Okay, so granted, I'm assuming I'll lose weight....What is the general opinion of weigh ins (other than I hate my scale)? I have worked with groups who weigh daily, those who weigh weekly as a check-in, and those who try not to weigh and rely on measurements for progress.
I am at the upper end of my scale's weight range. I hesitate to get on the damn thing, but I weigh so much right now that measurements probably won't cut it. Plus, they rarely give me the grin a good drop in pounds does. I'm thinking I should do the weekly at least, but I dread it. Is it worth the stress or should I just focus on my day-to-day eating goals and not look?
One thing I have found about myself is that when I do weekly, I cheat. I either plan the weekly on Sat morning so I can be more lax on the weekend and have days to recover OR I sneak in weigh ins on lots of days and pick the one I like best. Daily depresses me, but does hint when I need to adjust for specific meal combinations. I don't know if I can do not-at-all.
What's your plan? And, please, let's be nice about it if you all don't agree. I know that for some weigh ins, like journals and measuring cups, are serious business. I'd just like to know your thoughts/experiences so I can decide how I want to start...
Location: from Houston, TX—now in Maryland (Washington DC area)
Posts: 1,167
S/C/G: 351/267/140
Height: 5'3"
I weigh myself monthly. I started out at 351, so I bought a good scale that could handle that weight range. I keep the scale in the basement, out of the way, so I'm not tempted to get on it more frequently. Every month I put my new weight point on a graph that I print out and stick on the fridge. That way I have a good visual cue to look at when I'm in the kitchen getting food. That graph, plotting my progress over time, is my way of feeling good about my weight loss journey. My weight loss has been slow due to a few crises, but look at my ticker for where I'm at.
Why do I weigh only once a month? Because that way I stay focused on eating right and exercising, not some mystical three-digit number. I recognize that I will need to keep eating right and exercising for the rest of my life, that this is a permanent lifestyle change I'm making. My goal is not to reach a certain weight. My goal is to get healthy and stay healthy.
Fiona great post and I think that is a great perspective! I'm a little obsessive and I've weighed myself nearly everyday for most of my journey, and I do not recommend it. I've been triggered into poor eating and more specifically binges after doing this when I received a "bad" weigh in. Your weight naturally fluctuates, be it hormones, salt intake, etc. So once a week or month is more accurate usually.
Have you thought about having someone else record your weights? Like a partner or a friend? You step on the scale and don't look, and they write it down. That way, if you want to look, you can later. And there's still some accountability because someone knows your weight progress.
I'm a little obsessed with the scale and weigh every morning... Sometimes it's discouraging but for the most part I feel like it helps keep me on track!
I weigh myself once a week and I take bust, arm, leg, waist and hip measurements once a month. Like Fi, I also create a graph and I stick it on the fridge as a reminder about my progress.
I am more interested in the measurements. Last month I lost 15cm all over, and that only translated to about 4kg. A loss is a loss, however the point I am making is that I feel that measurements are more reliable than a number on a scale. For me, weighing myself any more than once a week places unnecessary pressure on myself, and to be completely honest, I am doing this to feel better, not to look better. I have a couple of health conditions, and I also want to have children in the next few years, and that has been the push I needed to start sorting my life out.
I'm following the Australia New Zealand Weight Watchers program - they recommend weighing in weekly to track your progress
also a BIG thing about this one is track everything you eat and do - and they mean everything
ejm2016 - I actually broke my first set of scales because of my weight they were the old spring weight variety that you stood on a dial swang round to show your weight so I ended up buying a set of battery operated scales that go up to 250kg /550 pounds- I have to take the batteries out or I weigh myself 2 times a day morning and night - which when I see the big numbers I get depressed - I also weigh in kgs instead of pounds - yes because the number is smaller so its not so hard.. then I convert for here using google conversion
Also if I leave them in the bathroom my 2 girls are forever weighing them selves at 9 & 11 I want them to focus on being healthy and happy not the number on scales
I weigh every morning and I try to keep it as consistent as possible. I get up at 4:45 AM, use the facilities, weigh in naked, then shower. My weight doesn't fluctuate wildly with my monthly cycle or anything unless I eat a ton of salt, so if I am sticking to my plan I do tend to see a little loss every day and I find that to be motivating. If I only weigh weekly, I totally cheated. Weigh in on Friday morning and then go hog-wild all weekend. I can't do it!
I do much better as a daily weigher. It is a moment to start the day and remind myself of my focus. I find that if I am avoiding the scale it is because I am WANTING to go off the rails
One of the things I do to not go crazy over fluctuations is only record new lows unless it has been more than 2 weeks or I know I have been slipping a lot. I get on, if the number is higher than the "official number" I get off and it doesn't count. Forget it.
So...the weigh in
