All the info I've read says that people who diet well and maintain their ideal weight, weigh themselves at least once a week. Some weigh once a day, but they really recommend that no longer than a week goes by before weighing themselves, to keep them on track.
Subconciously, I know which of my clothes are forgiving, so if I went JUST by how my clothes fit, I could fool myself into thinking the pounds were not creeping on. The scale does not lie. But I also know that it's normal to fluctuate, however! I try to weigh myself once a day, first thing in the morning. If the pounds are up a little, I try to re-focus and get back on track (or shrug my shoulders and say, how did THAT happen? ) And when it's down a little I say, "woo hoo, even if there is water weight later this week, I now know I CAN get down to this number!"
I am one of those people who get on there every morning. Its like pulling the handle on a slot machine. I know the number may be higher than the day before, but this way I can say ok.. make sure you are not eating too much of this or make sure you drink more water today..
Tracy
Or make sure you are weighing yourself before drinking that big glass of water. If I weigh myself, then eat breakfast and down a 32 ounce glass of water, then stand on the scale again, I will have put on weight. But did I really? Of course not. So scales DO lie.
I had said once that I wouldn't start a serious diet until my life could settle down. Well, it doesn't seem like it will so I am just going to have to keep ploughing through all of this doing the best that I can.
I have had to go off my food plan when I ran out of food and couldn't follow it to the letter. That affected my weight in that week.
Recently, I had to fly across the country to be with my critically ill Mom for 5 days and I knew that I wouldn't be able to follow my food plan exactly so I did the best that I could. I didn't use that as an excuse to overeat or eat junk food but I was not on my plan exactly.
A food or meal higher in sodium will affect your weigh in. So will a few days off from exercising. Eating more than you should (and we know what that means) will as well.
There are just so many variables to take into consideration. I feel that weighing in once a week is a good ball park number to see but again I agree with the others that as long as you are doing your best to stay on plan that eventually your clothes and other ways will show that you are losing the weight.
I don't want to develop an obsession with a number. I want to keep practicing good "living" habits. I know they will show up on the scales eventually. The law of averages just says they will.
Only1, my comment wasn't meant to be a criticism of your starting this post! I'm sorry if it sounded that way. I just wanted to let you know that there are a lot of other responses in case those might be helpful to you as well. Even though you've started a new thread, you may not get responses from some of the very people you'd most want to hear from. Many of our regulars who've been here for a long time seem to avoid responding to these kind of posts (the ones that pop up a lot), simply because they've already responded. I know I probably wouldn't respond again if I wasn't a mod. You can only say the same thing so many times before you become frustrated. I understand where you're coming from and hope you can see why reading older posts can sometimes be helpful.
Like you said, people may have changed their habits in the time being, but you can tell from their post back then if it was working for them or not at that time. I find old threads to be very valuable, personally, but I know that some of our members would much rather have a new one. There's nothing wrong with that.
I'm sorry that you find the forum software frustrating. I understand what you mean about getting a lot of results. Part of that could be because there are so many posts on the subject (like weighing). Have you tried the Advanced Search? When I get too many results, I often use that to help me.
DH and I say we will weigh once a week, but in reality I usually weigh about twice a week. He will sometimes get on that dang scale 2-3 times a day...I've caught him doing it!! I had even threatened to hide it from him. He writes his weight down every Tuesday on our calendar on the fridge. I write down my loss/gain/no change, like -2, -5, -12, +1, no change.
He says weighing frequently encourages him to keep going and to be more aware of calories and portions if his weight goes up. I have a love-hate relationship with the scale...I love it when it goes down and I hate it and curse it when it goes up. I get more encouragement from my loose clothes.
When I have dieted before and lost weight, kept it off and then eventually gained it back...my habit then became to avoid the scale at all costs because I could not deny the reality of the numbers increasing. I plan to weigh at least once a week forever if necessary. Ya think there will be scales in heaven? I hope not!! I would like to think there will be no calories in heaven.
I weigh in every Saturday morning. I have been really tempted to weigh in more often...but I like to see a bigger number. It makes me happy to see I lost 3 lbs on Saturday instead of .5 of lb here and there through out the week. That's the only reason I dont weigh more often.
[QUOTE=only1naked;2054032]I am weighing myself every Sunday morning as I get out of bed. I refuse to do it more often, even though it gets hard as the end of the week rolls around. I think it would be detrimental to my progress, since there is no way I won't see fluctuations that could be misinterpreted. I am trying not to focus on my weight as much as on my overall health and how I look. I always think weight is a deceiving measurement.
I weigh weekly unless I notice sudden increases or drops then I'll go to every other day or every day for a few days. I have to monitor the blood pressure medicine and fluid retention may indicate that the medicine isn't enough for me or that its not working properly. As I mentioned I had to go to afternoon doses of the med because I noticed 10 lb jumps. Also the lovely TOM seems to really make me go for a ride.
My weight has been dropping like a rock on this diet. I'm still loosing at 3lbs or more a week barring the water fluctuations.
I wiegh everyday, but after reading these posts I am starting to think maybe that is why I'm so off track. I have done really well, but once I get off track it takes FOREVER to get me back on.
I like to weigh in at the same time or around the same time in the morning and also in the eveing. I feel it keeps me in touch with what I ate for the day!
I weight in every monday moring. I get up and head right to the scale. However I have been working out reguraly so I am not seeing big drops like I would like to see so I have been paying more attention to my body fat %. Do NOT weight in everday. You will get more discouraged and fall off the wagon much sooner. You did not gain the weight over nite it will not fall off over nite.
I think some subjects can never be discussed enough
Here I came across this again and I am interested in what people are doing today too!
I have accessed both older posts and I also like to see what is happening with the new kids on the block too.
I did lose the 9 lbs that I gained when I was traveling. What it did alert me to is that I have to quit hiding the fact that I am dieting. Hey, world, I am dieting! I was reading some of the posts of the maintainers and realized that one thing they had in common is the diet came before everything else! I had been allowing life to sway me back and forth too much.
I weigh when I need to. I think whatever keeps me honest and motivated is the best choice. How's that? And, if you read one of my older posts I probably said something different. Why? I am evolving as how these new changes I am making affect me.
How's that for a turn around answer? It's the truth though---for today, at least. lol
"Hey, world, I am dieting!"
I love that Pam! I let everyone at work know I am dieting and what diet I am following. I work with mostly women and we all support each other in our efforts. When offered something like a cookie, or pizza, I now say "I'm allergic", then I put my hands on my stomach and say "it makes me swell up".
I often forget to weigh myself, so when I remember (every couple of days) is usually when I do. Unless I feel like the scale will be up, then I skip it altogether for a few days.
How often do you step on the scale? How often is too often?
How often do you weigh yourself?
Well, how do you handle disruptions in your life?
Even though you've started a new thread, you may not get responses from some of the very people you'd most want to hear from. Many of our regulars who've been here for a long time seem to avoid responding to these kind of posts (the ones that pop up a lot), simply because they've already responded. I know I probably wouldn't respond again if I wasn't a mod. You can only say the same thing so many times before you become frustrated. I understand where you're coming from and hope you can see why reading older posts can sometimes be helpful.
I find old threads to be very valuable, personally, but I know that some of our members would much rather have a new one. There's nothing wrong with that. 
I think some subjects can never be discussed enough
