Fluctuation

[Lolly222]

Hi everyone.

Does anyone get disheartened when your weight fluctuates?

Am I doing something wrong?

Laurie

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello and welcome

You are not alone in becoming disheartened. Please take some time to read the information Moreless has just given you over on the Group weigh in, as well as a few other people’s posts, and you’ll see everyone’s weight varies day to day, which is why it’s better to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Best wishes

[gman1961 Restart April 2024]

Wow I'm sure many of us can relate to your post.

I'm like a yo -yo.

Gary

[Joanney69]

Yes, in the beginning I used to weigh every day, and didn't realise weight fluctuates day to day - I very nearly gave up in my second week as my weight went up 2 days in a row! Thankfully I was told this, and kept on keeping on.

As long as the general trend is going down, you're on the right track 😊

[BridgeGirl Administrator 2 stone]

I don't nowadays because I know it's normal. You need to make your own decision about how often to weigh. If the daily fluctuations that we all have reassure you, then it's fine. If they worry you, then you're best to weigh weekly - or maybe not at all and go by other signs such as clothes feeling looser and what the mirror tells you about your shape.

I know it can be difficult but if you put having a healthy eating plan foremost, then the rest will follow. I don't know if you've used the Daily Diary yet but, if not, take yourself over there to see what others are eating. They'll be happy to answer any questions

[RaggedClown]

The Hacker's Diet recommends that you weigh in every day but to pay attention to your average weight over a period rather than the daily fluctuations. A few weeks of this and you come to realize the natural fluctuations don't matter that much really.

I wanted to add an image of my moving average but couldn't figure out how. Help, anyone?

[MissisB 4 stone in reply to RaggedClown]

Unfortunately you can only put a picture in if it is a new post, and not as a reply.

Very frustrating - by all means let Health Unlocked know if this is a feature you would like too.

[RaggedClown in reply to MissisB]

Thanks MissisB. Are HU usually responsive to requests like this?

[MissisB 4 stone in reply to RaggedClown]

Erm ...

I live in hope that if enough of us say “please can we have ... “ (and dare I say our lovely Members rather than the Admins), maybe, just maybe, we will get some of these things it would be good to have. 🙂

[S11m in reply to RaggedClown]

You can use e.g. Dropbox, and link to your photo.

Many members are concerned about weight fluctuations, so why not create a separate post?

[RaggedClown in reply to S11m]

Thank you. I'll put them on my blog.

[S11m]

Most short-term weight fluctuation is fluid and "contents of the digestive system".

If you eat something containing much sugar or salt (or carbohydrates which quickly turn into sugar) your body will retain water to keep the osmotic balance right.

Most Sundays I eat a carvery - this is "good food" but the large quantity of vegetables causes a short-term weight-gain.

I tend to keep to my weight-maintenance strategy while I am above my target weight - but, some of the time, I have to eat to keep up to my target weight.

[RaggedClown]

Here are two images to make my point.

The first shows my recent weight history. You can see how the individual weigh ins are all over the place but the trend is fairly stable.

raggedclown.com/wp-content/...

The second shows that, over the long term, the fluctuations barely even matter. You can see some crazy red dots that are sometimes as much as five pounds above the trend line (I remember those parties well!) but the trend just keeps going down, down, down.

raggedclown.com/wp-content/...

I know that weighing in every day vs once per week is controversial but I feel quite strongly that checking in every day is best and that tracking the trend line helps you to ignore the daily fluctuations.

[Perhaps I should start a new post so that I can include the pictures?]

[RaggedClown in reply to RaggedClown]

I started a new post so I could include a chart here:

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh....

[becky3344 2st 7lbs in reply to RaggedClown]

Hi RaggedClown.

Interesting what you are saying.. What program did/do you use to map your (Progression chart) -fluctuations. it's a good visualisation to show the stages you go through while trying to lose weight. I wouldn't mind doing this too.

I was disheartened yesterday with the weekly Saturday weight in, i got a slight gain for first time in ages. But i decided to weight myself this morning, as i knew i was lighter, and i was a 1 and a half lbs lighter. Now i'm officially in a healthy green BMI line of a good weight range for the first time in over 4 years.

It's interesting what you said about how you don't worry about the long term fluctuations and they don't matter to you.

Tracking a trend line every day, i think could be useful for me to understand my body more and to see it going up and down regularly maybe..

Yes i'd be interested to see if you made a new post about this, and include pictures..

Becky

[RaggedClown in reply to becky3344]

Hi Becky,

I wrote a follow up post here:

healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh....

The graph comes from a little app/website that I wrote for myself about 10 years ago. I rewrite the app every time I want to get serious about losing weight again I've been using the current incarnation, with a handful of friends and family, for about three years.

[becky3344 2st 7lbs in reply to RaggedClown]

Hi RaggedClown.

Thanks for showing me your other post. It's a great looking graph table.

You did very well to write the program for yourself. And you can see clearly your journey.

Is the trend line, the thicker blue line?

[RaggedClown in reply to becky3344]

Yes. Trend line is blue. Green dots are weigh ins below the line and red dots are above the line. Yellow dots are the (currently rare, but I live in hope) weigh ins where I am below my target weight.

[becky3344 2st 7lbs in reply to RaggedClown]

I see. I like it.

[IndigoBlue61]

Have a look at this Lolly22 healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh.....

[becky3344 2st 7lbs]

Sounds like i could learn from you, and tweak my vegan keto diet some more.

[Tiggerr]

Did any of those replies help Lolly?