Scale Problem?

Updated on October 10, 2008
S.L. asks from Boise, ID
5 answers

I haven't had a scale since I left home. I bought a digital one at a thrift store a few months ago. It seems to work fine. When I weigh my boys, the reading is always the same, and just to test it out, I weighed them on it right after we got home from a doctor's appointment to compare. It was right on.
My husband has been weighing himself, and while I don't pay strict attention, he says it's pretty much the same every time.
So why in the world does my weight fluctuate so much? I have been trying to cut down on what I eat, especially sweets, for the past week, but it says I've lost 12 pounds since the last time I weighed myself. YEAH RIGHT. My clothes would fit quite differently if I'd lost 12 pounds!
I only pay attention to the reading I get right after I wake up, and after I go pee (I tested it out, and once my pee weighed 3 pounds!), but still it fluctuates 3-8 pounds in a single day. And then there's this 12 pound fluctuation.
Why would mine go up and down so much when everyone else's doesn't? Is something wrong with me?

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So What Happened?

I really don't obsess about my weight. I get on the scale more as a curiosity than to measure the progress of my diet. I'm not real serious about my diet, either.
This morning, the scale still says 12 pounds lower, so I stuck my 2 year old on the scale. He's gained .3 pounds. So I think the scale is right! Maybe I'm not drinking enough water or something.
Or maybe it's a miracle :)

More Answers

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K.D.

answers from Denver on

I agree with Deb. Last summer I lost two dress sizes and the scale never changed. I wouldn't worry too much. Weighing once a week might be better so you don't get discouraged. Those weight drops can come back just as quickly, and that's discouraging. If you aren't aware it happened, it's not discouraging. GL!

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D.K.

answers from Denver on

Water retention can be a huge issue in women. Weighing in the morning after you peed is the best time.
There is nothing wrong with you, just don't obsess and weigh throughout the day, you will self sabatoge. I go off what size my clothes are and not so much my weight. Weight can go up after working out as muscle weighs more then fat. You can eat something that takes longer to digest and adds a little too.
I would write it down, every morning and only in the morning.
Don't eat after 6pm. See if there is a pattern. Don't weigh yourself during the day, make sure you have the same type clothing on and no shoes.
If it is weighing everyone else right on, then more then likely it is just a difference in the time of day you are weighing.
Scales can be diet killers and cause you to be so discouraged.
Go off of what size clothes you can get into.
If you have been cleaning all day and walking, your muscles are tighter and it can cause fluctuation!
Hang in there! :)

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M.B.

answers from Salt Lake City on

S.,
I wouldn't worry about the scale as much as how you feel and look. The scale with fluctuate especially when you are on your period. Also- fat is denser than muscle. So a pound of fat will take up more room than a pound of muscle- they both weigh a pound but the fat will take up more room. That is why if you build muscle your body shrinks even if your weight stays the same. Alot of it can be water retention- make sure you drink 8-10 glasses at least per day. Eat every 2-3 hours- it helps the metabolism speed up & exercise regularly. That is just a little bit to start you out. Here is a website you can check out for more info or suggestions http://www.thfonline.com/. This is Total Health & Fitness & they put programs together for people. Best wishes.

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K.D.

answers from Provo on

My weight changes throughout the month based on where I'm at in my cycle. It's not fair, but PMS adds about 8 lbs. And when my period ends, away go those pounds. While 12 lbs seems like alot, maybe it's a bunch of factors combined for the 12 lb fluctuation. (water retention, PMS, muscle gain/loss)
To help even things out for me (emotionally) I pay more attention to measurements (not how my clothes fit, cause my fat jeans always seem to be shrinking in the wash!). Try measuring yourself once a week (breast, waist, hips, etc) to get a better idea of what's going on.

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A.F.

answers from Salt Lake City on

Have you asked your husband what "pretty much the same" means? Maybe his weight fluctuates a few pounds during the day, but it's not enough for him to think it different in his opinion, so he says it's "pretty much the same." I know that when I weigh myself in the morning, I can be three pounds lighter than the night before according to my scale. I've never had a 12 pound difference though. But that seriously could be because of water retention (or loss) or a number of other things. I don't think there's anything wrong with you. Test it out on your husband. Ask him exactly what his weight is in the morning, and again at night for a few days. See if his results are any different than yours.

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