If you flip the direction of these arrows to point downward, this is how sustainable weight loss really happens. Why? Because success (the human factor) is a wiggly line too. We are wiggly creatures.
Just as one could feel quite discouraged and unsuccessful at a low point on the wiggly graph above, a person can also feel that weight is not coming off when the scale measures higher than expected – “It’s not working!” Anyone who has weighed themselves on an “upward wiggle” day knows what I mean!
Remember (I know I sound repetitive) . . . you are weighing more than your fat stores. Your fat stores are your measure of stored energy. They do not vary much from day to day. Your fluid stores are much more “wiggly” and can vary by pounds each day. They do not store energy. Water has no calories, so fluctuations mean NOTHING relative to fat storage.
The real problem results from reactions to what we see. Then behaviors can be dramatically altered. If the scale is higher than expected, people will often assume it’s not working, so what the heck?! . . . “hey, that cheesecake looks pretty good . . . it doesn’t matter anyway”.
Good advice: Watch overall changes (trends) and don’t pay too much attention to little short-term fluctuations.