Flux, or Life's (Mostly Little) Ups and Downs

Tired to of trying to stay exactly at goal? Going nuts because your weight is up one day, down the next?

Well, if that's the case, relax! Weight fluctuations are utterly, completely, entirely normal. No matter whether we are trying to lose weight or stay the same, we are highly unlikely to wake up day after day, weighing exactly the same. Even if we are trying to lose, our daily weight is busy doing the two-step. It's true . . . and completely unavoidable.

Frankly, it is impossible for us to stay at a single weight, each and every day. Our weight varies from hour to hour, even minute to minute! We eat, we drink, we, er, "eliminate." We burn fat (the effects of which dissipate as heat and moisture, through our lungs and skin), we put on clothing, we take off clothing. We eat more sodium and carbs (which promote fluid retention), we eat less. We have hormonal fluctuations (also known as That Time Of The Month) if we are female. It's not at all unusual to gain 2 - 5 lbs through the course of a day. Me, I'm typically 2 - 3 lbs heavier in the evening, than I am in the morning. Normal, normal, normal.

Know what else is normal for me? My daily weight fluctuates constantly. It goes up and down some 3 to 4 lbs over the course of a month (and sometimes more, when I go on vacation or celebrate various holidays). But don't just take my word for it; see for yourself:

This handy-dandy chart, taken from my CalorieKing record of daily weigh-ins, shows the way my weight has fluctuated over the course of the last year or so.* (I didn't start using CK until May 2006, which is why I look so flatline for April.) Those high peaks? They roughly correspond to vacations, holidays, and really long bike rides that involved a lot of heavy fueling.

I hope this is reassuring to those of you who think you must adhere to a single weight day after day after day. You're gonna swing high, you're gonna swing low . . . but if you pay attention and adjust your intake when you swing too high or low, you can keep those weight fluctuations reasonable.

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*Don't be thrown by the chart's wild, jagged swings: while it looks like a lot of gaining and losing is going on, the actual range is less than 8 pounds.

Comments

[Cynthia]

Hey, thanks for the CalorieKing link! I've just joined!

[Denise]

Yep... my weight maint chart looks pretty much the same. I fluctuated by 8 lbs year one and 6 lbs year two and this year will be 8 lbs again. However... this isn't 8 lbs of FAT... I do flucuate like 2-3 lbs of FAT depending on the season but the water weight... up, down, up, down... with spikes just like yours.

My sister who is "naturally thin" and has never been obese... fluctuates by 10 lbs... and puts the brakes on when her ski pants get a little tight.
:)

[Debbie]

Denise, your weight chart was the inspiration for this post. I thought that seeing actual flux over the course of a year would be helpful to some. Thanks for the idea, and as always, your sound counsel.

[Lora]

You are SO right about the scale! How often we let it dictate our moods! I actually used to ge up in the middle of the night if I had to pee and weigh myself!

[Katie]

Hi there! Great stuff! I'll add you as a link to my own personal WL page! Thanks!