Training & Nutrition - Weight fluctuates, interesting.

So I got a digital scales, and started weighting myself every morning when I wake up. Before I would do it once a month or so. Anyway I noticed that my weights fluctuates by 2-3 pounds! One morning, for example, its around 165 next it's 167+. I didn't really pig out that day. I would expect it to fluctuate, but not by so much. I was surprised.

I know, it's fascinating (well, in a relative way). I weighed myself maybe twice/year before I started biking 6 months ago. As I started losing weight, I started weighing myself daily... and then twice/day...and then 3-4 times/day! No, I am not obsessive about the weight or weight loss, I just became very intrigued by the intra-day fluctuations. Morning vs night. Pre-ride vs. post-ride. Effect of meals, bathroom visits, etc. Yes, it's geeky, but it's interesting. You are not alone! :)

I've weighed myself daily forever. I have a Tanita scale that registers water and body fat percentage. You want to be fascinated with change get one of those as hydration (or lack there of) really makes it change. A true reading should only be measured once a week (but that won't stop me!). :)

It always strikes me a bit funny when people tell me that they've lost 1 or 2 lbs.

I'm like you - one day I might lose 1 or 2 lbs, the next day, or even later that day, I might gain those 1 or 2 lbs back. To me it isn't a "real" weight loss until I lose somewhere around 5 lbs.

I think a lot of it has to do with hydration.

I've found the same thing. My weight varies by as much 2.5 pounds/day. Talk about geeky -- I do three weighings a day (morning, midday and evening), and my spreadsheet computes a daily average. Then I compute a weekly average, by averaging across the seven daily averages.

A couple wks ago I gained 8# from Saturday am to Monday am, LOTS of eating (guests, parties, yadda yadda), but it was mostly gone by the following Sat, and all gone by the 2nd Sat am.

For tracking (which is all mental, I haven't recorded anything on paper or computer), I pretty much go from Sat am to Sat am (which tends to be my very lowest weight of the week; I've mentally blocked whenever the highest might be, but I'm guessing Sunday right before bed).

While there is a lot of intraday fluctuation, like a few pounds worth, there is seldom more than a 1# change per week (Sat am to Sat am)

While there is a lot of intraday fluctuation, like a few pounds worth, there is seldom more than a 1# change per week (Sat am to Sat am)

I think you're right. A few more weeks of data entry, and I should have the data to back it up. From what I have so far, it looks like there's much more variation within days than across weeks.

Yep. I have a tanita scale as well. My weight varies from 165 to about 172 depending on that day's meals, hydration, and workouts. I just keep a 7 day moving average of my daily weight (at 5:00 pm), and that is what I consider to be my true weight.

I do pretty much the same by weighing myself daily and just mentally keep an average. Sometimes I'll weigh myself before and after a long ride or run, just to get an idea of the hydration loss. My wife thinks that anyone who weighs him or herself daily will develop an eating disorder but, in my case anyway, it's just a matter of getting more data points.

Best, to do it first thing in the morning. Keep in mind a salty meal the night before will pack on another 1-2 pounds of water. And, not all scales are accurate or consistent.....

My weight seems to fluctuate throughout the year for no apparent reason. It is annoying. I bought a pair of jeans that fit just right and now I have to wear a belt to keep them from working their way down. Or a pair of pants will fit and then the next time there is a need to wear long pants here in FL they will be too small. Now that I am training for a century I look skinnier but my weight is the same, it just changed from fat to muscle I guess.

Best, to do it first thing in the morning. Keep in mind a salty meal the night before will pack on another 1-2 pounds of water. And, not all scales are accurate or consistent.....

Yeah, easily! a cup of water weighs 1/2 pound, so you can easily retain 1 or 2 cups of water or more from a salty meal.

So I got a digital scales, and started weighting myself every morning when I wake up. Before I would do it once a month or so. Anyway I noticed that my weights fluctuates by 2-3 pounds! One morning, for example, its around 165 next it's 167+. I didn't really pig out that day. I would expect it to fluctuate, but not by so much. I was surprised.


Good! You're normal.

My weight varies by +/- 3# during the week (6-lb range). That's why I only bother to weigh myself on Tuesday mornings.

me too, every tuesday. gives me time to work off the weekend binge! later.

Good! You're normal.
Damn it. :D

Keep in mind, scales can be affected by the surface they're on. I know that a digital scale I have can weigh me up to 60 lbs heavier than my actual weight when it's on soft carpet, but is accurate when I have it on a hard surface.

So I got a digital scales, and started weighting myself every morning when I wake up. Before I would do it once a month or so. Anyway I noticed that my weights fluctuates by 2-3 pounds! One morning, for example, its around 165 next it's 167+. I didn't really pig out that day. I would expect it to fluctuate, but not by so much. I was surprised.

Things I know of that cause weight differences:

1) What you ate (different foods hold onto different amounts of water)
2) Hydration state
3) Bladder contents
4) Colon contents

I'll see mine go up and down a couple of pounds...

i out it in my training diary each day, it goes downa bout 2 kilos in a weekend due to glycogen depletiona and water loss, i always do it am after toilet! before eating/drinking

Damn it. :D


:roflmao:

Here's my, post-urination, morning weight (in kg - multiply by 2.2 for lbs) from Oct 20th 2006 to this morning. X-scale is days from the start. Y-scale is, of course, weight...

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/2398/wtcrvzw9.gif