When you guys are in a cutting phase, do you weigh yourselves daily? If you do, what does the trend normally look like? Is there a slight but steady drop each day or can it fluctuate and go up as well?

I weigh myself daily, although I always recommend against it (I’m a massive hypocrite). Your weight will always dip up and down from day to day so I wouldn’t worry too much about slight fluctuations. What you need to be looking out for are general trends over a period of weeks.
Weighing yourself at the same time of day is also helpful when trying to minimize those little fluctuations.

I believe it can fluctuate as much as 5-10lbs depending on which time of day you weigh yourself.

I tend to use the mirror alot more than weighing myself (approx twice per month).

Lifting while cutting and using the scales daily IMO is not the best idea,as you could be losing fat but not too much weight.

Yeah I understand that you should be using the mirror and clothes fitment alongside the scale to help gauge any fat loss. I cleaned up my diet about a week and a half ago and started weighing myself every morning after waking four days ago. I'm just trying to understand how it should trend.

Personally, I do not weigh myself everyday, but I do have a set pattern and routine when I do. And, when I do weigh myself it is "generally" after a 2-tier dietary/macro nutrient cycle is complete, and my body has settled a bit.

Since I cycle macro nutrients quite extensively my weight can fluctuate immensely through a rather simply manipulation of carbohydrates (whether manipulated up or down). When I weighed 162 (on average, post 2-tier cycle, and stabilizing diet trend so-to-speak), and my carbohydrates went up (post a low carbohydrate period), I can fluctuate to near 169 pounds at the end of about 6 days. Within the first few days, as water retention returns, and I am looking my leanest, this is generally when I will weigh myself because I generally look wicked lean at this point, and mark the weight (and manipulations done to get to this point).

I continue an over feeding frenzy the first 24 to 48 hours, then I level off my calories to Maintenance (as an example), and return to a 40/30/30), for the remaining days leading up to the 5th or 6th day, and then run this for another week (to let water levels diminish or subside a little bit), and then I would generally weigh myself again. And, usually I settle around 162 pounds, and look pretty good.

If I do not manipulate calories/macro nutrients (say near my own personal approximated maintenance), I generally would weigh and fluctuate between 161-165, with the lightest being in the morning (empty stomach and empty bowel) and the heaviest in the evening (post water and food consumption). But, really there is no physical difference.

This is why I usually use the weight of 161/162 on the forum because this is the middle ground when diet is rather normal without manipulation (necessarily) effecting it all that much, and is primarily a "normal" change in weight.

My body reacts so strong to carbohydrate cycling it just amazes me. And, with my data for the previous years, I know exactly what to do, to gain about 10 "net" pounds of muscle by August of this year, approximately.

Currently, I weigh 175 pounds (just checked now, and most of this is water), but this is during a surplus of +600 over my "personally tailored Maintenance", and during a carbohydrate UP period (225-245 range for me today).

This is coming off a low-carbohydrate period weight of 167 (average net, post maintenance, which is my more true weight IMO). This tells me in a more stable (so-to-speak) environment, I have gained about 3 pounds of muscle (from looking in the mirror as well), with a small amount of fat accumulation, which is exactly what I want.

Thus far I have gained about 9 pounds (in this carbUP period), and within this 9 pounds are normal fluctuations and carbohydrate caused water retention which is nearing its peak), so this weight is deceptive, as it relates to the "net" weight I am looking for. I do not.....actually see this as my true weight, however. If I were asked, I would use the 167 figure. I expect a couple more pounds in the upcoming days.

I still fit in size 30" pants (easily), my body fat is hovering around 11.5 (Dexa, during the last level out period) though I had to have my wife redo the thigh portion of the pants, because they wouldn't fit. By August 2009, I "will" weigh a "net" 172 pounds, and sub 8% BF, and will bulk no more. I am done with it--its over, and out. I love being lean, and 172 pounds is just about right for my small height.

I do not live and die by the scale, but when looked at "properly" it can be an educated tool, when supported with examining your physical appearance. The scale may tell me I gained/lost 4 or so pounds, but it doesn't tell me the disposition of those 4 or so pounds, and the mirror or self examination can more accurately do this, when considering what one is doing with their diet.


Best regards,

Chillen

I weigh myself once a week first thing in the AM after using the bathroom.

The mirror is my most utilized option to gauge my progress.

I haven't noticed much change in the way my clothes fit or in the mirror so I'm just trying to make sure I'm heading in the right direction. I've been eating 'clean' for a steady two weeks now, which is longer than I think I've gone in the past. When I began I was 252 and as of this morning I'm 246.8. I really don't know what it means; if it's water, fat or muscle so we'll see.

Well mine was decreasing consistantly and quickly as i was using the number 1 ranked program on the net. Its in my sig if you want it. But yeh i saw results very quickly. Alot of people mite see there weight rise again if they drink or eat something before they weigh themselves or if they ate shortly before going to bed.

Hope i helped.

Sean

I am anal and weigh myself every morning usually; cut or bulking phase. Even then, my weight will fluxuate about 1-3 lbs.

I'm just afraid that I'm going to become frustrated because I'm not knowing if what I'm doing is putting me on the right track. Once that happens I'll be back on the fat boy plan. I'm not really looking for a drastic change after two weeks, but I am looking for some small signs that I'm headed in the right direction.

I noticed after a big workout my weight fell as I was also on low-carb at the time, but drinking enough water. I also read that a 175 lbs person needs 100g of carbs to refill their glycogen stores. You can definitely see results with carb-cycling and measuring your body fat once a week. The ideas behind BFFM (Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle) are energy deficits to lose the fat but consumption of protein and training with weights.

This is why a lot of people recommend infrequent weight checks. I'm like Typhon, I tell people that but I usually weigh myself every day. I can handle it though, even if my weight is a little up. It's discouraging yes, but I've done cuts and bulks enough to know how they work. Fat loss is NOT linear, you might be "stalled out" for a few days, then drop 3 seemingly overnight. It's weird, but he was correct in saying you should study weekly patterns. Those should show a good 1-2 pound drop per week.

Here's the 3 tools I use for measuring fat loss.

#1: Simply knowing that you doing it right. I know it sounds weird, but if you are eating in a healthy, safe caloric deficit, with veggies, lean proteins, good fats, etc, and combining this with weight training, intervals, HIIT, cardio, whatever...you simply KNOW you are doing it right. Your body cannot overcome a perfect execution like this. It WILL drop bodyfat, if you KNOW you are sticking to your plan. There should be no doubt. If you have doubt, I'm guessing you are ****ing up somewhere.

#2: The mirror, as others have said, often tells the best tale. My face starts leaning out some, my stomach is shrinking...those thoughts should go through your head as you lose 5, 10, 15, etc pounds and you then know you are sucessfully dropping fat.

#3: The scale, numbers don't lie. If you are dropping in weight, that's good. The reason I say this is number three though, is because anyone can crash diet, never workout, and still lose weight. You want to be losing fat, and if you get #1 and #2 in check, you can take pride in the 5 pound weight loss, knowing it is all fat loss.

Good luck, don't get discouraged.

Agree with LV, in the morning just after using the loo.

Alright then I'll change and only weigh in once per week.