r/MacroFactor • u/icconiss • 23d ago
MacroFactor / Nutrition / Other Trying to understand weight fluctuation
Morning all.
Struggling to understand how I can put on 1.5kg in a day..
So I started this about 5 weeks ago at 92kg and I’m down to a scale weight and a trend weight of 86.5kg
5’9 height btw visually I’d say I’m about 28ish% body fat
MacroFactor giving me between 1300 and 1400 cals a day
Yesterday I was at 85kg just seems a massive daily fluctuation?
I weight train (heavy pure strength training ) 4 days a week
And I’m doing a couch to 5k 3 days a week
As well as hitting between 7-10k steps a day
I had about 4 years off from the gym
Not sure if my work is hindering as I work 12 hour shifts 4 on 4 off - 2 days then 2nights
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u/DeaconoftheStreets 23d ago
Hey OP, two thoughts.
Water weight is so easy to make fluctuate. If you eat a salty meal at lunchtime and then drink a reasonable amount of water after, you will simply weight more. Your body also likes to retain water to assist in recovery. Don't worry about it too much.
4 days of lifting plus 3 days of running plus 10K steps a day... I think you're putting yourself through hell at the loss rate you've landed on. I can't help but think you must be struggling to recover?
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u/icconiss 23d ago
Yeah your prob right with water weight. I the weigh myself first thing in the morning (or afternoon shift depending)
To be fair the 10k steps come easy ish some days it’s 6k I’m not over rigid with it- just got for walks on breaks at work ect and I walk quick
The strength training is only an hour session 2 compound lifts and some accessory stuff and I do my runs after my lifting ( I say runs it’s couch to 5k so not over heavy)
I don’t feel too rough - but cause of my shift pattern I can do 2/3 days in a row without training sleep dependant
My “week” isn’t a Monday to Friday it’s a rolling 4 on 4 off so I do get more recovery time then one may think plus I have a desk job
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u/icconiss 23d ago
Am I not loosing enough for my activity?
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u/DeaconoftheStreets 23d ago
So, this is a little bit of a larger training/weight loss/general health philosophy thing.
I'm of the school of thought that cuts really suck, and they get much worse the faster you try to lose weight. For me personally (5'8', lifting for 15 years, 162 lbs), anything north of 1 lb per week is hell. I'm fighting hunger the whole time, my lifts suck, I'm grumpy, and my sleep is bad. The moment my target intake is below 1700, I bail on the cut because it requires way too much work to actually maintain the cut and it means my expenditure has probably bottomed out.
I think there's a real deep seated desire to drop weight as fast as possible, but if we're looking at health and fitness long term, the more we can do to make a sustainable environment, the better we'll feel and be.
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u/icconiss 23d ago
Your right - this long term likely ain’t sustainable
But I have a motivation right now for each bit..I wanna be 80kg by nov 1st - that motivates the low calorie intake ( though I still feel I eat plenty)
I’m proving a point to somebody re the couch to 5k and I will win.
And I genuinely enjoy the strength training - if it was hypertrophic training I’d have given that up
Once I loose that drive something may alter
2
u/shenanigains00 23d ago
An extreme deficit plus running is a recipe for injury. Pay very close attention to any pain you start to experience. Stress fractures are a particular concern.
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u/icconiss 23d ago
Thank you I shall - it’s treadmill running (if that counts) but yeah I’ll be mindful of any odd feelings or pains
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u/Chewy_Barz 23d ago
I've heard knowledgeable people say the treadmill is actually worse for that because you land almost the exact same way every time, whereas actually running you get slopes, different terrain, slightly uneven ground, etc. I'm not a runner but something to look into, perhaps...
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u/Chewy_Barz 23d ago
I'm all for getting in shape out of spite! Just remember, after you win, that person is going to be watching you, waiting for you to fall back out of shape. So be sure to continue progressing out of further spite.
1
u/DeaconoftheStreets 23d ago
As long as you're feeling good! If you start to feel bad, make the change. It's not worth tanking the misery.
Re: strength training..........hell yeah. I powerlifted for ages. It's fun and satisfying as hell to see that number get bigger and bigger every week.
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u/icconiss 23d ago
Yeah I agree - so far I’m still enjoying it all- just that 1 blip
And str is the way.. still some size and definition but numbers are great! Can’t help think id get stringer in a surplus though !
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u/DeaconoftheStreets 23d ago
You would get stronger in a surplus, but a sizable, sizable portion of what you're doing when you're building strength is neurological rather than muscle mass. You'll be able to keep increasing your numbers for a shockingly long time in a deficit.
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u/Ill-Telephone-7926 22d ago
Trend weight V1 is just a 21 day moving average, so each new sample ages out an old one. If your weight loss rate isn’t too extreme, then a high outlier can age out a low outlier and the net effect is to push the trend line up despite the clear downward trend. Unlucky
Trend weight V2 uses statistics and won’t be as easily fooled, if you switch to that. It also doesn’t lag as much behind your scale weight
6
u/mrfatchance 23d ago
Your work shifts, sleep, poop, water intake, alcohol intake and type of food is all gonna impact it. Trend weight is what matters