I just heard something on my local news that said you should weigh yourself everyday for best weight loss results. I had always thought you shouldn't do it more than once a week (so you don't get discouraged by fluctuations due to water weight). What is everyone's take on this? Does anyone have some personal experience to back up one method or the other?
I think it all depends on your own reaction to seeing the number on the scale. A lot of people freak out about fluctuations. I weight myself so often (sometimes 2-3x/day) that I know exactly what effect certain things will have on my weight - e.g. how much water I've drank, what I have on etc. I only really count the in-the-morning-no-clothes weigh in every day but it keeps me on the straight and narrow. I think I would freak out a lot more if I waited until once a week or month like some people do and then didn't see what I was expecting when I actually did peek. Long story short, I think it's very personal and you have to gauge your own reaction and hold yourself to whatever works for you whether it's every month, every day or every hour.
I agree...I weigh in several times a week (like 5 or more) to see what different things do. But also you have to remember most people have a "high" weight and a "low" weight. I use my "low" weight to measure my losses since you can not count water towards your loss.....Like there is NO way that 2 pounds of water will make you weigh LESS (you know what I mean) it will make you heavier but not lighter, so I use my "low" as my guide, but watch how the "high" fluxuates through the week...I usually hit my "low" around Thursday, but everyone is different....and if I didnt weigh myself regularly I would have never known that I actually RETAIN water (I had a hysterectomy years ago) every month like I would if I had a period....I thought that was interesting..lol
Up until very recently, I always weighed myself only once every 6 - 8 weeks because that way I always saw a loss and the scale never became my enemy. Personally, I think that while actively dieting it is important to focus on inches, the fit of your clothes, and your daily successes -- because in the end, those are the things that REALLY matter. Too many people seem to get so depressed about day-to-day fluctuations of 1/4 lb or whatever. I wanted to keep the scale a positive, motivating tool so I really limited the frequency of my weigh-ins.
HOWEVER, now that I'm down to a normal BMI and easing into maintenence mode, I decided to buy a scale this weekend. I'll now be weighing myself every morning to make sure I stay below 145 lbs -- which is my self-imposed absolute highest allowed weight for the rest of my life. Excluding any possible pregnancies, of course .
I think the key is not to get obsessive about the numbers. Example, the day I bought my scale (Saturday) I weighed myself kinda for fun -- y'know, new toy to play with . It was 7pm and I'd just had dinner. I weighed 146 lbs. The day before (at the gym) I'd weighed 143 lbs. Sunday morning and this morning (first thing after waking up and a pee), I weighed 143 lbs. And I bet if I went and weighed myself NOW (7:30pm, right after dinner) I'd be up to 146 lbs again. But it doesn't bother me -- I know what I "really" weigh and I'm realistic about my body's natural daily fluctuations due to food, exercise, water, or whatever.
I think that if weighing yourself daily is causing you grief and turning your attitude sour, then weigh-in less frequently. There's enough stress involved with weightloss already, the scale shouldn't be an added pain in the butt.
By the way -- I purposely bought a cheaper digital scale that DOESN'T do the whole decimal point thing...I don't care about the .2, .7, .3 or whatever. I know a lot of people track their absolute exact weight, but in my opinion -- and FOR ME -- that seems slightly obsessive and could lead to serious heartbreak if I started letting the fact that I gained .2 lbs in 24 hours run my life and/or ruin my day. Just my opinion . It's not like I'm flying to the moon and NASA needs to know my exact weight down to the milligram so the spaceship will stay on course .
Last edited by LovesBassets; 10-17-2005 at 07:48 PM.
Weighing myself everyday helps me stay on track. Actually I haven't been doing it lately and I'm been doing bad. I judge my progress on my clothes size and inches not weight so it doesn't effect me as much. I helps me know where I am though. I also stop stressing about it during the day if I know exactly where I am in the morning.
I began weighing every day a couple of months ago. It wasn't obsession with the number on the scale but to establish a pattern of fluctuations. I'm glad I did it because now I know what to expect at any given weigh in. For instance, I know what to expect come TOM and I found a pattern to my plateaus. It isn't an exact science, of course, but it really helped me not to freak out over every ounce. Plus, I now use the scale for what it is - ONE tool to help gauge my progress over time.
I am nearing my goal weight now and I still weigh every day. Like Kate, it is just a way to make sure I'm on track. I am still losing weight but have relaxed my plan a bit in preparation for maintainence. So, a daily weigh in is helping me figure out what I have to do in order to stay at a particular weight.
As others have said, don't weigh more than weekly if you can't view the scale objectively and without an emotional reaction to the number it gives you.l
I weigh everyday (a couple times a day). At first I would get discouraged if it fluctuated up, but now i feel like I know my body really well and it doesn't bother me. The main downside for me is that even if I see changes in my body before the scale moves, I tell myself I must be imagining things. I won't acknowledge the physical change until the numbers go down. I wish that I could not weigh every day, but I feel very out of control if I don't. It keeps me in check if nothing else, because if I do eat bad for a couple days, the scale goes up, which gets me to stop that behavior!
There's bad things about anyway you go and good things equally. You just have to find what works for you!!!
I like weighing myself often because I'm learning what my body reacts to in terms of food and exercise. I don't let changes in the scale bother me though -- it's just a barometer of sorts for what my body is doing, and it will go up and down depending on several factors. As long as the general trend is down over time, I'm happy.
Some things I've learned:
1. I weigh, on the average, around 2-3 pounds more (naked) in the evening than in the morning...takes a while for the food to get digested!
2. Late-night alcohol is very bad for morning weigh-ins...I am guaranteed to retain water if I drink. Fortunately, I drink rarely. Alcohol that is...water, I drink all the time.
3. I lose .5 lbs in sweat while working out. It doesn't stay gone though.
4. Like many (most?) other women, water retention happens on a monthly basis. It also happens to coincide with cravings for very salty things. I've never been a "gimme chocolate" kinda person at that time of the month...but I hurt for tortilla chips and homemade (preferably warm) salsa. I'm pretty sure there's a connection.
5. I look like an utter goofball hopping on and off the scale at different times of the day, but I'm fascinated by the changes my body is going through while I change eating and exercise habits. I haven't started going wild with measuring yet -- that takes more time, and I only plan on doing it about once a month once I start incorporating strength training into my exercise (I know I should do it now, but I'm working hard enough getting solid cardio into a routine!)
I weigh daily and then take an average weekly. This allows me to understand the fluctuations )TOM, lack of sleep, too salty food, etc.) and it also prevents me from relying upon one number one day a week that is just as prone to fluctuations as any other day. When I used to wegh weekly, if that weigh day happened to be the day I was retaining water, I would be down for a week (and often give up). Bu weighing daily and taking a weekly average, I don't have to worry about what my body is doing one day of the week. Does that make sense?
I admit it. Hi my name is Annie and I have OCSW(Obessive Complusive Scale Weighing). I too have the problem of weighing myself more then once in a day. I do have to say I have cut down to once a day. I would like to get to where I am only doing it a few times a week. I think it is everyone's own preference as to how many times you weigh yourself. Like everyone else has said just be aware of the flucuations.
I look at the scale alot. It makes me face that number and be accountable to myself for myself. At my heaviest I would avoid the scale like the plague. Now I force myself to look at that scale everyday (knowing and taking account for fluctuations) and look at the number square in the eye. This way I can't lie to myself and delude myself, I need to know the truth of the scale.
I weigh every day also, sometimes twice a day. I do know that I weigh 2-3 pounds more in the evening then the morning. If I eat pizza, I weight 2-3 pounds more the next morning. I thinks it's the salt, I drink a lot of water the following day.
It keeps me honest and on top of it in general. I fluctuate roughly between 155-160 throughout the month, if I see I'm closer to 160 more days in a row or <gasp> get above 160 several days in a row, Il become much more dilligent about what I'll allow myself to eat during the next few days. Usually it's because I've been nibbling on office snacks a few too many times.
I weigh in about twice a week. I think that the exact schedule of how often you weigh yourself matters less than just the fact that you regularly check your weight. The only times I have every gained a significant amount of weight was when I chucked out the scale entirely.
This time around I'm committed to keeping a regular check on my weight forever. I want to know of any problems before they show up in how my jeans fit. I'm pretty tall (5' 8 1/2") so it takes more than a few pounds before I really notice them in how my clothes fit.
Weigh everyday?
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. It was 7pm and I'd just had dinner. I weighed 146 lbs. The day before (at the gym) I'd weighed 143 lbs. Sunday morning and this morning (first thing after waking up and a pee), I weighed 143 lbs. And I bet if I went and weighed myself NOW (7:30pm, right after dinner) I'd be up to 146 lbs again. But it doesn't bother me -- I know what I "really" weigh and I'm realistic about my body's natural daily fluctuations due to food, exercise, water, or whatever. 
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I too have the problem of weighing myself more then once in a day. I do have to say I have cut down to once a day. I would like to get to where I am only doing it a few times a week. I think it is everyone's own preference as to how many times you weigh yourself. Like everyone else has said just be aware of the flucuations.
