hi all,
i would just like to know how often i should be weighing myself as my weight fluctuates during the day, so does anyone have a set time or day to do this?
I weigh myself every morning. Not to see "Have I lost weight today?" and then freak out if I'm not losing weight every day, but more to get a feeling of - what are the patterns with my body and my weight? It has up and down patterns, I might see a low number and then not see it again for a week. Or high number might show up one day, but then disappear never to be seen again.
I use Wednesday's as my "official" weigh in day, so that's the day I log on Weight Watchers, but I write down my weight every day. I also check the body fat percentage once a week or so. I know it's not 100% accurate but I just like to see if it's heading downward.
Daily weigher here too, every morning when I get up, naked. The thing is, I have to concentrate on not letting the number get to me/affect my day. It's like a Zen thing: "It's not good, it's not bad, it just is."
Daily weighing lets you see an overall pattern. For instance, if you only weigh on Fridays, you might be up that day because of sodium, water, whatever (discouraging!) and not know that on Thursday and Saturday you were down.
Daily weighing while I'm on plan lets me see the downward trend and keeps me committed, as long as I don't let myself get bummed on those inevitable days when the number is up a little.
Fressca & Seagirl...that makes very alotta sense. I got very upset when I tried weighing myself everyday because of so much up and down. Down 2, up 2, down 1... but it makes sense about your body having a pattern and the whole sodium/water issue. Im gonna try again, but every day - not just 3 days in a row
I'm also a daily weigher. The nice thing about weighing daily is that you'll see such swings that you *know* they must be due to water weight. Just to give you an example, I've "lost" 5 lbs in the last 4 days according to the scale. It's physically impossible for me to have eaten 17,500 (5*3500) calories below maintenance over those four days, so I know the loss is mostly water weight. You may say, "what's the fun in that?", but it works on the upside, too: if I see a 1.5-pound gain overnight, I know that it's just water, because I'm pretty sure I didn't drive to the store, pick up a cheesecake, and scarf down 5000 calories worth of it in my sleep. I find this oddly reassuring, and helpful in keeping me focused on long-term trends.
Another benefit of tracking everyday is you start to be able to pinpoint the times in your hormonal cycle and the precise foods that trigger water weight gain. So, for example, I know that the day after I eat split pea with ham soup, I'll weigh at least a half pound more than I did the day before. I also know that the 1/2 pound will have disappeared two days after I ate the soup. This knowledge allows me to say, "big whoop" about the 1/2 pound gain, and get on with my day with my head in a good space. If I weighed only once a week, I'd be more inclined to play mental games about whether I'm eating too much or doing enough exercise or what-have-you.
But, other people find weighing daily too obsessive. YMMV!
You should weigh yourself first thing in the morning after you use the bathroom. You should really try and weigh yourself at the same time everytime you weigh yourself. & you shouldn't weigh yourself throughout the day bc your weight will be different bc your consuming foods and liquids throughout the day. Once I weighed myself and then I drank 2 glasses of water then weighed myself after & it was a lb up &that's because I drank that water. Makes sense right?
i wish i would weigh myself daily. i think it would be too much for me to deal with all the little fluctuations at this point. i weigh in twice a week, once on my "official day" for weightwatchers, and once in the middle of the week just to check in on myself. i think i could probably handle it once i shed a few more pounds, because i do think its beneficial to take note of patterns.
I weigh once or twice a day. Some people weigh once a day, some once a week, and others once a month. It's really up to you. I think you should weigh when you first wake up, before you eat, after you use the bathroom. I'd say weigh as often as you like within your control. If you begin to develop a dependency on the number that appears on the scale, definitely cut back.
No matter what anyone says, there is only one should, when it comes to the scale, you should do what works best for you. No more frequently and no less frequently than you find helpful.
Some people say not to weigh more than once a month, because you'll get upset by the fluctuations or you'll become obsessed with the scale. Some people say the same thing about weighing more than once weekly or once than daily.
None of it is true unless you allow it to be, and evenif you allow it to be, that's still your choice. If you find weighing more than (whatever frequency) frustrating you have a choice - weigh less often or learn to be less frustrated (both are valid choices).
I weigh every morning, naked, after going to the bathroom, but I do weigh other times too. I find that weighing daily helps keep me motivated, and occasionally weighing at other times can also be helpful. Like to stop the feelings that eating off plan means "I blew it, and might as well keep eating." Getting on the scale works as a reality check at those times, reminding me that continuing to eat is not a good choice.
Only you can learn the best scale schedule for yourself. Just like your food plan, different patterns work for different people, so experiment.
How often should i be weighing myself?
