The FastDay Forum

OK, so I said in my last post I'd been just hanging around the same weight for over a month now.

So yesterday was a fast. I hopped on the scales first thing yesterday morning and then again this morning at the same time. And I weighed 2kg more! After a fast day! Now I know that's impossible! So as I suspected before I think my scales are going wrong.

I know you can vary 2kg on a daily basis due to water weight variation, but I don't think you'd go up 2kg after a fast. I certainly never have done before. I always go down over a fast day. (I may vary on the weekly loss but from the start to end over a fast day it's always down)

We only got these scales in January - they are Salters. Could they really have gone faulty already? OK, we keep them in the bathroom, but surely they are designed to cope with a little steam from the shower.

So what do you think, faulty scales or something else? I do not have water retention at the moment. Nor did I do major exercise or have an injury in the last 24 hours so no inflammation cause.

[carorees]

One way to find out: fill a suitcase/bag with e.g. books so it weighs approx what you do. Weigh it before you weigh yourself each day and compare whether it's weight also changes day to day!

[carorees]

Cone to think of it, it doesn't matter what the suitcase weighs as long as it's pretty heavy...the greater the weight the more obvious any inconsistencies in the scales is all.

[Betsysgr8]

Put something heavy on the scales that you KNOW the exact weight, kitty litter? And see what the scales show then. I have a feeling that humidity has a big affect on the accuracy. Mine are steady but I have very little prolonged humidity where I live (essentially a desert), just brief periods of fog but I'm far enough from the ocean that the salt in the air isn't causing any rust, so mine have remained accurate for years.

[Betsysgr8]

Good advice Caroline! There wouldn't be any reason for you to have to know the exact weight first because there isn't anyway for the suitcase to lose or gain weight from day to day!

What a good idea - why didn't I think of that - off to find a suitcase...

Are they on carpet? I seem to remember in the past that caused a problem?

Nope, hard surface, and they don't get moved around. Will report in on suitcase efforts next week after a few days!

Are they digital, or the 'dial' version? The latter are very sensitive to where you position them. Anyway in the grand scheme of what you have lost so far (kudos), its not too big a deal. Don't get upset, what does your waist measurement tell you?

They are digital. I'm not upset, I just want to know if I'm going to have to get new scales. Supposed to have a 15 year guarantee...

Waist is not going up, but it's only been going down slowly since May anyway. My weight has been coming off elsewhere in recent months.

I'm going to try out the suitcase of books I think.

An update - it would appear my scales aren't dodgy, it's just me! Weighing a suitcase full of books over the last week or so showed the scales themselves weren't varying.

So back to tackling my plateau. I don't think the level I'm eating is wrong, but I do think I haven't been getting enough sleep. Work has calmed down now and for the first time in a month I didn't end up working late every night this weekend. I've had 3 decent nights sleep in a row now, and the workload isn't too ridiculous for at least the next fortnight, so I'm going to see how this next week goes. I want to rule out the sleep issue as being the problem before I do anything to change the way I'm eating/fasting.

[carorees]

Sounds like a good plan! Getting enough sleep is so worthwhile...I just wish I could manage it!