Thoughts on weight fluctuations

[CMCM]

Some interesting observations on those evil scales...

Yesterday: 151.4
This morning: 152.6
This evening, after exercise: 153.6

So in a bit more than 24 hours, I've got a 2 pound gain.

Why?

The water I've been drinking. Think about it...a 16 oz glass of water weighs a POUND! And I'm drinking a bunch of these a day...several pounds of water.

Obviously, a bunch of it is being absorbed.

This explains the weight change!

[hysteria]

I almost always find I am heavier after a work out too & I think it's because our muscles hold onto water in our systems. The only time I didn't was when I was running & sweating really heavily. Course sweat = water loss.

[black57]

If you sat around doing nothing at all, you will weigh more at night anyway. This will be true even if you ate nothing all day long. I don't know why but I am sure that our bodies adjust to the wear and tear of the day. Perhaps its cortisol perhaps it's the alignment of the planets. One thing for sure is, it happens and don't become alarmed by it.

[CMCM]

If you sat around doing nothing at all, you will weigh more at night anyway. This will be true even if you ate nothing all day long. I don't know why but I am sure that our bodies adjust to the wear and tear of the day. Perhaps its cortisol perhaps it's the alignment of the planets. One thing for sure is, it happens and don't become alarmed by it.

I always thought that too...about weighing more at the end of the day. But a few days ago, I was a pound lighter in the evening. I still can't figure that one out! Nothing unusual about the day, either. Maybe I hadn't eaten so much..???

[CMCM]

I drank about 5 lbs. of water today....hmmm, wonder if it will show up or "disappear"?

[black57]

I always thought that too...about weighing more at the end of the day. But a few days ago, I was a pound lighter in the evening. I still can't figure that one out! Nothing unusual about the day, either. Maybe I hadn't eaten so much..???

That has happened to me also. However, it rarely does. I almost always weigh more in the evening than I do in the AM, even if I am fasting. However, my body responds more successfully to weightloss when I am fasting.

[ScotiaGirl]

I weigh almost consistently 2 pounds more at night than I do in the morning...if I don't eat enough during the day and weigh less at night this is not true....I usually don't lose anything more overnight...exercise makes me retain a bit of water weight but it comes off within a day or two and when I exercise regularly I lose in smaller constant increments not big whooshes...but don't bounce either.

[Luzyanna]

I've been battling the same 3 stupid pounds for over a week. One day I'm 131 and the next I'm 133. I know I'm eating too many of the wrong types of carbs though (too many nuts for sure.) I do so great during the day but at night I get the munchies for something salty.

[ScotiaGirl]

Leslie I find if I don't get enough calories in during the day I get the munchies at night....I was never a breakfast person and I mean never...but I find if I eat something 3-4 hours after I get up...the munchies at night disappear...just a thought.

[CMCM]

That has happened to me also. However, it rarely does. I almost always weigh more in the evening than I do in the AM, even if I am fasting. However, my body responds more successfully to weightloss when I am fasting.

How often do you do fasting, and for how long? How does it generally affect things? Do you just drink water when fasting?

I'm getting really annoyed at how I drop a bit, then hang at a weight for ages, and I want to find some strategies to shake it up and get things moving down again.

[ScotiaGirl]

Some of us are doing this....

here's the page we are on now....

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?p=8083006#post8083006


Post 291 on this page is where the eggcycling idea came into play...kinda like carb cycling..but without the carbs....

http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=410034&page=20&pp=15


Here are the results for the group so far...


Week One Eggcycling Loss

Scotiagirl....5.6 lbs !
Leezlelee....4.2 lbs !
Lsjm...........5.0 lbs !
Egglyn........4.0 lbs !
Bandit........3.6 lbs !

[Luzyanna]

Leslie I find if I don't get enough calories in during the day I get the munchies at night....I was never a breakfast person and I mean never...but I find if I eat something 3-4 hours after I get up...the munchies at night disappear...just a thought.

I've always been this way even if I eat a lot during the day, I want to munch at night. One reason I'm always on a diet lol.

[PinguChick]

I've noticed weight fluctuations after exercising too. Apparently your body retains water to help repair the tiny tears in your muscles. Your body retains water when you are sick to fight infection, also when you eat salt, hormonal fluctuations, barometric pressure and when you stand on your head too much... just kidding on that last one. But it seems like our bodies are constantly changing how much water they hold for many reasons.

I've found the best way to deal with this and get an accurate weight is to weigh every day at the same time - just after you get up & use the washroom - then record the weight on a calendar. Then at the end of the week you find the average (add all seven days weights together then divide by seven to get the average daily weight). Then only compare weekly averages to see if you are losing weight.

This will even out any daily fluctuations, and help you to get a more accurate picture of your losses over time. It can also help to get rid of "scale depression" or obsession, so that you don't feel depressed when the scale goes up 2 pounds suddenly even though you were "good" the day before -- it will likely all even out in the week.

[rightnow]

Ah yes, the averaging!

I blogged about this once: Faint-by-Number (http://thedivinelowcarb.blogspot.com/2007/05/faint-by-number.html)

And in that post is a link to a groovy little spreadsheet that does this for you automatically -- gives you 'averages' of 3, 7, and 10 days.

PJ

[FatFreeMe]

But a few days ago, I was a pound lighter in the evening.
I have had this happen to. my early morning weight is recorded and on occassion i will weigh my self in the evening before bed. A few times, it's been less than my morning weight. But the 2nd morning, then I usually have a little whoosh.
just take it with a grain of salt (but watch your sodium lol)
you'll never figure out a scale! and you don't want to become obsessed with it!!!

p.s. I just want to add that some of us need to weigh every day, myself included. I know from my own past experience that if I don't weigh everyday, it's just too easy to 'forgettaboutit!' and have a hay day, food wise. if you do this everyday, you need to get used to the ups and downs and not let them rule your emotions or phyche or whatever. Also, I read somewhere that ppl who succeed at maintenance are often daily weighers, so I'm getting in practise for when i get there!

now, with that said.... please don't obsess with weighing yourself after every meal, or physical activity or ..every breathe..etc.