[nitestar]

Hi everyone -
Well, day two of counting calories is working wonderfully. It is easy, just a little math and the best part, it is FREE. My question to you is this: How often do you choose to weigh yourself? And what are the advantages of your method? Do any of you take your measurements, and if so, how frequently do you measure? I'm always looking for helpful tips, so if any of you have any for me regarding calorie counting, please feel free to give any advice! Thank you!

[CLCSC145]

I weigh daily, but I try not to get emotionally freaked out by minor fluctuations. They are normal. I have a serious tendency to ignore things I don't want to face, so weighing daily keeps me very accountable and aware of what I'm trying to achieve.

A lot of people measure all over, but I measure my waist only. It's a good indicator of heart heath, plus it's the bane of my existence (I'm an apple shape)! I measure when I meet my 10% goals and then randomly like when I can tell I'm dropping a size just out of curiosity.

Congrats on your first two successful days!

[iwannalose92]

Hey, I also count calories! I weigh myself every morning, but this month I'm going to try and not weigh myself until the end of the month because I'm getting so frustrated watching the scale move so slowly, ha but we'll see how that one goes.

You should definitely take measurements, I don't but I hear its a really good tool to use! I take pictures instead, like once every week or so to keep myself on track!

Good job with the calorie counting, my only tip is if you go over your daily limit every once and a while don't freak out, it happens and the best thing you can do is just get back on track the next day! Don't let small mistakes turn into big ones

[nitestar]

Thank you Iwannalose and CLC - That sounds like good advice. I will take my measurements and weigh myself tomorrow morning.

[HKlover]

i weigh myself at the end of each month and measure myself about once every 2 weeks. I also try my hardest to calorie count but its not easy for a 16yr old! good luck and keep it up!!

[randomcards]

Here is a good thread from a couple of weeks ago

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...-weighing.html

[nitestar]

Thanks, Hk and Random. I appreciate the tips!

I love calorie counting also, I use sparkpeople to keep track of my calories as well as fat gram, carbs, and protein.

I weigh myself everyday but I only use the weight from either Thursday or Friday all the other weights do not count. I just us the scale as a tool it helps me make better choices. I don't measure

[McJess]

I count calories and weigh myself every day. But I'm basically at my goal weight and want to lose 5-10 "vanity pounds" so I think because of that I need to watch things much more closely than if I had more weight to lose. (does that make sense?)

I use Fit Day to track my food intake and made myself a great diet journal using a Day Timer binder where I track all of my workouts. On a monthly calender I write down each day what I burned, weighed and ate, and then average that out at the end of each week. Over time I'm then able to see what affect certain things have on my weight. Like, If my calorie average is high for a week because of one or two bad days, I'm able to see that reflected in my average weight as well. I think because what I really look at each week is my average weight, I'm less likely to get all freaked out from one or two days of higher weight. It works for me anyway.

My stats, in case it matters: I'm 33, 5'8 and 144 pounds. I'd like to stay at 140 and IF possible and not too crazy-making, get to 135. But I'd be happy to just get and stay at 140 for more than a few days at a time. As far as calorie intake, if I don't exercise that day, I try to stick to 1500. If I do exercise, I'll either eat 1500 + whatever I burned off OR, just try to stick to 1600. When I'm strict with this it does work, but of course I blew it over the holidays. I workout M-F for one hour, doing 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes weights 4 of the days, (2 days upper body, 2 days lower body) and one hour cardio on the 5th day.

[Wild Vulpix]

I used to weigh myself daily (but I'd only "count" the end of the week's weigh in) and I'd measure myself weekly.

If you like seeing big drops, I don't recommend this. Now I'm weighing and measuring myself monthly. It's so frusterating to see the scale go up and down and up and down, and you can't appricate what you've lost because next week, you might just gain it back *sigh* So by weighing monthly, I feel more "concrete" about my weigh ins. It means I've lost THIS much, and it's gone for good! No going up and down. Just down

[Souless Angel]

I've been yoyo dieting the last five years. I finally managed to start this year with a realistic look on weight loss. It took years for me to put the weight on and will take a considerable amount of time to take off. I'm choosing to weigh myself monthly because seeing the numbers can get discouraging. With longer time in between it lets the pounds lost seem alot better being a bigger number. Plus it seems to down play any slight mess ups I might encounter.