My weight loss cycle - do any of you have a similar experience?

After 10 weeks on Atkins I've started to notice a cycle:

I drop to a new low weight for a couple days, then bounce up about a few ounces to as much as 1.5 lbs. and stay "stuck" there for about a week, then drop to a new low - usually about a 2+ lb drop, and usually overnight. Then the cycle starts over.

At first I was discouraged about not seeing a daily loss (because of course during the first couple weeks I saw constant loss); but now that I'm seeing this pattern repeat itself I'm not letting it get to me. It can be a challenge to stay motivated throughtout the week, though.

Have any of you experienced something similar?

Start weight: 205 on June 27
Weight on Sept. 5: 185.8

I'm not on Atkins but I see a similar pattern with the new low and rebound. Usually it takes me 1 1/2-2 weeks to get a new low and I'll have 2 or 3 consecutive lower days before the rebound. The important thing is the downward trend, however you get there

I have the same thing. It seems like my body has to take a few days to adjust to the new weight. I weigh daily but post weekly and by the time the weekly weigh-in occurs it usually has had time to balance out.

Same here. Get down to a new low, gain about 1/2 to 1 lb. back the next day, then stay there for a day or so. Then drop back down to the low and usually get to a new low after a week of the fluctuations. I weigh daily but only log in a weekly weight. I may try the spike thing at some point to see if that change anything.

I weigh daily also and I have the same results that you do. Up one day down the next. Then I am stuck there. I can never keep going down always on a upward spiral. That is when my motivation stops. Any suggestions?

Wow cozy what a great progress you have made.
I think daily fluctuations are so normal. I see them as well. I think that if you want to weigh daily you have to learn to live with the fact that the scale do that. Some people weigh daily but only pick one day as their official recording day or they use the weekly average as the number they track. That makes more sense to me.
It is good to learn all the different things that make our bodies retain water and also good to learn that water weight will come off as easily as it comes on. Fat on the other hand not so much.

2Good4us I suggest maybe recording your foods. reviewing the rules for the diet and sticking to them. The diet should work for most people if you follow it.
If the scale bothers you maybe use a measuring tape instead. I often rely on a pair of non stretch of pants as my tool. I did that when I was in the weightlosing phase. Used a pair of shorts that I had grown out of as my measuring stick.Worked for me because I do not like the scale much LOL
I do that on maintenance as well. They need to fit comfortably.

Great posts guys. Good to know I'm not alone. I've thought about weighing once a week instead of daily. I'll give that a go and see if it helps w/ motivation.

Having a little more salt at one meal can make a change on the scale. If your doing resitance training you may see a gain on the scale as your body is building new lean muscle. Some women temporarily gain lots of weight in water leading up to TOM.

For me, my weight seems to stay steady then drop big on the 7th day. It's a cycle I've noticed over time. Everyone is probably different.

One or two pounds is actually noise in your weight. Your scale might not even be accurate enough for this to be a realistic change.

Rather than obsess over day-to-day weigh-ins, pay attention to trends over time. I know it's hard to do that, but the trends are what really matter.

I weigh myself every day, sometimes multiple times a day, but I don't record them all the time. If you only record the numbers that you "stick" at, you will see a prettier trend P.S. my weight flucuates up to 6 pounds in one day (from the time i wake up until i go to bed), so never stress one little number!

at the very most I weigh in once a week and I am even trying to hold off for two weeks and considering once a month. I am doing this because it is the best option for me. I have a hard time with flucuations and it is quick to become an obsession, for me. My body does whacky things in the beginning. I need to really stay off the scale for two months. But thats not realistic lol. So many considerations. Time of day changes the number, salt as mentioned above, time of month. How much I drank and if I go to the gym and have an intense workout that changes the numbers as well. Same scale, same day and same time. Best way to know for sure.

I too have done daily weigh ins but find they can be disappointing so I only record on the days I actually loose. I keep a running total of inches lost and morning blood pressure and pulse as per doctor's instruction. This is not a race but a life time commitment to become healthier. It will not happen overnight. I keep vigilant on a daily basis but don't beat myself up for gains, only rewards for losses.
Panda

i know i am new to this life change but i know from years of failed dieting that the scale will drive u nuts! i just started keeping track of my measurements on another site.weightchart.com.cuz that is really wht i want to see change.the proof is in the pant fit,or something like that

Same here I wish I could only weight myself once a week I've tried I can't seem to do it - my weight loss is very slow but it is going down that all that matters!!

Sometimes I want to throw my scale through a window.lol. Weight going up and down is a very discouraging part of losing weight. I know when I jump on the scale and it reads a pound heavier it is mentally crushing. I try not to let it bother me, and I keep pressing on. I think that is the difference for me this time. In the past I would just get fed up and go eat something bad. That didn't fix anything. I guess over 40 years of being fat I have learned a few things I hope.