Weighing and the SCALE

JamesAztec

So... this seems to be an issue I've struggled with since surgery. How often to weigh? My thinking about my health has been "what do healthy, 'normal' people do"? I've asked many friends and co-workers how often they weigh and it seems like people that are more "average" weight weigh themselves rarely (many couldn't even remember last time they weighed). And people that were struggling with their weight weighed more often. So, I've tried to have at least a few days (and sometimes many weeks) between weigh-ins. Doing this seemed to almost guarantee the number would drop.

But... as my weight loss slowed I decided to buy my own scale. So now I'm weighing everyday and tracking it on Trend Weight. When I woke it was 226.4. This seemed high. And hour or so later I thought I'd just see what the scale says again. I urinated and then stepped on. 221.8. A difference of 4.6 pounds. Obviously my urine didn't weigh that much. I understand your body is constantly fluctuating in weight. But it seems to get such drastic differences in reading makes weighing almost a crap shoot.

I realize weight is only one indicator of overall health (and some might argue not a good one). Maybe I should go back to weighing less frequently? Or just look at the "trend"? Thoughts?

Ultima_Morpha

I weigh every day that I'm at home (I travel a lot for work). I like the regular feedback and since I don't log food it helps me stay on track. I can weigh that regularly without being obsessive about it.

Logging food, on the other hand, can trigger me to be too restrictive. I focus on the right foods in the right portions and listen to my body.

I'm just over six months out from RNY and experiencing my first significant pause in my losses. I've been in the same 3 pound window since the 8th...I'm annoyed as I'd like to get down to 150 by my 40th birthday in April and I'm not so sure that is going to happen at this rate.

All of that being said...I started Jillian Michaels Shred It with Weights kettlebell workout two weeks ago and my arms look awesome. I'll take it!

duffslove

I went 3 months without logging my food exercise or weight..it started out that I wanted to try an experiment to see if I could keep myself on track without being stuck with having to log all of the time, I too wanted "normal" it didn't work well for me, I figured out I wasn't holding myself accountable the longer I did it, and that made it easier for me to slack off. At that time I was only weighing every 2-3 weeks for the same reason, where before I was weighing 2 days a week. The last few weeks I realized I got out of control without keeping my logs up and using all of the tools I have, gained some weight back and was making horrible choices because I didn't see a loss or gain on the scale and my head was telling me, you're ok, it's fine..Now back to doing what I need to do to work my program again, weighing and logging for accountability. Everyone is different, but for me I def need it to help myself stay on track.
I can get different weights on my own scale within mins of taking one with it being up to a 2 1/2 lb difference, it's odd..but I just have a routine that worked well in the beginning for me...weigh at the same time daily (when I first wake up, before I've taken in anything), wear the exact same thing (or nothing), keep scale in exact same spot, only weigh once per time, don't try a best weight out of 3 thing..lol

Good luck to you

Ultima_Morpha

duffslove wrote: »

I went 3 months without logging my food exercise or weight..it started out that I wanted to try an experiment to see if I could keep myself on track without being stuck with having to log all of the time, I too wanted "normal" it didn't work well for me, I figured out I wasn't holding myself accountable the longer I did it, and that made it easier for me to slack off. At that time I was only weighing every 2-3 weeks for the same reason, where before I was weighing 2 days a week. The last few weeks I realized I got out of control without keeping my logs up and using all of the tools I have, gained some weight back and was making horrible choices because I didn't see a loss or gain on the scale and my head was telling me, you're ok, it's fine..Now back to doing what I need to do to work my program again, weighing and logging for accountability. Everyone is different, but for me I def need it to help myself stay on track.
I can get different weights on my own scale within mins of taking one with it being up to a 2 1/2 lb difference, it's odd..but I just have a routine that worked well in the beginning for me...weigh at the same time daily (when I first wake up, before I've taken in anything), wear the exact same thing (or nothing), keep scale in exact same spot, only weigh once per time, don't try a best weight out of 3 thing..lol

Good luck to you

My weigh in routine is almost exactly the same...lol.

JamesAztec

I'm still weighing myself everyday (for now) but now that I have more data points the Trend Weight is making more sense. Going to try and focus on the changes I've made in the past year instead of scale numbers. I know results will come if I continue to live a healthy life.

5BeautifulDays

I weighed myself every day the first year or so. This fall I just was really weary of tracking and decided to stop tracking and only weigh once per week. As long as I stayed within a 5 pound window, I didn't have to track. Well, after a week snowed in and way too much wine and chocolate and other stuff that can only ever be a "treat" and not a lifestyle I crept up about a pound outside of that window. So now it's back to daily tracking and daily weighing. The weighing is really just to hold myself accountable. I don't care so much where I fall within that window.

ssbeadlady

I am glad I found this topic. I just had surgery last Tuesday. I started weighing myself Sunday and weighed yesterday and today. I don't know how often I should be weighing myself. I usually got discouraged in the past when I weighed everyday and I didn't see any weight loss for days. I didn't see the scale go down today and I got the same feelings as in the past. Those who weighed every day for the first year, how did you deal with not seeing the scale go down daily? Any suggestion on how to get control over not weighing every day? I do have a room mate and have been thinking of telling him to hide the scale and only give it to me on Mondays. Have others done something like this?

5BeautifulDays

ssbeadlady wrote: »

I am glad I found this topic. I just had surgery last Tuesday. I started weighing myself Sunday and weighed yesterday and today. I don't know how often I should be weighing myself. I usually got discouraged in the past when I weighed everyday and I didn't see any weight loss for days. I didn't see the scale go down today and I got the same feelings as in the past. Those who weighed every day for the first year, how did you deal with not seeing the scale go down daily? Any suggestion on how to get control over not weighing every day? I do have a room mate and have been thinking of telling him to hide the scale and only give it to me on Mondays. Have others done something like this?

Your body just endured a really major surgery and all that entails. You will have stalls that are common to almost everyone who has done the surgery--part of the normal body processes of recovery and settling into the new routine. Usually, you'll lose a lot quickly (glycogen depletion) doing the pre-surgery liquid diet. Then, you may actually gain a little weight in fluids from the surgery itself. It can take a week or so to get rid of the extra fluid. You may find that your slowed digestion and the smaller amounts you eat can cause constipation--this can cause a noticeable change in weight (both ways!). The best thing you can do is just keep sipping and getting your protein. You'll see another big stall at 2-3 weeks, and often a longer one at 3-4 months. Expect them, and then you won't fear them. You will see that the *trend* will be continuously downward for some time (several months at least, for me it was almost a year) if you are following the plan.

ssbeadlady

5BeautifulDays wrote: »

ssbeadlady wrote: »

I am glad I found this topic. I just had surgery last Tuesday. I started weighing myself Sunday and weighed yesterday and today. I don't know how often I should be weighing myself. I usually got discouraged in the past when I weighed everyday and I didn't see any weight loss for days. I didn't see the scale go down today and I got the same feelings as in the past. Those who weighed every day for the first year, how did you deal with not seeing the scale go down daily? Any suggestion on how to get control over not weighing every day? I do have a room mate and have been thinking of telling him to hide the scale and only give it to me on Mondays. Have others done something like this?

Your body just endured a really major surgery and all that entails. You will have stalls that are common to almost everyone who has done the surgery--part of the normal body processes of recovery and settling into the new routine. Usually, you'll lose a lot quickly (glycogen depletion) doing the pre-surgery liquid diet. Then, you may actually gain a little weight in fluids from the surgery itself. It can take a week or so to get rid of the extra fluid. You may find that your slowed digestion and the smaller amounts you eat can cause constipation--this can cause a noticeable change in weight (both ways!). The best thing you can do is just keep sipping and getting your protein. You'll see another big stall at 2-3 weeks, and often a longer one at 3-4 months. Expect them, and then you won't fear them. You will see that the *trend* will be continuously downward for some time (several months at least, for me it was almost a year) if you are following the plan.

Thanks for the info. I had those 2 days of not losing and the third day I dropped 6 pounds. I am 10 days post op and have now lost 19 pounds and am very pleased. Since Wednesday the scale has dropped every day and I am really feeling great. I will be looking out for those stalls and will not be so discouraged when I do see them now.

tweety4bonnie4

I had my VSG on Dec. 21, 2015 and my doctor told me to check my weight every day. I weigh in every morning after I get up.

Msroro

I weigh in twice a day... Morning and evening. I'm doing that because I have started living a ketogenic lifestyle in order to lose regain. I had my surgery sept 2010. I gained 30 pounds back from my lowest weight I got really bad with snacking. Weighing that much now keeps my accountable and allows me to see how this new way of life is working for me.