The scale

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I have a lot of friends that criticize me for weighing myself once a week. Now these people are not on a quest to be healthier or lose weight. They say I should focus on how my clothes feel or how much stronger I am getting. I, however, like to weigh myself because it lets me know where I am and seeing the number get smaller (even just 1lb per week) helps keep me motivated to continue. I don't notice the difference in my clothes as much because I usually lose weight in my stomach last. I also take measurements once a month to have a second set of numbers to reference.

I thought I would come here to seek out the opinion of others. What do you think? Is continuing to weigh myself once a week too much or setting myself up for failure? Or is it completely reasonable to weigh myself regularly.

Replies

  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
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    Any time I've put on weight, it's been in a period when I wasn't weighing myself. I'm in favor of weighing yourself every morning so you can see the fluctuations.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
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    If you said you were weighing every day then sure that's too much focus on weight but once a week seems like a good amount of weighing.

    If it motivates you who cares what your friends think. Maybe don't tell them you have weighed yourself.

    Or maybe they are jealous of your weight loss
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    It's completely reasonable. Using a scale is a great tool to track weight change as long as you're not obsessive and weighing yourself 3 times a day. There are a lot of anti scale people, but most of the reasons they give for not using a scale are usually BS. I'm sorry, but you're not going to be losing fat and gaining muscle resulting in any significant amount of fat loss while remaining your same weight so if you're losing weight you're losing fat. Do you Daisy
  • jdevergillo7
    jdevergillo7 Posts: 315 Member
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    Hey! I lost about 60 pounds about 6 years ago and I have not gained a pound since. I used to weigh myself multiple times a day and let me tell you..years of doing that made me crazy. If I weighed in after dinner and didn't like the number I wouldn't go out with my friends for dinner, wouldn't go out to celebrate with drinks, wouldn't do anything involving consuming more calories. It got to my head a lot...it would set my mood for the day when I woke up ...even .2 of a gain. I just recently about 3 months ago gave my roomate my scale and I only weigh myself every two weeks. I wake up with less anxiety and just live my day.. I eat healthy and go to the gym I don't need a number to determine if I'm healthy. Everyone is different but I really believe the scale got to my head and I advise every week-once a month may be better psychologically
  • Lourdesong
    Lourdesong Posts: 1,492 Member
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    It's not an either/or. You can focus on the scale and how your clothes feel. Sometimes clothes give positive feedback, and sometimes the scale gives positive feedback.

    Once a week weigh-in is not even that often. Your friends probably just want to hear themselves talk.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Do what you feel comfortable with. Some people are better with every day, some with every week, some with just once a month, and others not at all. All that matters is that you do it at a consistent time.
  • xcaranicolex
    xcaranicolex Posts: 38 Member
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    it depends i think. i tend to do once a week generally, but i used to do it more often. if you are someone who is going to see any lack of loss or fluctuation as a failure, do not put yourself through that. if your motivated by that sort of thing, then go for it. it really is a personal thing.
  • MindySaysWhaaat
    MindySaysWhaaat Posts: 401 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Do what you feel comfortable with. Some people are better with every day, some with every week, some with just once a month, and others not at all. All that matters is that you do it at a consistent time.

    I agree with this. How often you weigh yourself is your concern alone. Some people can't handle weighing themselves every day because it gets in their heads too much, but I do it and it doesn't bother me. If you like weighing once a week, then go for it. If your friends can't support that, then I would just not mention it to them.
  • danigrl8
    danigrl8 Posts: 22 Member
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    I say do whatever works best for you and will keep you motivated.