How often do you weigh yourself and why?
 

I'm curious about everyone's weighing routine. Are you as um...irrational, I guess is a good word, about it as I am? When I am trying to lose weight, I have to weigh in daily where possible. I have to do it first thing in the morning, totally nekkid, and preferably after I've used the facilities. I do not have anything to eat or drink before weighing.

When I went to WW, waaaay back in the late 90s, I weighed in once a week. I found that doing so was NOT good for my behaviour. It was just too easy to eat poorly on Monday, because hey, I wasn't weighing in till Thursday! As well, if that Thursday weigh-in was bad, hooooo boy.

I weigh in whenever it occurs to me (often in the bathroom) or when I feel like it, but generally not more than once per day. There's not much point to me weighing more than once per day since my lowest weight is in the morning and I'm not going to punch a higher weight into MyFitnessPal later in the day, because it would just override the previous number (although on the rare occasion I weigh less later in the day, I'll override it—why not?)

I'm not fussy about what time I weigh, or whether I've eaten, and so on. I know my lower numbers are more accurate and my higher numbers and big jumps on the chart are just water weight from my salt intake.

I make sure I record a weight every day I weigh in, regardless of how high/low it is, and regardless of what else is going on. I weighed in every day while I had the flu (followed by bronchitis) a couple months ago and there's a weird little spiky part on my graph there, but I just remember it as "oh right, that's when I had the flu." All the data is useful to me, as long as it's taken in context. Next time I have the flu, I should have a better idea of what's normal for me.

One thing I don't do is tie any of my motivation to the scale. I do have a few goals for the future about my body fat percent (which is related to my weight), but for the most part my goals are based on logging calories consistently, which is something I have much more control over than my weight.

In contrast, my sister is calorie counting and weighs herself every week or so, but will only record her weight when she has lost weight. She says she feels bad about herself if she records any weight gain, but personally I think she's missing out on the extra enjoyment of losing every pound put on, and hitting a "lowest weight yet" despite the trials.

Each to his/her own, I guess. :)

Twice per day. Once in the morning and once at night.

Every morning nekkid

I'm more like you Chrissy Bean. I mostly weight myself daily when I'm losing. I am currently in a downward trend, so I am weighing myself daily. But I'll plateau soon or at least slow down and then I will try to weigh myself weekly.

I am currently trying to lose 10 pounds before 3/17. I'll probably lose the first 5 pounds the first week and then take the next 2 months to lose the next 5 pounds.

I weigh myself when I have access to the scale and when I think about it. I do try and strip down to my underwear though, even though I'll do it any time of the day. (The scale is at work, don't have one at home except the Wii U fit board. Don't get me started on that!) I don't weigh every day, maybe twice a week, maybe once. Sometimes its a game... How long can I go without weighing? If I just went through some massive dinner parties though, I weigh every day just to keep tabs. (Christmas and new Years was some of these)

I count calories, but I'm kind of like faiora's sister that I don't enter in every weight (and I'm just starting my journey and hadn't had any relapse higher weights or anything. Hoping I can stay strong and avoid them!). But I don't feel I'm missing out on anything... If I suddenly gained five pounds I'd add it, but since I'll weigh whenever it seems pointless to add that tiny fluctuation cause I weighed before lunch this time or weighed after lunch. I don't like to record it unless its about 4-5 pound difference, because then I'm more confident that its actually going in a direction and not just your average weight fluctuation in the day.

I can understand the need to not want to record the negative especially if its gonna make you obsess about it. I'm working to never have to record a weight gain and I'd like to keep myself positive.

Everyday because I'm mental.

First thing every morning. :)

I truly find it's the only "weigh" (hahahah) I can keep myself honest. I'm a slippery devil, but this seems to keep me going.

I have to say, that I get a disproportionate amount of pleasure out of updating my tickers. That is SUCH a huge reward in my mind. I'd forgotten though that you can't do halves on these ones, so I just round UP to the closest pound, as my scale isn't that sensitive--if you're a tiny bit over the lb. mark, it gives you a half rather than a .3 or whatever. I don't get excited one way or the other if there's a .5 change in either direction.

Daily and first thing in the a.m. after potty and starkers!

ME TOO!! :D:D

Theoretically, every tuesday. Life has been bonkers lately, so I haven't weighed in about two months, maybe more like three. One cup of tea, go to the loo, same jogging pants (I have two pairs) and a t-shirt.

Next tuesday, I'll weigh in. I fear it won't be pretty, but since i have to crank up the wii board to weigh in, I just can't be bothered sometimes. Y'all have me thinking I might benefit from doing it more often...

I love the word "starkers".


I generally weigh once a month right now, with an occasional mid-month scale peek if I think about it. I weighed this morning, for instance, because it was convenient and I hadn't yet eaten anything and the scale was right there handy. But as time has gone by I feel alot less compelled to step on more than monthly -- but I love charts and data, so I keep up that monthly weigh-in.

If I start gaining weight (which I'd KNOW without the benefit of the scale any way, by what I'd been eating, how my clothes fit, etc.), however, I'll weigh at least weekly (and possibly daily) so see if what I'm doing is stopping any backsliding until things stabilize again.

Every morning. I also weigh myself fully clothed, with keys, phone, money and wallet in pockets. But no shoes. That may sound crazy but it's for consistency with the 294 peak which was at the Drs office, with you guessed it, clothing on and full pockets.

I think daily weighing helps me stay motivated and on course. I'm a red-pill kind of guy, I want to know the results whether good or bad. If good I am happy, if bad I am determined to make it good again.

Haha! This describes me too! I am also daily weigher. I find that weighing myself daily is the best way to be accountable to myself. I have been weighing myself almost daily for almost 5 years. I know, I can't believe I've been actively losing weight for that long either (I avoid the word "diet" because it seems to bring up all kinds of discussion around here, :)).

Anyhow, I look at my history and trends and I have found that when I don't weigh myself daily, that is when I gain. Any points along the way where I gained the most back, my graph flat-lines..... meaning I wasn't weighing myself. I wasn't following a plan, keeping track of my food or standing on the scale.

I bought a Fitbit Aria this year. I love, love love it! It transmit my weight automatically to my laptop. I also use Fitbit.

I think the most important thing is that you are constant.. whether you weigh yourself clothed or naked. I weigh myself with my sleeping clothes on. It's pretty much the same clothes every night... PJ shorts and an oversized T shirt, so the weight of the clothes is consistant. I don't strip down to nothing. I roll out of bed, use the toilet and then stand on the scale. I shower at night, not in the morning, so this is what works for me. I don't find that the difference in weight clothed vs unclothed is enough to get excited about.

This has been a great discussion to follow--thanks everyone. :) I see so much sense in everyone's reasoning.

Magicsusan, it might be worthwhile to get a regular scale. If you are anything like me, being daily accountable is the "best" way to STAY accountable. I notice that if I'm not weighing, I'm not "behaving" how I should. It's too bad my behaviour is so tied to that number, but I guess it is what it is.

This has been a really good post to follow! I went from once a week to every day also just because I saw the same slipping that others have said too. Plus, like I mentioned in my bio, my son is a wrestler and is trying to maintain 106 lbs and he is obsessed with the scale and literally can tell me how much every thing that goes into his mouth weighs. This tends to make me super aware of things that I eat and what foods make me heavier on the scale. I'm not sure that this is healthy behavior...however it does seem to help with backsliding!

Once a week. Any more than that and I become obsessed, and I have enough in my life to obsess about :)

This is exactly why I weigh daily. :D It keeps me in check and if I see I'm gaining I can do my best to fix it before it escalates. However there is a downside to this... For me anyway. If I stay the same or go up and down several days in a row (like I have for more than a week now) when I know my calories and carbs have been under the limit I get depressed, frustrated and upset with myself.

I weigh daily - first thing in the morning, in the buff and after I have gone potty.
I only record my weight once a week on Friday's.
When I am not weighing on a regular basis, than I am not truly following my plan and the scale is on an upward move. I try fooling myself that its not that bad in I am in this mode. This is what caused my 30lb regain so I am on the scale each morning - good or bad.

Once a week. I become psychotic and obsessive over every 0.1 pound gained or lost. I also can't count calories for this reason. If I should be seeing results and I'm not it starts to freak me out beyond reason.

^Word.

First thing in the morning when i wake and gone to the bathroom.

I weigh daily, first thing in the morning. I record those weights, but compute a weekly average for tracking. I deal with process data for a living and consider weight loss/maintenance just another process - the day-to-day stuff is not as relevant as a trend over time. There's enough variation in life that if I were to pay attention to the daily point fluctuations, I'd drive myself crazy. :crazy:

Just one I think I am the only crazy person nekkid in my bathroom every morning - BAM! Here it is! I have found that when I am not on a downward trend - I tend to ignore the scale. HHHMMMM, correlation maybe?

Once I reach goal (very soon now) I am hoping to get to a once a month nekkid weigh-in (but I may start out with weekly so I don't get crazy with the wondering!)

I guess I'm crazy - I weigh every d@mn time I'm in the bathroom with my scale. Naked, clothed, half naked, etc. Doesn't really matter.

I only track the first thing in the AM after I've voided number inside of a spreadsheet with graphs and stuff.

I will say, I don't put too much stock in the random throughout the day weigh ins, but I always find it interesting as to what will make me randomly gain 5lbs throughout the day. I also find it amusing to guess what the next morning's number will be based on my WI before bed.

I am weighing myself only once a week. In the past, when I felt I was doing well and I would weigh myself, if I hadn't lost weight, it would discourage me and make me much more likely to cheat. So far (2 weeks in) I have lost both weeks and it is motivating me to continue on my path. It's early, and I have a long way to go, but I don't think I will change my mind about it.

I guess I personally am doing it everyday. long ago I perfected the scale dance... only it became out of control. Now I am back to stepping ont he scale daily. Usually the same morning, post potty, pre clothing.

I know I'm a bit late to this discussion but this is something I have struggled with for years. I have been on a yo-yo gain/regain cycle for about 6 years and really trying hard to break it.

When I started losing weight seriously back in 2009, I weighed weekly because I felt that weighing in more frequently could be depressing with daily weight fluctuations etc, and the general consensus in the fitness community was that weighing in more frequently could be misleading and counterproductive. However, I found that this (weekly weigh ins) only worked when I was consistent and gung-ho in the beginning (i.e. first 6 weeks or so of healthy eating and exercise), because I was losing rapidly. But when I started to become complacent because I had a bit of success or wasn't able to stick to my nutrition/fitness plan (another habit/tendency I am trying to work on breaking), I started to skip my weekly weigh ins because I couldn't face the number I would see (which would usually verify that I wasn't doing what I should have been or set out to do). I did this once during 2009 and found I re-gained nearly 7lb that I had lost [blogged about this in my 3fc blog http://www.3fatchicks.com/diet-blogs...reality-check/

Eventually, this became a slippery slope, like many previous posters have identified. By January 2012, I was pretty much back to the weight I started at in January 2009. Unfortunately, I attach so much *weight* (no pun intended) to the number on the scale that it can, will and has set the tone for my entire week and dictate my level of self esteem. Part of what I am currently working through is how NOT to be completely and utterly debilitated by that number, but instead how to use the number on the scale as (1) motivation and (2) a tool to encourage consistency in living a healthy lifestyle and being a healthy weight. Major work in progress. :)

Now (since 17 March 2015), I weigh in daily or at least every other day - 1st thing in the morning (after using the facilities) and definitely "starkers" as one previous poster has most eloquently said :) This helps to keep me honest and a bit more focused.

This having been said, I have not weighed myself since 30 March due to some slip ups (late night eating is probably my *major* demon) and TOM, so I am gearing myself up for a weigh in this coming Saturday morning.

My ultimate goal is ~155-160lbs. My highest weight was 225, and at my last weigh in on 30 March I was 218. I would really like to be under 210 by the end of April.

I have purchased some size 14 clothes (I am currently a size 16+) which I am really hoping I will fit into once I am <210 or so. Hence my anxiety!

Wish me luck :)

Like a lot of you, I weigh myself daily - in the morning, stark naked, after I have used the toilet. I record my weight in a daily weigh-in thread posted here. I only change my signature/profile weight once a week and it's always on Monday. Monday is my "official" weigh-in day. The numbers during the week help motivate me and help keep my on track. Plus, if I'm up on Monday but I was down the rest of the week, then I know it's just a little blimp and nothing to worry about. A few years ago, I would only weigh myself once a week and if I gained one week, that would be the end of the diet because I felt like the hard work I did that week was for nothing and there was no point in continuing. By weighing daily, I can see if it is just a one day thing or if it is a multiple day upward trend so I know if/when I need to make changes to the diet and/or exercise routine. I feel more in control this way.

Good luck, UKbarristerchick!!

Thanks AllyG! :)

Everything you said resonated with me, especially when you have a gain or no progress and then I used to just throw the towel in! Part of my "all or nothing" personality. I think having an "official" weigh in day is good, but you use the numbers during the week to inspire/motivate.

Every Monday morning.

Why? Because I've been scale-obsessed before, and it helped nobody, least of all me.

Because I actually see MAJOR progress on a weekly basis instead of miniscule progress daily, or twice daily, or before and after workouts....

Because it gives me a chance to see if my calories in/out are working and if I need to make adjustments.....

I weigh myself on Monday and Friday's.
 

This weighing routine keeps me disciplined in between the other days which I try and eat right, or sometimes NOT? But after I weigh myself I am usually "Good" for a few days until I weigh myself again. However , when I was under the care of my dietitian he weighed me only 1x per week and then got vitamin B shots after that 1x per week too. So he , the expert, never encouraged me to weigh myself in between, and i always looked forward to, "Weigh Days."

Friday is my official day when I record my weight. I usually weigh everyday, and I find the optimal time is after I've been up for about an hour. I'm not sure why but I always weigh a little less after I've been up for an hour or two. Usually weigh in undies/bra or tank. I like to weigh everyday to check my progress, or lack thereof. For instance, I've maintained all week though I've not been on my diet at all. Hopefully by being more focused today and tomorrow I'll see a small loss or at least not a gain.

I weigh myself everyday first thing in the morning.

every day first thing in the morning - naked, after peeing.

I do this because then I can notice patterns and understand how I gain and lose weight. Like, through doing that, I know that every time I eat salsa (homemade) or tacos with a seasoning mix, I will see a 3-4 pound gain on the scale next day from water weight. Doesn't mean I avoid salsa, means I understand something of the combo ingredients makes me hold water.

I know every time I have a carb heavy day, I will see a gain on the scale next day.

It also means I know how my monthly cycle affects my weight loss (and this is extremely individual for women). I don't lose hardly ANYTHING the first two weeks and right before ovulation I gain a couple pounds. I hold steady a couple days and then I get a huge whoosh. Most months I would see my entire loss of the month in 10 days - sometimes losing nearly a pound a day. Now, I know I'm actually "losing" all month long, body just holds water as it's approaching ovulation. if I don't stick to it the first two weeks? I won't see much loss the next two weeks.

Now, can it be frustrating to see these up fluctuations? OF COURSE, but at least I understand how and why they are happening. I would see similar fluctuations and have less understands of WHY with weekly or monthly weigh -ins.

Lately, I've been avoiding it completely as it's not measuring my fat loss and seeing the number refuse to go down when I know I'm slimmer discourages me. So it's actually better that I not get on the scale and trust the way my clothes fit. Just to see how useless the dumb thing is, I got on yesterday morning. I know I'm slimmer - it's fairly obvious in the way my pants are slipping down my hips. Idiot scale says I've gained two pounds. What a git.

ETA: I weightlift frequently. That's probably why I have this issue.

Wow! you are truly an inspiration! :carrot:

I weigh myself every day too on an empty stomach. Everyday weighing help me keep on track!

I weight myself in the morning naked and after the two P's. Potty and Prayer. lol Potty for obvious reasons and Prayer cause I love the Lord and also cause I am hoping that what I have eaten the day before wasn't bad enough to put on any extra weight ;)