Daily weighing associated with better weight losses

meerkat70

So, here's one for the myth that you should 'never weight yourself more than once a week'.

Study finds that daily weighing is associated with more, and more consistent weightloss.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2015/01/this-is-how-often-dieters-should-weigh-themselves.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+PsychologyBlog+(PsyBlog)

LavenderLeaves

I've seen this. My issue with it is that it doesn't give one inkling of information on the long-term effects of the weight loss. If it was kept off long-term, that's great. If not, what's the point? It really has everything to do with the mentality of the person, as well. It's far more damaging for a lot of people to weigh daily. That's great if there's people who can do it daily and not be bothered by the normal daily weight fluctuations our body goes through.

TimothyFish

Cause/effect is uncertain with that study. It is possible that people who are success at weight loss tend to step on the scale more often because they know it will show them something they want to see.

cinderquest

I base my current practice of weighing and recording my weight everyday on a long history of losing and gaining weight. If I don't weigh, I don't care, and I gain weight, it's that simple for me. When I weigh AND record my weight every day I stay on track and keep the weight off. I lost 130 pounds and kept it off for seven years. Then I blew out my knee and got frustrated and stopped weighing myself and gained 80 pounds back. I'm slowly taking it off again, but each time I stall, I noticed I've stopped weighing myself. It's a checks and balance thing for me, and I know that a 2-3 pound variance is normal for me so I don't freak out. Doesn't work for everyone, but I kind of hate the one rule fits all thing anyway.

ukaryote

OK, for that population it affected their behavior positively. It would frustrate me. Different reaction to the same stimulus.

Driagnor

I personally find that weighing myself every day helps to keep me accountable. I understand that water retention can cause large fluctuations, and so if I jump up, it doesn't stress me out much - it does make me look back on the previous day and assess whether there was anything I could have done better though.

I also track every day's weight on a spreadsheet so I can see what the long term trend is. If you're only weighing once a week, and you have a lot of sodium the day before your weigh-in, I imagine that it could be quite demotivating to see little to no improvement for the week.

kbkeats

I like to weigh myself each day. It keeps me focused and helps me keep track which items I've eaten the previous two days that contribute to scale movement (up or down - typically shows high vs low sodium items).

brianpperkins

A single study of 40 people is a mere data point. Does the finding hold up in a larger population? Does it hold up across country boundaries?

Branstin

There isn't any rule to the number of times a person should weigh themselves. I weigh once a week because I am not going to waste my time with daily fluctuations. However, if a person could stick to their plan better by weighing daily then they should do it as long as they understand the daily fluctuations.

RibStabsHeart

I dunno -- I like to weigh every morning, but I see the value in "throwing out the scale" as well. For me, it keeps me on point and keeps me accountable (like others in this thread have said). It's also interesting to see how my weight loss changes -- I tend to stick at the same weight for 2-4 days, then drop a couple pounds, then gain about .5-1 pound, then keep that for 2-4 days, on and on.

Knowing that I have to weigh-in in the morning helps me not snack at night, which is also a good thing.

pscarolina

I'm not planning to give up weighing entirely, but I don't weigh very often. For me, it starts a pattern that's unhealthy. I start cutting back more & more, to an unsustainable level, obsess over what the scale is going to say, try to sweat more (weighing before & after class), eat even less, eat lighter weight foods, or whatever variety of insanity you can come up with basically.

trina1049

I weigh in every day then average the week's results and follow the trend by posting it into The Hacker's Diet. There seems to be a pattern in the fluctuations which I find interesting. The body is a marvelous thing.

dopeysmelly

I find the daily weighing reminds me to maintain my positive habits in general, and logging the daily weight makes it easier to track the longer term trend, which is my early warning system. I find the fluctuations intriguing and occasionally irritating.

If I didn't weigh every day I would seriously just forget to do it at all.

seltzermint555

kbkeats wrote: »

I like to weigh myself each day. It keeps me focused and helps me keep track which items I've eaten the previous two days that contribute to scale movement (up or down - typically shows high vs low sodium items).

Same here.

I think different approaches work for different people.

For me, daily weighing is essential.

My boss is a 50-something woman who has always been at a healthy weight. She weighs every single morning and if she's gone up 2-3 lb it reminds her to take it easy on the food intake. She has never dieted or had a massive amount of weight to lose, but this works well for her. I plan to track my intake for years to come but once I've been maintaining a healthy weight for years I hope to do that long term, as well.

lalepepper

I do find daily weighing to work well for me in general. Depending on peoples' expectations for the number on the scale, I can see why it can be frustrating. I like to use the Weight Grapher website to see trends over time. This has helped me learn that there are general trends behind the daily fluctuation. I like seeing my "trending weight" from daily weigh-ins versus hoping the weekly weigh in falls on a lower weight day.

While I think studies and anecdotal evidence can be helpful for people trying to decide how they'll approach these habits, I'd recommend people don't worry too much about them. The best you can do for yourself is try different methods until you find one that works for you.

tbplayer59

To me, when I weigh myself every morning, it's because my weight and my eating's effect on my weight is foremost in my mind. It's the same as logging every meal.

kommodevaran

TimothyFish wrote: »

Cause/effect is uncertain with that study. It is possible that people who are success at weight loss tend to step on the scale more often because they know it will show them something they want to see.

Yes. This.

sjaplo

kommodevaran wrote: »

TimothyFish wrote: »

Cause/effect is uncertain with that study. It is possible that people who are success at weight loss tend to step on the scale more often because they know it will show them something they want to see.

Yes. This.

Then how do explain my dread in getting on the scale Monday morning?

The scale is a tool, like any other. I use it daily because it keeps me on track and it is interesting to see what happens to weight in relation to activity level, food ingested, atmospheric conditions etc.

Either that or I'm OCD.

Angiefit4life

I am so glad I am not alone. I weigh daily but record if I have lost .5 or more. this works for me.

Cheriesaurus

I like to weigh daily so my reading is more accurate overall cause I'd hate to weigh myself on a day I'm bloated for whatever reason and wonder what I did wrong all week when actually I could of lost some. Low carb I saw a loss daily and that definitely encourages me to keep going.

minamu68

I think I'd become obsessed if I weighed myself every day, but I must admit I haven't tried it. I've done weight watchers, and with that you weigh once a week. Also, I have such major fluctuations at certain times of the month that I think I would be majorly depressed if I weighed myself daily, like if I was bloating, I'd feel like even though I did everything right, I still didn't get the results.

That said, since I've never tried it, perhaps I'll try it for a week or two and see how it goes. It seems like it would make one too preoccupied with weight, though.

ana3067

cinderquest wrote: »

I base my current practice of weighing and recording my weight everyday on a long history of losing and gaining weight. If I don't weigh, I don't care, and I gain weight, it's that simple for me. When I weigh AND record my weight every day I stay on track and keep the weight off. I lost 130 pounds and kept it off for seven years. Then I blew out my knee and got frustrated and stopped weighing myself and gained 80 pounds back. I'm slowly taking it off again, but each time I stall, I noticed I've stopped weighing myself. It's a checks and balance thing for me, and I know that a 2-3 pound variance is normal for me so I don't freak out. Doesn't work for everyone, but I kind of hate the one rule fits all thing anyway.

This happens for me as well, but I do not weigh daily. Once a week, maybe twice, is more than enough. I tried doing it daily and it was a bit too annoying for me and I feel better just living my life without constantly thinking about my daily weight.

Unless you stop tracking calories when you stop weighing yourself though, you probably aren't stalling and are more so just happening to weigh yourself on the "up" days that normally occur.

ETA I sometimes go weeks without weighing. When I first lost weight almost 5 years ago, I don't think I weighed myself for the last 20lbs I lost. I just went shopping one day and saw that I could fit into a size 8, then saw I was 145lbs. Then after that I stopped weighing, could fit a size 5/6, still didn't weigh myself. Only weighed in once my clothes got too small again. I plan on weighing in weekly or biweekly when in maintenance, and then 1-2x a week when on bulk and cut cycles. especially more regular weighings when I slowly reverse diet after I lose these last 15-20lbs.

mmgavitt

I weigh myself daily or every other day. Like cinderquest wrote... If I stop weighing that often it doesn't go well for me. I track my weight daily/every other day in a different app though and I do an 'official' weekly weigh in for MPF once a week.

Vailara

I weigh daily and I think it helps me to keep on track. I do get a bit fed up of hearing the equivalent of "You can't deal with the truth!". I know it's not for everybody, but yes, I can deal with the horror of daily fluctuations! So it's nice to have a bit of support for the practice for once. Thank you for posting the article!

Suzanuh

Like most here, I weigh myself daily. I stopped weighing myself for awhile and gained so much back. It's just another tool for accountability imo.

babyrover

I have found the best motivation for me is weighing 3 days a week...I weigh Monday (to see if I caused any damage over the week-end) Wednesday and Friday. I weigh the morning after a gym visit..this seems to keep me motivated to get to the gym so I can see some results the next morning! Probably all in my mind but if it works....

Revcminor

I weigh daily as well. It keeps me on track.

PeachyCarol

I avoided the scale for years and fooled myself into gaining a lot of weight that way. Never again. It's hard, I still face it with trepidation, but I weigh daily now. I plan to continue doing so into maintenance. Getting used to the natural fluctuations and learning what causes them is important for me in learning to relax and take things as they come.

losingles

I weigh every morning to keep myself accountable and record my weight once a week on Wednesdays. Like others have said, I lose focus if I don't check in every morning, but I understand the need to only weigh once a week. I have family members who obsess about the small ups and downs, and for one of them, it causes her to feel depressed. Fortunately, I don't react that way, but I know others do. So, ultimately, I think we should all do what works for us best. And for me, weighing each morning keeps me on track.

KharismaticKayteh

If I weigh myself on my Wii Fit and am dissatisfied with my weight, I exercise immediately (since I already have the board out and the game running), because I know doing NOTHING won't make me any more satisfied. If I weigh myself and find that I'm GREATLY satisfied, I also exercise, because I want to keep the momentum going! So weighing regularly is good for me, but I don't record my weight on MFP until I've reached the two-week (or rarely sooner) goal set for me by Wii Fit.

Liftng4Lis

I weigh daily and post once a week. It works for me.