Weight Up and Down

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I've been trying to lose weight and follow an eating plan. I don't want to get into the specifics because everyone has their own idea and I don't want to get into that debate.
The thing I find odd is how much my weight can vary day to day. I weigh myself every day around the same time. Again, I know you're not supposed to weigh yourself everyday and again, I don't want to get into that discussion either.
So here's the thing. I started out at around 217. I followed my plan fairly strictly and got down to 203. Then I had a guest for a week and a couple of special events where i was eating out and eating things that I usually stay away from. My weight went back up about 209.
So I got back on my plan and my weight began to steadily go back down. I got down to 204.5 which was great until I got on the scale the next day and I was 209. So I fasted for a day and my weight began going down again. It went 209-208-206.5 205.5-204.5 and just when I think I'm doing great, I get on the scale this morning and it's 209 again. I weighed myself several times and it's 209.

Has anyone who has tried to lose weight ever had anything like this happen to them?

[DonH57]

When I was in the service the last 2 years were spent trying to maintain weight standards my weight would plateau 2 to 5 pounds up and down mainly because I concentrated on maintaining a body fat percentage. After I turned 40 no matter how many times I lost weight it kept finding me. : )

[JP]

Yes. Losing weight is a bi...

Sometimes I think we are preprogrammed for a specific weight---I look identical to my parents! Yikes

[Nova Filtration]

Diets don't work so much, a lifestyle does.

Also until you hit your BMI it's harder to keep a set range within 3lbs.
Your likely above your BMI

http://www.webmd.com/men/weight-loss-bmi

[clod]

Weight can change that quickly due to salt intake. The salt causes the body to retain water, hence weight. The cure is to paradoxically drink lots of water, excreting the salt. Long term, reduce salt intake, read labels.

[ajbrown]

My main comment is congratulations. All I read there is that you have lost 8 pounds. :thumbup:

The rest of my post is just some guys opinion, who is not a doctor, not a dietitian and is not thin

Weight loss, like stock growth has to be measured over time, fluctuations on a graph are just noise, it is the trend that matters. IMO the biggest mistake anyone can make is trying to get weight off too quickly and not consuming enough good calories. It is all about metabolism and how the heck we can burn more calories. By not ingesting enough calories the body will learn to live on less.

Take pride in the 8 pounds, then set some goals like:

I will weigh less than 200 pounds this time next year
my blood pressure will be xxx/xx
I will consume a healthy diet (not discussing what that is)
I will get stronger and more fit. I will have more muscle to burn calories

[kittygilchrist]

Well, I knew that was you at the Sat Night Dance party, and couldn't figure out why you looked different! You still have all your hair, but less of you! congratulations on moving toward what you want.

ehhhh, maybe you need a new scale...
and....
a wise person said to me about the stock market, the only two days that matter are the day you put the money in, and the day you take it out.

[ugotme]

CONGRATULATIONS!

As ajbrown stated, you have lost 8 pounds - great!

I have been dieting for years and yes, your weight keeps fluctuating. The main thing, obviously, is to stick with it.

Very difficult. The older I get the harder it is to even get started on a diet. I have just started mine and hope I stick to it.

Now - where is that fat burning pill????

[casita37]

As others have said, congrats, and stick with it. You didn't say when you started the weight loss plan. If it's been quite a while, you may need to adjust something in the plan. Maybe replace a carb with a veggie or just cut one non-essential item for a while. See if trimming the food helps to jump start your lose again. I agree about your BMI needing to be at optimal level to maintain your weight. Once you BMI is right, it's easier to keep it off, and one or two bad days won't mess with your progress so much.

After my husband and I stayed on our preferred plan for a very strict 6 weeks, we found we could then eat extras and still lose weight. Hubby actually lost too much and had to add back a cookie, or two!:)

Good luck to you!!

[memason]

Simple facts: It takes 3500 unused calories to gain one pound. Even in your week of eating out, I doubt you truly gained that much weight. Contrary to popular belief, weight comes off much faster than it goes on. By the same token, it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound.

You probably burn 1600+ calories per day, by staying alive...breathing, heart beating, etc... your basil metabolic rate.

My weight fluctuates like yours daily, but not such big swings. Normally, 2 to 3 pounds.

Like others have said, you are likely experiencing water weight gain, due to sodium in you diet.

Anyway...congrats on your weight loss so far....stick with it!

By the way, I do weight myself at Publix periodically to verify my scales accuracy...

[billethkid]

don't weigh yourself every day. Once a week, same day, same time, naked (optional), before breakfast.

If you haven't done it, try making a list of every single thing you eat or drink during the day and the calories of each food.....labels or estimate. You will find it takes a lot to make the 3500 calories per day.

Go to a web site and find how to measure your metabolic rate. This will allow you to determine what your average daily calorie consumption should be. And then if you stay under that number you will be burning more calories than you put in.

AND if you do not currently partake of some active exercise you need to start doing something. The easiest is walking. Yes it is boring but it does have the effect the body needs to increase metabolism, lower your heart rate, etc.

Then do not vary from the routine.

There are times when we go out to dinner that I order my favorite dessert, carrot cake and coffee for my entre'....about the same as having the main dish/salad/etc.

The food you do eat should have high Fibre....fibre....fibre....fibre.

No eating after 8 PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mudder]

There is a relatively new app called LoseIt. It was not designed for our age group, etc...I am using it because the developer is a friend of a relative. Anyway I have found that by not putting in my daily exercise it is more realistic for me. If you put exercise in it adds back more calories to eat. I am now accountable to my Ipad! It works for me. I have been steadily,albeit slowly, losing for three weeks, imagine my horror when at the doctor's office yesterday I was suddenly 4 pounds more! I figure it was the blue jeans and sneakers.
Just keep at it, the weight will come off.....eventually.

[Parker]

Hmmm...wonder if you've ever heard of the 'set-point' theory, where the body wants to be at a certain weight and will struggle to get back to that weight in spite of your efforts. You might google it and see what you think. There have been books written on the subject and it always made some sense to me.

[memason]

There is a relatively new app called LoseIt. It was not designed for our age group, etc...I am using it because the developer is a friend of a relative. Anyway I have found that by not putting in my daily exercise it is more realistic for me. If you put exercise in it adds back more calories to eat. I am now accountable to my Ipad! It works for me. I have been steadily,albeit slowly, losing for three weeks, imagine my horror when at the doctor's office yesterday I was suddenly 4 pounds more! I figure it was the blue jeans and sneakers.
Just keep at it, the weight will come off.....eventually.

Mudder...LoseIt is a great app.... I've lost 70lbs using that app since June!

[janmcn]

Sometimes it is too overwhelming to say I have to lose 25 to 35 pounds. It is much more manageable to do it in five pound increments; ie lose five pounds and let your body adjust to that new weight. Then, using that as your starting point, lose five more pounds...take time to adjust and keep going. Worked for me 15 years ago when I lost 35 pounds and kept it off.

[GaryW]

Alot of things vary what you will weigh. Time of day compared to when you intake food or water. Also the content of the food. calorie content. Depends on if the calories are from fat or a protein source.

My weight will jump around between 179 and 185. I am very active also cycling. That will also reflect in your weight how active you are. Not sure how to put in words the difference in foods since I am not a Nutritionist. My oldest competes in Fitness Competitions. And learning from her trainer who is a body builder and really knows his business. I can tell you lean foods and proteins and good fat content make a difference. Also fasting will only give you temp results and can cause you to actually gain weight.

I can eat 3 Talipa fillets, a giant Sweet Potato with no butter to very very little butter and covered in cinnamon, and 1.5 cups of steamed brown rice after I get home, and not fill like I have eaten. If I were to eat a burger, fries and a soda, I would feel so bloated. The fish is a very lean protein.

My daughter always told me not eating or eating a little will be worse than eating 5 or 6 small healthy meals during the day. Turned out to be right,, I use to weigh 255 with a 38-40 waste,, now stay about 182 avg.

Its all in the food and being active some way. That is my 2 cent.

And I agree everyone will have a different take and way to loose weight.. I tell everyone at work unless you have noted illness or condition that prevents you from really loosing wieght,, then it is all in mind.. If you want to loose weight you will,, if you do not, you will not. One can say they are on a diet,, but if you think one soda or a small order of fries will be ok,, then you are on the wrong track.

Again just my 2 cent. Will maybe 5 cent now. a good video on the Paleo Diet. Rally good on the different foods and what they do.

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/your-personal-paleo-code-diet-lose-weight-and-get-healthy-life

[NoMoSno]

I push mow my lawn year round. I struggle to keep weight on, in the summer.
Mowing weekly, I lose can lose 3-4 lbs. each mowing. Trimming shrubs takes 2 lbs.
Everyone's metabolism is different.
For me gaining weight is just as hard as losing it.

[casita37]

Hmmm...wonder if you've ever heard of the 'set-point' theory, where the body wants to be at a certain weight and will struggle to get back to that weight in spite of your efforts. You might goggle it and see what you think. There have been books written on the subject and it always made some sense to me.

I've not heard of the set point theory, but it sounds reasonable to me. I'll google it.

Years ago, I was about 140, went on a "diet" (ashamed to admit....nutrasystem....wouldn't think of it now!). Well I was faithful to the plan and got down to 130 and STOPPED....period. For weeks, I stayed at 130, so maybe that was MY set point, but I'm not as comfortable at 130 as I am at 125, or less. Got back up to about 140 again and this time went on a the Blood Sugar Solution plan and the weight just fell off. 130 was not a stopping point. Got under 125, fluctuating a few lbs.....and feel great!

BTW, I weigh myself every time I go into Publix, which can be 6 days a week. I know they say once a week is enough, but if you're losing, seeing it on the scale is gratifying and provides incentive....imho.

[annaconner]

My husband has weekly weigh ins at Publix. It's important to weigh yourself on the same scales and the same time approximately. My husband, on medical advice, has lost 46lbs in 10 months purely with portion control and cutting down, not out, potato chips and chocolate. Due to the slow rate of reduction he should maintain the weight lose.

[Madelaine Amee]

The most sensible thing I have read on weight loss was put out by Chris Powell's Custom Weight Loss Blueprint. Take your current body weight, multiply by 12 and that is the number of calories your body burns to stay at its resting metabolic rate. So eating less calories than that number becomes weight loss. It does work, it is a slow, long process, but it works.

It's calories in/calories out, and exercise is a bonus because the more muscle you have the quicker you lose.

Now, if you really want to lose weight join the Dragon Boat crews - that paddling burns fat like nothing else!

[jojo]

Which Publix has scales?

[Halle]

Which Publix has scales?

I think all, located at the front of the store.

[Carl in Tampa]

It used to be that when I went to my primary care doctor and my weight was up he would ask, "Who's been visiting?"

He was correct that when I had company in the house for a few days I would,
1. Eat out more..... restaurant food is generally very salty.
2. Eat things that I shouldn't (Indulging myself and my guest.)

Several years ago I bought Dr. Atkins' diet book, followed it strictly for nine months and gradually lost 60 pounds. Although his high protein diet was often attacked, I found that my health and energy were excellent; blood tests were within normal limits; and I felt no negative effects.

I found that many of my friends who couldn't get the diet to "work for" them never read past the third chapter of the book before they gave up.

HERE'S THE INTERESTING PART; after all those years of criticism of Dr. Atkins, we have seen a lot of "great" diet books, such as The South Beach Diet, that are just alternative presentations of Dr. Atkins' low carb/high protein plan.

If your diet has been working, stick with it, get plenty of exercise AND AVOID SALT. Have your doctor monitor your blood work, and as long as it stays in range you are doing great.

Good luck.

[Topspinmo]

I try to cut down on the soda, beer, snacks, Agree nothing after 8 PM except water:bigbow:. IMO want to loose weight drink water and cut the bread out, and of course be more active even if it only walking at fast pace couple miles day. For me I'm about 18 to 25 pounds from my ultimate high school senior weight (5' 11" 168). I think The bread does me in:ohdear:. I can loose about 7 lbs. then hit the wall:boom:. Now I got to do some real work to get the other 10 to 20 off. I need to weigh around 165 to 175 to be quick enough and have the stigma to serve and volley at the 4.5 level tennis or beyond. Just hard for me still working.:duck: But in few short weeks I won't have that crutch to lean on :ohdear: Wonder what my excuse will be then:popcorn:

As far as weight easier to get off than put on? I'll have to disagree with that one IMO it's twice as hard to get off cause you have to change your life style and stick to it or it will just return plus more. IMO you also just can't quit eating cause without being active you loose muscle and IMO that's worse cause now your weak and over weight. which the cycle returns. For me at least I had manual labor job that kept me strong and minimum weight gain. I don't see how people still working loose any weight setting around in office environment being inactive and over weight. Cycle just too hard to break IMO. For the village people I can see were pickleball (played at high level would be prefect activity to loose or maintain ones weight. where Golf:boom: does little IMO of course unless your pulling or caring your bag and doing 18 or more holes.

[Mudder]

Wow, me mason, that's great hear about your weight lose with LoseIt! Everyday when I put in my food for the day and see that by July 2nd I will be at my goal, it keeps me on track. I really like LoseIt also. Somehow it makes me feel obligated to exercise everyday even tho I give no calorie value to the exercise. On days that my body screams for a rest I still almost always get in my 10,000 steps.

[2BNTV]

Yes, I have been up and down with my weight, all my life. Your body is on a seventeen day water cycle. Some days, you are retaining more water, than others. The one day, you weight may dramatiacally drop, if you relieve the excess water. Don't get discouraged, when trying to lose weight.

1. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning, when you wake-up. It is the most accurate measure of your weight, as nothing was put into your system yet.
2. Diets are a waste of time. I found after becoming a type 2 diabetic, eating several small meals a day works the best. You don't need to necessarily deny yourself everything, but it's all about portion control.
3. Eat slower as your body needs to get the signal from your brain, that you are full.
4. Lifting weights is the best form of exercise, because you burn calories after you finished lifting. Once one step off the treadmill, that is all the calories you are going to burn. Losing weight without combining these two things, is a recipe for disaster.
5. If going to a restaurant, ask for the doggie bag at the beginning of a meal, as they serve you twice the food you need.
6. Part of weight control is psychological, as when you are a small child, your mother put a certain amount of food on your plate, (probably more than needed), and your brain is tuned to looking at portions, as saying to oneself, that is the amount of food I need to eat, to be full. How many times we are full after eating half the dinner served, but continut to eat, because we are trained at an early age.
5. Pushaways from the dinner table, helps a lot. :D

I have lost 8 lbs in six days, by going back to eating controlled portions. It's also a matter of willpower, Sometimes, I have to ask myself, "do I really want to eat something, or get down to a weight that works better for me.

I hope this helps.

[TrudyM]

RE: weighing more some days than others I agree it could be water also our elimination or lack there of can cause a difference I was told by the doc, and if you have changed your diet that may have been affected.

RE: Losing weight - I can't loose weight no matter what. Was told by the doctor I was not eating enough and my body is in preservation mode. I kept a food diary and the doctor is stumped as he says I should given what I eat be at least 50 lbs lighter than I am. His solution is that I should work out for 1 hour a day and walk 5 miles a day. Not going to happen. So I will be heavy and just learn to adjust. I can't imagine spending a third of my life dedicated to my weight.

[Sable99]

How does LoseIt compare to MyFitnessPal? I've been using MyFitnessPal off and on for a couple of years and my favorite foods are programmed in it. I like that you can scan food labels and can program what you want to track, ie, sugar, fat, sodium, etc. My trainer recommended MyFitnessPal and a doctor told me about LoseIt.

[memason]

How does LoseIt compare to MyFitnessPal? I've been using MyFitnessPal off and on for a couple of years and my favorite foods are programmed in it. I like that you can scan food labels and can program what you want to track, ie, sugar, fat, sodium, etc. My trainer recommended MyFitnessPal and a doctor told me about LoseIt.

For the most part, they perform the same functions. I used both for a short while, but settled on LoseIt. I found LoseIt a bit simpler to use, for my purposes. I did, however, use MyFitnessPal to get nutritional information, as it seems to be a little better than LoseIt, with it's massive library of foods.

I believe either is good and just by tracking, you become aware of the calories you are consuming. I was amazed at some of the foods I was eating and the amount of calories that each had. It was an eye opener, to be sure and really helped me in making better [lower calories] food choices.

For what it's worth...I used LoseIt in conjuction with another app called MapMyWalk. I started walking all the golf courses (Championship) and tracking calories burned by walking. I was amazed to discover that you walk from 8 to 10 miles, playing 18 holes of golf; depending upon the course. MapMyWalk shows the distance you walk and the calories burned. Walking 18 holes will burn approximately 1/2lb in calories...1800 or so.

For anyone interested, all 3 of these apps; LoseIt, MyFitnessPal and MapMyWalk are free in the Apple App Store.

Good Luck!

[Madelaine Amee]

Mudder...LoseIt is a great app.... I've lost 70lbs using that app since June!

Excellent site, thanks. Unfortunately it thinks I should be 20lb thinner than I had planned!

[Mudder]

Going to check out map my walk right now!

[2BNTV]

Weigth loss can be a mind over matter type event.

"If you don't mind, it don't matter".

Perserverance to get to one's goal is great, but it means nothing, if one is not planning to stay, at the new weight. IMHO

BTW - Losing weight gets much more difficult as we age, but it's not impossible. One does not have to get sick to lose weight, but my heart goes out to all people who should lose weight, but find it so difficult.

[Villages PL]

I've been trying to lose weight and follow an eating plan. I don't want to get into the specifics because everyone has their own idea and I don't want to get into that debate.
The thing I find odd is how much my weight can vary day to day. I weigh myself every day around the same time. Again, I know you're not supposed to weigh yourself everyday and again, I don't want to get into that discussion either.
So here's the thing. I started out at around 217. I followed my plan fairly strictly and got down to 203. Then I had a guest for a week and a couple of special events where i was eating out and eating things that I usually stay away from. My weight went back up about 209.
So I got back on my plan and my weight began to steadily go back down. I got down to 204.5 which was great until I got on the scale the next day and I was 209. So I fasted for a day and my weight began going down again. It went 209-208-206.5 205.5-204.5 and just when I think I'm doing great, I get on the scale this morning and it's 209 again. I weighed myself several times and it's 209.

Has anyone who has tried to lose weight ever had anything like this happen to them?

Never happened to me but I think I know part of what's causing it. Whenever you follow a diet plan "fairly strictly" or you "fasted", as you said above, your metabolism will slow way down. Then the slightest change in calorie intake (to the upside) will put the weight on fast.

Other possible causes: 1) You may have constipation with infrequent bowel movements. Some people have a bowel movement every other day and some every third day. This can be part of the problem. 2) without realizing it you may be wearing different weights of clothing. 3) water retention

It may be one reason or all of the above reasons working together to cause your problem.