I think there is no right answer, it depends on how you handle good (or bad) news.

Personally I like to weigh multiple times each day (use scale at gym and home). I find it kind of fun to see how my weight fluctuates both throughout the day, pre/post workout, and from day to day.

However I fully understand that my weight is not a linear downtrend. Instead it is like a stock that is slowly going down in value. There are a lot of little peaks and valleys inside of the overall trend.

It's fun to see a new "all-time" low on the scale, but I understand that it is likely that I will see several days of higher numbers before I see another low, due to food in my system, water, etc.

I've seen my weight drop 3 lbs overnight, then I will have a "perfect" day of eating and exercise and see it go up by 2 lbs the next day. By weighing often I can get a sense of just how much influence water, food being digested etc plays a role.

If I think of "normal" being say middle of the day with moderate food/waste in system, moderate water weight, and other factors I expect to see up to 5 pounds + or - based on environmental factors. That's a total of 10 lbs of leeway.

So when I see a new all time low, I know it is likely that partially it is non fat loss factors that is helping a bit. However if I average all weights throughout a week, I would expect my weight from week to week to be lower the vast majority of the time.

That's kind of the reason that I don't like weighing once a week. You might catch an "all time low" one week and next week be say +1 pound even though you've actually lost 1-2 lbs just because you are catching yourself with slightly different environmental factors.

So short answer is I weigh often, but only focus on overall trends not on little spikes or dips.

I also firmly believe it's all about finding what works for you. I weigh myself about twice a day. I know that wouldn't work for everyone, but it works for me. I get a good idea of how my body works and what it responds to both positively and negatively. I like the analogy of the previous poster that your weight is like a stock with an overall downward trend. I think that's a perfect way to put it. As long as you can stomach seeing those occasional spikes and not treat it like the end of the world and an overall failure of epic proportions then I say keep on weighin'!! If it's not something that you can handle psychologically...if it does more harm than good....then back off a little and find a schedule that works for you. It should keep you motivated, hold you accountable, and reinforce lasting changes. There is no one size fits all approach.

Okay...so I have a question. And I'm NOT trying to be a smart a** or anything, I'm just wondering...

I noticed that several people who weigh every day stated that they ignore the "normal fluctuations" and are used to the little daily gains and don't focus on the number....so....why do you weigh? How do you know what's a fluctuation? Isn't the number the whole point? I'm just confused. The reason I DON'T weigh every day is because it's totally confusing...how do I know what is "water weight" and what is a real gain? How do I know if it's just dinner from last night or if I really did screw up?

I just don't understand.

I mean, isn't the number the whole point of WEIGHING, not of dieting or exercising or being healthy. I'm just saying the point of stepping on the scale is to get that number...if it's basically meaningless, why weigh???

That's like if you were conducting a scientific experiment and collecting data...but basically taking the data with a grain of salt. Seems like it would be difficult to analyze a trend or determine a probably outcome based on data deemed meaningless.

please don't get mad at me...I know everyone is different. I'm just curious.

Personally, I have had a fear of scales since I can remember so the fact I can step on the scale makes me feel empowered regardless of the number.

Also, getting used to my weight and seeing it slowly go down makes "weigh-in" day less dreary especially if the # isn't good news. I'm prepared for what the scale will most likely read. I like to know that mid-week I'm on the right /wrong track instead of finding out 1 week later

My bf weighs once a week so it works for him but I need to be on the scale in the morning. It makes me focused throughout the day like a set routine.

I weigh only once on the weekend, usually Sunday morning. Always right after I wake up, go to the restroom, and before I eat breakfast. Always in the same outfit and on the same scale.

A week is a good time interval for me. I think if I did it longer than that, I would be too curious, and I might lose track of my motivation. I don't really do anything to get ready for weigh ins that I don't do the rest of the week, but it does keep me accountable. I work each week to see a result for the weigh in. I think if I were to check everyday, I'd become obsessed with it. I'd want to know what each meal and each work out did to my weight, even if it was irrelevant. For me, I do best with the once a week weigh ins.

So far, I haven't had a single disappointing weigh in (knock on wood!). My lowest loss was .8lbs, and I was kind of bummed, but at least it was still a loss. I'm generally very happy on weigh in days Seeing a loss keeps me excited and focused.

I am now weighing once a month, but when I started I waited 11 weeks for the first weigh in and 10 weeks until the 2nd one as I knew that I would get discouraged if the scale didn't reflect the number I was expecting. However I did carefully track my calorie deficit so that I knew I was headed in the right direction even without seeing a scale.

I weigh *almost* daily because I am close to maintenance. It keeps me on track. If I am gaining I would rather know 2 days in--not 2 weeks in! I know what fluctuations are because I chart my weight. I go up at onset of my period and also the day of ovulation. I also fluctuate after eating too many processed foods or at restaurants that I suspect of using Msg or too much sodium. I know when to *expect* fluctuations because I do monitor closely enough to KNOW my body.

I agree that everyone must find what works for them.

OMG--yes, yes, yes. This is so very true. I am in control of that thing--NOT the other way around. I realize this and am empowered by the understanding of it. I fear it no more!

Thighs Be Gone, I think that's a good point. I still have a ways to go before I'm maintaining, but I think when I do get closer, I'll be weighing daily as opposed to weekly. I want to make it a daily habit and part of my maintaining lifestyle to know exactly how much I weigh (when I'm maintaining) so that pounds can't creep up on me.

I weigh in weekly on my Wii Fit. I love how it charts my progress on a graph, and by weighing weekly it tracks it quite well!

I love the weekly weigh in. We purposely picked Tuesday as our weigh-in day. Why?? To give us a little breathing room for weekends, to ensure that we did well each Monday, regardless if the weekend wasn't perfect. It's worked great for my husband and I.

Kellost, I use my Wii Fit to weigh in too!!! After a good weigh in, I admire my pretty downward slope for a minute, haha. This last Saturday, for the first time, it said "That's normal!" Instead of "That's overweight!" 'Twas a good moment

No it's the exact opposite of what you say. The variation is like a scientific experiment where multiple data points show a trend. Think about going from summer to winter. Does it drop from 100 everyday to 20 every day? No... Does it drop from 100 to 20 by losing exactly 1 degree evenly every day? No... Instead it goes 100, 89, 92, 89, 91, 85, 83, 74, 79, 81. Look at the end of that progression, is it getting warmer? Yes in the micro sense, but we don't care about that in this example, only the macro trend which is clearly cooling.


What is the definition of my real weight? Before breakfast I weighed 265, after breakfast and a lot of water I weighed 268. Then I go to the bathroom and go to the gym and sweat out 5 lbs (yes I've done this if I'm not careful) and my weight is 260. Which is my real weight 265, 268, or 260. Does it matter? Not to me!

This is because these are micro changes. Let's look at an example (pretty real from my personal experience).

Monday AM/PM - 260am 263pm
Tuesday AM/PM - 261am 260pm
Wednes AM/PM - 257am 261pm
Thursday AM/PM - 258am 259pm
Friday AM/PM - 253am 255pm
Saturday AM/PM - 255am 257pm
Sunday AM/PM - 255am 257pm
Monday AM/PM - 254am 258pm

Did I lose weight this week? I think the weighing numbers say yes. How much weight did I lose - 5,6, 7, 9lbs? Does it matter?

I would generalize this week that I lost 4-5 lbs and went from the low 260's to the mid-high 250's. That's progress. I don't put more stock in any one of the 16 data points than any other, it's the trend that matters.

What if I weighed Friday AM and then again Monday PM? Did I gain 5 "real" pounds. I don't think so, the 253 is probably "low" (say low water or no breakfast) and the 258 is probably "high" (after dinner, drank a lot of water).

If seeing a number go up from the morning to the night or from one individual day to the other freaks you out don't do this! If you can view it as data points supporting a downward trend then go for it. It works for me.

+1

But you asked:

I weigh daily, it helps me keep focused. Sometimes I record it in Fitday daily, I have noticed the more often I record it the more I am staying on track, it signals mental involvement.

I count as my "official" weight (the one in my ticker) the lowest weight if I am on task. So sometimes my official weigh in's happen 2-3 days in a row, sometimes there are 10 or so days between official weights. If I go 2 weeks without seeing a new number or if I know I have been dreadfully off task I take the lowest weight of the last week and reset my ticker.

Counting new lows only reflects the theory that the body can retain water or be retaining waste matter and the weight will be artificially high. However, unless I am taking medications or doing some stupid thing that could dehydrate me, it isnt likely to be artificially low.

Daily weighers have to be able to see fluctuations in the scale and just accept them and understand why they happen. So do weekly weighers. For me it is easier to accept daily weight fluctuations than it is to accept weekly weights. If I make "Monday" my official weigh in day and this Monday happens to be 155.4 and last monday was 155 I am likely to think MAN 7 days and NOTHING. Where if I saw 153 on Thursday, even if it is gone for the moment I know it is still out there.

If you are the type of person who absolutely can not climb on the scale after a week of hard work and see the number go up without throwing in the towel, then not weighing at all for an extended period where you focus on making Lifestyle Changes regardless of outcome. Two months is enough to make the habits real and also likely reward you at the end of the time period. I understand it, and I have tried it, but for me I lose the mental focus and tend to drift.

Because almost all fluctuations are outside the magnitude of what could actually be real fat weight. And if they arent you would know.

Lets say you went off plan at dinner and you ate 2500 calories for the day instead of 1500. 1000 calories. So at most "real gain" could only be roughly 0.28 lbs. Well actually 1500 is your loss level. Your maintenance level is probably close to 2000 calories. So you wouldn't really gain more than 0.14 lbs because of that slip. Since most scales aren't even accurate to better than +/- 0.2 that kind of gain is not necessarily detectable. Therefore if you are freaking out because you gained 0.5 lbs or more, some of it, MOST of it HAS to be water.

On the other hand, lets say you phenomenally pigged out. And you actually ate enough at dinner to gain a full pound. You ate an extra 3500-4000 calories at dinner. You dont think you already know that without the scale telling you?

And the scale can lie the other way as well. I can just so happen to have a low weight the night after I ate a pint of ben and jerrys. (probably because as I age I am starting to get ye old lactose intolerance ) This doesnt mean that eating B&J's every night in the LONG run is going to be good for my weight.

No matter how often you weigh, you HAVE to learn to focus on the big picture. Daily habits, weekly habits do not reflect in daily weights or weekly weights. What you do one day is of little consequence GOOD or BAD. Its what you do 95% of the time, day in and day out for weeks, months, years that in the end matters.