Is weightloss from IF usually this non-linear?

For context, I haven't been very overweight or obese for most of my life. I did have some belly fat & love handles for a few years but they were not that noticable in clothes. So I had unfortunately ignored weight management and don't have much experience with fasting, diets etc. During the lockdown I gained ~3kg (5kg at my heaviest but remain at that weight for long) and had carried it since. In the last week of this August, I decided to try IF to lose this weight. In the last 48 days, I have lost 4 kgs by doing 18:6 or 22:2 fasts in 35 of these days. There are noticable changes in my face, thighs, etc but not as much when it comes to belly. I'm back to my pre-lockdown weight but I want to continue IF to get rid of belly fat. But this weight loss hasn't been linear. For instance, I'd lost weight and hit 67kg one day, then the next day it went back to somewhere between 67 to 67.5. It stayed in that range for a few days, till one day it suddenly dropped to 66.5. Then rose again to 67 and followed a similar progression. So while the general direction has been towards lower weight, I do see some weight gain after each new low. Is such non-linear loss normal? I'm just worried about regaining weight after I stop IF because of this. And I have no prior experience with fasting or diet to go by. Also, is losing 4kg in 48 days a decent pace for someone with 20-25% body fat?

Answer

Yes it’s very normal. It’s mostly water weight fluctuations due to how many carbs you eat, excercise and a whole host of other factors. If you want to weigh yourself every day the best method is to take a 7 day rolling average, assuming you are at a calorie deficient you will see a downward trend even if it is nonlinear.Don’t panic if you suddenly shoot up a kilo overnight, it will all sort itself out in the coming days, just keep on going. However, if over the course of 2 it 3 weeks you are seeing an upward trend or even no change it might be time to reassess and change something, excercise, calories in etc

Answer

I’ve started weighing myself weekly, because I was fretting over every little fluctuation. Depending on your hydration status, sodium and carb intake, and hormonal changes… you could expect to see fluctuations of up to 3kg every day.

But logically… as long as you’re in a caloric deficit and regularly priming your body to utilize fat stores through intermittent fasting, the fluctuations you’re seeing are almost certainly not overnight gains in adipose tissue.

Keep doing what you’re doing, you’ve got this!

Answer

The human body contains around 65% water. The exact amount is an amalgamation of a number of complex systems, some of which interact. Most of these processes are not immediate.

So measuring your weight daily is a problem, even if it is always at the same time.

What works best for me, is to use a mathematical average aka exponential or logarithmic average.

It is quite simple. Use the calculated weight of yesterday, add today’s and divide by 2. Use this calculated weight as your guide. I keep a spreadsheet.