire wieght loss experience, and even today, I can lose double or triple that in a day! Only to gain it back the next day.
I understand water wieght but #%@&!, is that what is causing this?
Generally I wiegh about 198 or so (6' tall, big frame, active physique) but I was 193 yesterday afternoon after working out and tonight on my way to bed Im 202. 9 lbs in a day? Really?
It makes it really hard to stay focused never knowing if my marginal caloric increases (what Ive been told I needed to attempt after the 1000/day diet I lost my wieght on) is working or over working. One day I eat a bit more than normal and find Ive lost 3 lbs the next day only to gain 5 back two days later. Granted, Im still in a comfortable range over the last 3 months but is this kind of wieght swinging normal?
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bluebunny27
Senior Member
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Posted: 26 Aug 2010 12:34 am |
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Congratulations ! Wow, 60 pounds within 4 months, you were on a mission ... I lost 46 pounds within the first 4 months and I was heavier than you ... so ... your journey was even tougher. RESPECT. :-) Maintaining is hard though, so don't give up your good habits. I've been maintaining for nearly a year now, it's not always easy but it's worth the efforts. ;-)
Have you tried a different scale ? Maybe yours is not working properly ??
Have you tried weighing twice in a row to see if you get the same number ... or just a few minutes apart ... there's no reason to have huge variations like that, really.
Do you eat salty things often ?? I know when I eat salty things (rarely) and I drink my usual quantity of water, I can gain a few pounds in a day. It's only temporary though.
I'm 5'10", 193 pounds. My weight is usually pretty stable but I can go up 4-5 pounds in a single day if I overeat extensively or I have salty food. I lose most of that rather easily the next few days of course.
You lost a lot of weight very quickly so maybe that has something to do with it too .. I am at the same weight since oct. 2009 now so maybe my body is used to being at that weight .. if it's very recent there could be bigger fluctuations perhaps ? I know when I was losing weight and weighing daily at that time it's rare I would have wild numbers up or down, there was usually an explanation but it was a pretty steady weight loss all the way through ... 3 pounds per week the first couple of months, then 2 pounds per week the next few months then 1 pound per week at the end, for the last months ... there was never a week where I would have a big gain or a big loss that was hard to explain ...
You shouldn't weigh that often though ... you sound like me 6 months ago, always stepping on the scale, even before going to bed ... My advice is to weigh just once a week, first thing in the morning, always the same ritual, conditions ... especially now that you just want to maintain basically.
You can note down your weight and you'll have a better idea of what's going on ... if you see a trend where your weight goes up you can do something about it quickly. You can add the number you get 2 weeks in a row and then divide them by 2, so you have the average for those 2 weeks, even more accurate ... or calculate the average for the past 3 weeks if you prefer ... (That's what I do, 3 week average, so it's a number that's more meaningful)
You shouldn't weigh many times per day ... your weight fluctuates constantly depending on multiple factors. One tall glass of water, step on the scale and you "gained" a pound ... ;-) I used to be a bit obsessed with the scale too, weighing every day, even twice per day but I feel better now that I stopped doing that and only weigh once a week. That way I am not always worrying about a number that may not even be significant.
Maybe think about getting/borrowing/using another scale so you can try another one too ... but remember 2 different scales won't give you the same result most likely.
Cheers !
Marc ;-)
38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)
Current Weight : 193 Pounds
Last edited on 26 Aug 2010 12:55 am by bluebunny27
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rgrove0172
Senior Member
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Posted: 26 Aug 2010 01:04 am |
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The scale isnt the problem, its accurate and consistent. Ive checked it against the one at the doctor's office etc.
Water is probably the culprit as your right about salt. I dont eat much in the way of obviously salty things but today for example I had a nice plate of broccoli for lunch, with.... and here is the culprit.. Soy sauce. It just amazes me that it can change that much in a day. Im liable to be down to 195 again by tomorrow night after my workouts tomorrow.
Good advise on the once a week thing but dang, that will be hard. Im still pretty obsessed by this whole thing.
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Nir
Senior Administrator
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Posted: 26 Aug 2010 08:56 am |
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My 'official' weight for the day is the one I take naked, in the morning, after using the toilet (ideally after a bowel movement) before eating or drinking.
Yet even when creating these similar conditions my weight is happy to fluctuate in a 5lb range. Add extra weight from the food and drink I've eaten during a day and the variation can be even greater.
We are different weights but in both examples we seem to have to deal with a range that is about 5% of our weight.
For those of use who still like to obsessively weigh ourselves, there is a website http://www.physicsdiet.com which plots a smooth curve through the fluctuations, working out a "weighted moving average". For example...
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OnceUpon-A-ThinGirl
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 26 Aug 2010 03:19 pm |
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| The only way to avoid weight fluctuations (and honestly you'll still have some, I'm usually up or down at least two pounds any given day) is to eat the same amount of salt every day, only weigh once and day, and eat relatively the same weight in food everyday. Because my diet tends to be very similar from day to day (I get lots of variety but for breakfast I eat the same weight sodium content everyday for example) I see less fluctuations. If fluctuations seriously both you it may help to stream line your diet a little to see more consistency.
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rgrove0172
Senior Member
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Posted: 26 Aug 2010 04:41 pm |
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Thanks, it wasnt as big a problem when I was actively "losing" but the recommendations to increase my caloric intake a bit and attempt to engage in a bit more "normal" diet has created the problem. Im eating meat an some carbs now, granted in low qualities, and the occasional "junk" bit here and there where previously such things were completely off limits. Im sure the mix of fat, carbs and salt is causing the variance.
Would never have thought that eating a bit more would be so difficult!
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OnceUpon-A-ThinGirl
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 26 Aug 2010 09:11 pm |
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| Yep, maintenance is harder then losing, who would figure. On a side note, the carbs may also be a cause, they have been big culprits for bloating. I have a feeling after maintaining for awhile you're body might just stop fluctuating so much on it's own.
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Tontus
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 27 Aug 2010 12:34 am |
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I pretty much always lose 5lbs over night. Been that way for as long as I've been weighing myself excessively (bout a year).
I lose between 3 and 5 pounds cutting the grass.
Bottom line, you want your "official" weigh in to occur under the same circumstances every day, same time like Nir said.
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