Posts: 2,848
2/12/12 6:19 A

Thanks again for all the replies to this! I have started weighing myself everyday since I posted and so far so good.

Thanks for the support!

124 Maintenance Weeks

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140

Posts: 483
2/11/12 6:22 A

Following my weight by weighing every day has revealed to me that my weight can go up about 2 pounds in one day if I overeat. When I overeat and weigh myself the next day I can be two pounds heavier. Over the next three days, as I eat normally, my weight slowly returns to normal.

The amount your weight appears to fluctuate will depend on how often your weigh yourself and how carefully you control it. If you only weigh once a month, your weight can appear to fluctuate 10 pounds or more. It is easy to gain 10 pounds if you are not tracking and not weighing yourself! I am a person who thrives on constant feedback, so I enjoy weighing every morning and entering the weight in the Weight Tracker! I wish you success with maintaining!

current weight: 153.6

158 153.5 149 144.5

140

SparkPoints: (22,370)
Fitness Minutes: (7,227)
Posts: 750
2/10/12 10:19 P

Five pounds of fluctuation sounds pretty normal to me. My weight goes up and down all the time, but usually within that 5 lbs.

121 Maintenance Weeks

0 35 70 105

140

SparkPoints: (127,586)
Fitness Minutes: (95,650)
Posts: 26,252
2/10/12 8:54 A

Even if it's faux weight I cut back a little for the day. No stress or pressure, just a little. I never have to worry about it getting out of control, and no food is worth any worry.

current weight: -0.8  under

5 2.5 0 -2.5

-5

SparkPoints: (16,723)
Fitness Minutes: (10,417)
Posts: 1,915
2/9/12 7:36 P

One more thought: I always try to make the distinction between what I call "real" pounds gained or lost and "faux" pounds. We all know it takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a "real" pound. Conversely, you have to have an overage of 3500 calories to gain one. So when I see the scale fluctuate, I remind myself that it is just that "faux" poundage, made up of water, stress, hormones and whatever else is going on inside that we cannot control.

May Minutes: 0

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Posts: 2,136
2/9/12 5:37 P

I can just reiterate what everyone else said. I have been at maintenance for a little over 2 years, and I find that I fluctuate a few pounds above/below goal. I make sure I eat right and exercise almost every day, drink plenty of water and try not to stress too much about the little fluctuations.

current weight: 159.7

175 162.5 150 137.5

125

Posts: 2,848
2/9/12 4:40 P

Bless you all! Thank you so much for all the insight, it has really made me realize I need to just keep doing what I am doing.

I do think I will take the advice of weighing everyday for awhile just to see what happens, say for a month or so.

Again, you all are brilliant! I love having this kind of support system, its great!

Edited by: ELLEKTRA at: 2/9/2012 (16:40)

124 Maintenance Weeks

0 35 70 105

140

SparkPoints: (88,798)
Fitness Minutes: (20,412)
Posts: 22,932
2/9/12 12:59 P

It is normal to fluculate within 5 pounds of goal. Don't sweat it, if you are maintaining, and staying on program, weighing and measuring your portions you are doing well.

Pounds lost: 75.0

0 18.75 37.5 56.25

75

SparkPoints: (16,723)
Fitness Minutes: (10,417)
Posts: 1,915
2/9/12 12:19 P

I agree wholeheartedly with keeping your eyes on the overall picture. We have all lost 50, 75, 100 pounds or more! Why should we let +/- 3 or 5 pounds get us down! Just keep doing what you know got you to this point and don't sweat the little bounces.

May Minutes: 0

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Posts: 5,374
2/9/12 12:10 P

I've been maintaining for over 10 years now and have noticed not only daily fluctuations of a couple of pounds but also annual cycles. I find that I'm typically at my heaviest in January and at my lightest in July within a range of about 10 lbs. Possible reasons for this are less sunshine resulting in less exercise, fewer affordable fresh vegetables, more mood swings with less daylight resulting in occasional emotional eating, higher stress level because of school year responsibilities (homeschooling my daughter) vs. a more relaxed schedule in the summer. Overall I don't worry about it any more, but sometimes I need to make a conscious decision not to in late fall when my weight climbs up a little. I control what I can control the best, which is exercise and for the first time this winter my clothes size has not changed in spite of gaining 8 lbs. since last summer. Now the weight is starting to come down slowly.
Birgit

Body Fat %: 20.0

23.6 22.2 20.8 19.4

18

SparkPoints: (127,586)
Fitness Minutes: (95,650)
Posts: 26,252
2/9/12 11:20 A

I have been at goal for a few decades now, and my weight has what I think of as a "bounce". It goes up and down every day, something dangerous to monitor when trying to lose, but important in maintaining. If I am up a couple of pounds, I cut back, for example, to one piece of toast with breakfast for a day or two and those two never become 5 become 10...you know how it works. If I'm down a couple of pounds, it always pops back up without much consideration. We all know it comes down to calories in calories out, but it isn't all that simple day to day. Even a car gets different gas mileage based on how many people are in the car, headwinds, tuning and the like. Biological organisms are even less measurable.

Keep your eye on the long graph. The long trend is what is important.

current weight: -0.8  under

5 2.5 0 -2.5

-5

Posts: 842
2/9/12 10:10 A

Been maintaining for almost 3 months. I weigh daily just so I can see how 'new' food affects me. Noticed I weigh less on Mondays and that we TOM comes to town, I can gain up to 2kg (around 5lbs). The fluctuations used to bother me but not as much anymore, as I'm learning that other factors can contribute to the temporary upward swing. Though I must admit that I'm still thrilled when I see a lower number. Eeks. Must wean myself off the scale soon.

SparkPoints: (8,072)
Fitness Minutes: (4,554)
Posts: 1,311
2/9/12 8:30 A

My weight is still fluctuating by about 5 lbs either way. It is very frustrating. Especially now as I am unable to exercise due to a problem with my sciatic nerve. Too painful to exercise. When I go back to exercising I will have to try to increase the amount of time I do exercise.

Dianne

Pounds lost: 0.0

0 21 42 63

84

Posts: 30,285
2/9/12 8:16 A

You aren't alone I'm not even a year at this new game of maintaining I was weigh in daily and logging into google15 now I'm try every other day If I don't get my scale in the exact same place I come up all kinds of readings on it I also look at how my clothes are fitting me for me that is becoming a better judge of how I am doing

160 Days until:  Bride of FrankenFooter 5K

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0

Posts: 5,091
2/9/12 7:47 A

My experience is exactly the same as what conradburk said. Exact same scale precision, exact same routine, exact same fluctuations. Day to day they are rarely up or down more than 2%.

To keep it from creeping up I have to track and keep at the food control and exercise. To push it down I have to be even more vigilant and consistent.

current weight: 13.2  over

15 7.5 0 -7.5

-15

Posts: 1,290
2/9/12 7:43 A

It's normal for your weight to fluctuate with hormonal changes and eating certain foods . I still weigh myself daily so I know when to expect my weight to go up. If my weight goes up other than those times for more than a few days, I know it's time to start working again. This is my second time losing the weight and I don't want to have to do it again so I'm really careful.

current weight: 143.6

143.63 140.2225 136.815 133.4075

130

Posts: 483
2/9/12 6:51 A

When I consistently track my food every day, there is little fluctuation from day to day. By weighing every day instead of once or twice a week, I get a better idea of how my weight is doing. I weigh myself first thing every morning after emptying my bladder and before eating breakfast. I weigh myself without clothing. I use a good digital scale that weighs to the nearest 0.2 pounds. I enter my weight into the Weight Tracker and looking at the report graph to spot longer term trends of weight loss or gain. When I am not tracking, I gain weight slowly. That is the way it is! I am not yet ready to stop tracking entirely. Tracking helps to normalize my weight and keep it constant.

Congratulations on reaching your goal weight and good luck with maintaining.

current weight: 153.6

158 153.5 149 144.5

140

SparkPoints: (42,465)
Fitness Minutes: (43,711)
Posts: 3,302
2/9/12 6:46 A

No, you are not alone. I've been maintaining for approx 18 months now, and I have the same , fluctuation, generally 3 lbs. It doesn't seem to matter what my frequency in weighing is either. I've read articles about how the body fluctuates and that changes take place throughout the day which is why they suggest weighing the same time of day each time you weigh, because 3 hours later you can have a different reading. I'm ok with it so long as I don't stay 3 lbs heavier.

163 Maintenance Weeks

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180

Posts: 2,848
2/9/12 6:24 A

First I am going to apologize if this topic has been brought up before. I did look through the message boards a bit, but didn't find anything.

I have been maintaining around 150 now for 6+ months.
I fluxate from 147-152. I get a little smile when I drop down to 147. I am happy where I am, but if I get down around 145 as my maintainance, I would be thrilled.

I weigh in ever Tuesday and Friday, no more, no less. As I get a 'thrill' when I drop down to 147, it never stays that low for more then one weigh in, I also get a little frustrated when it goes up to 152 because it tends to stay there for sometimes 2-3 weeks.

I know there are about 101 different reasons it goes up and stays up there and my reasonable mind tells me its NOT actual weight gain because I havent changed my eating habits, etc, but I still get frustrated.

My question is, is this how it is for you maintainers who have been at it for years?

Thank you in advance and again I am sorry if this has been brought up before.

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140