I bought a new scale yesterday, and it measures body fat percentage as well as weight. I was reading through the instructions booklet and there were tips on using the scale to get the best reading- weigh without clothes, barefoot, etc...
Well, there was a couple tips I hadn't heard of before. It said not to weigh after a workout (which I used to do all the time at the gym, right before hopping into the shower), and not to weigh first thing in the morning, since your body tends to be dehydrated after sleeping all night. It said to weigh in the early evening, at least three hours after eating, sleeping, or exercising. It said that you can weigh at any time of the day (as long as you consistently weigh at that time, and are at consistent levels of hydration) and still be able to track changes, but to get the most accurate reading of your weight and body fat percentage, it should be done at the suggested time of early evening.
Anyway, that might not be news to any of you, but it sure was news to me! To judge my progress for myself, I mostly just like to see that I am indeed going down, but it would also be nice to know what I truly weigh, too. So, just thought I'd pass the info along!
I guess I've always known that weighing myself in the morning wasn't giving an accurate reading, but it usually means one less pound than if I do it in the afternoon. I know I should stop kidding myself, but a pound is a pound!
I weigh myself every week on thursday or friday at around noon. The reason I do that is because i know that is when I'll weigh the least. On those days i get up at 8am but then I go to the gym for 2 hours and then go tanning. I can't eat until after I work out or I get sick. So on those days I know that I've worked out, and I haven't eaten for the longest period of all the days.
For some reason after I eat something (a small bowl of oatmeal or ice cream and a steak...no difference) I always weigh around 3 pounds more. I don't think I could handle that....
I definitely think that consistency is the key, regardless of the actual time of day. If I'm dehydrated every morning and weighed at that time, then my weight loss (or gain) would still register accurately. If I always weighed at 3 pm, then I'd still show the appropriate loss (or gain).
I know, however, that I am VERY dehydrated in the morning.. I guess I tend to sleep with my mouth open and I've woken up thinking the insides of my mouth were going to crack open! (Eww, not a good thought.) I think the dry mouth thing is from a medication I'm taking because we do have a good humidifier that keeps the humidity level just right.
I hope you're right Kim, it makes sense actually. I got scared when doingitformyboys said that it might not be accurate in the morning, wich also makes sense. But if I am dehydrated every morning, then it should stay consistant. Whew. It's not that I want to cheat myself by seeing a lower reading, although it is nice, I just don't want to have to remember or take into account everything I have eaten that afternoon before I weigh myself. It is much easier to weigh on an empty stomach. But thanks for all the information doingitformyboys, you have still given me a lot to think about
I definitely think that consistency is the key, regardless of the actual time of day. If I'm dehydrated every morning and weighed at that time, then my weight loss (or gain) would still register accurately. If I always weighed at 3 pm, then I'd still show the appropriate loss (or gain).
I agree. Speaking solely for myself, it's not important to me to know my exact weight down to the last pound. It is important to be able to track the success of my fitness program. A morning weigh-in, on an empty stomach and an empty bladder, is the easiest way for me to guarantee consistancy from one weigh-in to the next.
I think those tips are primarily for the body fat percentage number, not just the weight. Weighing at the same time of day each time you weigh will be consistent no matter what, but measuring your body mass is a much different story. Sure, you can do it when you're dehydrated and end up thinking you've got a much higher percentage of muscle than you really do, but I think that might be counter-productive, ya know? I think it's more important to really be honest about that percentage--when it's just pounds, then who cares what time it is or how dehydrated you are, so long as you're consistent--a pound or 2 of water here or there won't make as much a difference when you're only considering weight as it will with the body fat percentage measurement.
But think about it. When your body's dehydrated, it retains water. As silly as that sounds. Wouldn't that make sense? That you're probably holding onto more water in the morning after going 8-10 hours without drinking?
I dunno, just a thought
I too believe consistency is the key. I've heard so many conflicting stories on when the best time to weigh yourself is that frankly I don't pay any attention to that stuff anymore. I do what I do because it's something I'm used to doing and because I want to do it and because it's a balance I've found for myself, not because some expert tells me to.
But think about it. When your body's dehydrated, it retains water. As silly as that sounds. Wouldn't that make sense? That you're probably holding onto more water in the morning after going 8-10 hours without drinking?
LOL your body can't just magically create water to hold onto When you're consistenly dehydrated, you'll hold onto the water you take in, but if you're just dehydrated from sleeping, you won't be retaining nonexistant additional water, ya know?
LOL your body can't just magically create water to hold onto When you're consistenly dehydrated, you'll hold onto the water you take in, but if you're just dehydrated from sleeping, you won't be retaining nonexistant additional water, ya know?
Noooo, I meant the water you drank before you went to bed. Unless, of course, you're like me and up and down in the bathroom all night.
I don't have a scale that measures bodyfat, but I like to weigh both in the morning and at the very end of the day. I've also known not to weigh after workout (you can either be dehydrated, or over hydrated) or after shower (I like to imagine all that water sitting in me like a sponge). I think morning you are momentarily dehydrated, therefore weighing a few less and at the end of the day all the food is sitting in you so most end of day readings are a little misleading too. I tend to gain about 2-3lbs throughout the day, and I use both as a guideline as to what my actual weight is. If I counted the morning weight, I'd probably be too disappointed if it went up again and if I counted evening it'd take longer to see a change. Just me though.
New scale, new information...
To judge my progress for myself, I mostly just like to see that I am indeed going down, but it would also be nice to know what I truly weigh, too. So, just thought I'd pass the info along! 
When you're consistenly dehydrated, you'll hold onto the water you take in, but if you're just dehydrated from sleeping, you won't be retaining nonexistant additional water, ya know?
