Scales are weird!: Does anybody know how... - Weight Loss Support

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Scales are weird!

9 Replies

Does anybody know how scales work? Do they drip feed you little losses then sense when you're struggling and give you a big loss or from some cruel motive give you a gain when you haven't done anything different?!

The scales say I dropped 0.7kg (that's 1.5 lbs I think) in a day! How is that possible? It's true I exercised a lot🚴 but I hydrated properly 🥛and ate my calories. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy 😊, it's just weird!

9 Replies
Folliegirl profile image
Folliegirl

Our weight can fluctuate a lot during the day. It's best to look at an overall trend rather than get tied up in in day to day changes 😉

2stoneup profile image
2stoneup

I agree they're weird. I just try and weigh first thing in the morning before I put on my heavier day clothes. But I don't worry too much in between weigh in days. Does give me a little boost though if there's a steady loss, however small! But sounds like you're doing all the right things and will see a good weight loss by weigh in day!

RG07 profile image
RG07Maintainer

I agree with the above just weigh yourself weekly and at the same time if possible just because if you weigh yourself at different times it will vary on what you have eaten that day. I weigh myself when I get up- before breakfast but after the essential (to me) pot of tea. It doesn't matter when you weigh yourself as long as its at the same time roughly each time so your weight can be compared to your baseline.

Or you have really supportive scales!

kantara71 profile image
kantara71

You can get obsessed with the scales and your weight will fluctuate over the course of the day. I always weigh first thing in the morning before getting dressed and after using the toilet.

It depends upon how much weight you want to lose, if you are close to your target maybe just weigh once a month? Also weight loss is not necessarily linear and you may stall and then experience a "whoosh" where you seem to lose 2-3lbs overnight!

Having said all of that I purchased some new electronic scales today so I will be interested to see how they compare with my existing salter dial scales and don't show any higher!

Claz profile image
Claz

Yes Scales are weird and cruel !!

like others I weigh in the morning at the same time but take no notice really as they are up and down all the time daily & weekly.. .... as long as at the end of the month I've lost some then I'm happy x

I approach my scales in the same way Granville approaches Arkwright's till, with caution and scepticism!

Joking apart, a good pair of electronic scales on a hard floor (not vinolay or carpet) should give an accurate reading. Like others have said here, your weight fluctuates during the day. Some say you shouldn't weigh daily, but I find if you do, you start to recognise these fluctuations and not be scared by them.

But in my opinion, the scales don't lie and if the scales then don't tell you what you want to hear, well you just have to ask yourself if you are being totally honest in your tracking. If you are being totally honest, then the other thing you can do is try something new to kickstart your loss again, for example cut out carbohydrates or try the 5:2 for a couple of weeks.

sarahbailey101 profile image
sarahbailey101

That is so true! I try not to weigh myself more than once a week and if I do the scales can say I've put on weight but then lost it and more when it's weigh in day! I think your body does go up and down for various reasons so best not to weigh ourselves more than once a week :)

bulge1 profile image
bulge1

I'm with the once a month weigh in I find if I try weekly If I haven't had even a little loss or even put on, I feel fed up and start to pick/snack it's usually start of the slippery slope and why I have 2 st to lose:-)

I think scales are better used to show a trend over a few weeks, rather than worrying about daily ups and downs. Certainly, changes during the day are going to be weight of food and liquid inside you rather than a sudden and miraculous loss of fat, unfortunately!

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