I generally weigh in once a week. The numbers can be deceiving though. Recently I gained 3 lbs over the course of a few weeks but I'm certain that although I only gained 3 lbs my body actually changed composition and I lost muscle and gained fat. I was wearing shirts a couple of months ago that are now uncomfortably tight. I had been going to the gym a lot but have slacked off so this is how I figure that I've gotten larger in size but only gained 3 lbs. I don't do measurements, it is entirely too depressing to know my actual size in inches but obviously I can tell by the way my clothes fit that something has changed.

I am kinda funny about the scale. I get on it every morning before my shower.. Thing is.. if I am the same, I am fine.. if I go up it doesn't really bug me. It makes me want to work harder. Now that I am working out at the gym 4-5 days a week.. I know I will probably gain a few pounds some week because muscle weighs more than fat.. I am burning it too, but also adding muscle.

I have always said this.. I don't mind weighing 300lbs as long as it fits into a size 12!

Amanda

This is a great thread.

I weigh myself almost every morning. I use the Friday figure to track my weight from week to week. I am not emotionally attached to the scale, so the numbers don't faze me. Besides my weight, I take into account my measurements for a total picture.

I weigh myself officially once a week--first thing in the morning, on a Tuesday. I didn't consciously choose that day; I woke up one day and decided I would start my diet there and then, and it just happens that it was a Tuesday.

I need that weigh-in to keep me on track, but I also know that my scale-weight is not the be-all-and-end-all. I'm far more excited that I fit into jeans that wouldn't go anywhere near me a few months ago, than the fact that I'm 18 pounds lighter.

That said, I'm also very compulsive when it comes to jumping on the scale. Heck, I'm compulsive about many things. I've moved the scale from the bathroom into the bedroom because I was checking every time I went to the loo! It's more a thing of interest to see the fluctuations rather than my rewarding/punishing myself based on the figures. I understand that in terms of "true weight" the exercise is totally meaningless yet it fascinates me just how much the numbers change over the course of a day/week.

What funniegrrl wrote makes so much sense and I'd be happy if I could adopt that mentality. The simple truth though, is that despite my working on it, I'm still light years from being at that point. It's going to take a long time before I'll be able to maintain a healthy relationship with myself, my body, and food.

I record my weight once a week. I go to my doctors office on Fridays and weigh in. I also weigh myself at work on Wednesday to see how I am doing for the week. I am anywhere from 4 to 5 lbs heavier on Wendesday but that is from weighing at night vs Friday morning. I don't know why I do that but I just like to check. If I had a scale at home I would probably be on it every day.

Fish you make an excellent point that I've made elsewhere: Many of us who are seriously overweight are compulsive overeaters, and have compulsive tendencies that affect many aspects of our lives. Scale-hopping can be a compulsive behavior just like anything else. IF you are compulsive about the scale, then going through a period of NOT getting on it can be a helpful exercise in dealing with compulsive behavior in general. I have found that the more I learn about my overeating, the more I learn about the other ways my compulsive tendencies manifest. And that's a good thing -- knowledge is power!

Basically, if the scale exerts any power over you -- compulsive or otherwise -- best to leave it alone.

I step on the scale once a week...on Fridays.

I weigh myself every time I go to the gym. I don't have a scale at home. That way I can get something useful out of my scale obsession - if I feel the need to weigh myself I have to do some exercise to earn that right!

So what this basically means is that I weigh myself every day (yes! I go to the gym every day!). Always first thing in the morning before I've eaten anything. I find that my weight actually doesn't fluctuate that much from day to day - always within a pound or so. I've also learned to recognise the patterns so that I understand my body better. For example I know that I always show a bigger loss at weekends (maybe because I get to the gym a bit later? I don't know), and that if I lose about 8lb per month (2 per week) I will lose 5 in the first week (straight after TOM) and then 1 per week for the other three. It evens itself out over the month so I know not to get too excited about the sudden water loss (which I reckon has been building up disguising the fat loss for the previous three weeks).

Weighing every day helps me remain focussed on my goals. I don't get depressed if I'm up, I just realise why I'm doing this, and the habits I've learned to help me succeed.

I've been going to Curves since February of last year. I get my measurements and weight done there once a month. I weigh myself "officially" every Tuesday but when I am at Curves (3-4 times a week) I do jump on the scale just because I am trying to control my weight while pregnant and I need to see if it's time to give up the junk for a few days and go to strictly fruits and veggies lol. After the baby comes I will go back to my once a week weigh-ins and monthly measurements.

Nweisha - Ditch it. Take out your tape measure. Take out some tight pants. Use that as a guide. You've admitted that this is NOT a healthy thing for you. Be accountible. Post in fit day. keep a diary. Maybe weigh-in somewhere off site once a month but throw away the scale.

I just bought a scale a week ago so I could do weekly weigh ins. I debated buying one for a while though because I was afraid I would be on it all the time but I've been good about it. So far. I weigh in on Sundays.
Before I got the scale I was going by how my pants were fitting. Still mainly relying on that and as soon as I find my tape measure I plan to start taking meaurements.
Good luck.

Oh, I feel like such a crazy person! Yes, reading a lot of the replies leads me to think that I should throw the darn thing away. You have NO idea how many days have been ruined by the scale. The logical part of my brain tells me it doesnt matter, but that still has no impact on me hopping on that thing (Yes, I am one of the people who can only weigh themselves in the nude ) almost twice a day. I will admit that since I moved it to the bathroom in the back of the house my need to weigh myself after each bathroom break (I KNOW, ) is gone.
It is so totally comforting to know that I am not the only one with scale issues.

I wish I was compulsive about working out .