Newbie.... weight up and down 7 lbs a DAY!

I have been kind of obsessed with the scale lately. My weight is going up and down like crazy - one day I'm +3 lbs in the morning from the last day, and down 4 lbs the next morning. I am eating regularly throughout the day - every 3-4 hours - and have 40 lbs to lose, starting at 169. I'm not going crazy with my water - about 6 8oz glasses a day, and not eating fatty foods as much, and staying in my 1400-1700 range (non workout days and workout days).

Is this really bad?

Just think logically about it for a second. You're taking in liquids and foods all day long, and at some point getting rid of liquids and solids as well. =P Of course you're not going to weigh the same all day! Good news is that it is not all fat, though. It's just water and food weight.

A good rule that many recommend on this forum is to only weigh yourself ONCE A WEEK. Because that way you will be better able to see if you are actually gaining or losing "real" weight. Even better is to measure yourself-- this is possibly the MOST accurate in-home method for tracking your progress. You can learn exactly how to take your measurements by looking it up on google-- it's a simple process where you just see how many inches around your bust, waist, and hips are.

edit; ALSO, on top of truly fluctuating all day, your scale is never really accurate either. So don't trust it except to get a general idea of whether you are gaining or losing weight. 

Thanks. I know I'm SUPPOSED to just do one time a week.... I just get too anxious to see what's happening. I am also doing the measurement thing once a week, and have no difference in 3 weeks. (Neck, bust, waist, hips, thighs, and upper arm).

Or, you could weigh everyday when you wake up and then after a week look at the trend. (positive or negative slope)

I weigh every morning. Just so that I can figure out the trend. If after a couple of weeks you're losing more than 2 lbs a week consistently ... that's a bit much and you should probably increase a little bit and see if that balances closer to 2 lbs a week. (And it's not like change happens in one day - you cannot just "put on" 3 lbs overnight.)

 But considering that over the course of a day you may see at least a 7 lb difference...just pick one time of day and only one time.  I figure morning is most accurate.

I really don't watch my salt intake much at all (I have no blood pressure issues) so I've found that if I DO 'go crazy' with my water intake, the daily fluctuations are a lot smaller. I just keep a 24 oz water bottle on my desk and refill it a couple of times. I also have a 16 oz glass or two with meals. Perhaps it's my age but I also find being extremely careful about fiber intake helps me a lot. I even take a supplement most days.

I ck weight a few mornings but only record once a week.  I just hate it when a heavy day is the assigned weigh-in day so that's why I take sneak peaks during the week. I know, I know...it will even out over time but it's just so demoralizing!

Thanks for the reply, and this may be a question for a whole new thread, but how much water is TOO much water? If I make it a priority, I actually convince myself I'm thirsty and can drink about 8-10 16oz bottles a DAY. Is that crazy?