Should you update your weight no matter what?

afrsilver

I joined a couple of weeks ago and within the first 10 days I lost 6 lbs, but it's been 2 weeks since then and I haven't lost anything. Should I still log when I weigh myself or just leave it? Also if you gain anything back like a pound or 2 would you log that or just work your way back down? I feel like these are dumb questions but I'm a stickler for doing things right.

Ngazey1985

I always log mine every week so that you can look back on the graph and sometimes you can find a pattern emerging xxxx

hookandy

I log every time I jump on the scales, gives me a pretty graph. Then every 10lbs or so I will reset my goals to drop my calories (The two are not linked in MFP)

harrisc12

When I was losing, I liked to log my weight everyday no matter what. Although to avoid obsessing about the scale you have to go in with the realization that weight loss isn't necessarily linear and will fluctuate. It was kind of neat to look back at the graph, looks like a stock chart, small ups and downs, but the general direction is down.

Also knowing I was weighing myself every morning gave me a little more motivation to not cheat on myself.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I log every time I weigh, which is usually every 2-3 days (sometimes daily). MFP syncs with my FitBit account (though I now use a Garmin tracker, my Fitbit account still exists), which then syncs with TrendWeight. It is nice sometimes when I feel like I'm not making progress to be able to look at that and see whether I'm really stalled, gaining, or losing.

ETA: In order to have the most accurate data, I log everything that is relevant. Not just every scale reading, but also every bite of food.

H_Ock12

I log my new weight every time the scale changes in either direction.

Lounmoun

I log no my weight no matter what every week. I find it useful to have a record of that information.
It is up to you.

vingogly

I don't like seeing the weight fluctuate up and down -- so I only log weight when it goes down, and because I'm within 10-15 pounds of my final weight, I don't weigh very often. If my weight goes up, I reduce my calories and weigh myself again in a week. But that's just me. Whatever motivates you to keep going is the right answer for you.

cwolfman13

afrsilver wrote: »

I joined a couple of weeks ago and within the first 10 days I lost 6 lbs, but it's been 2 weeks since then and I haven't lost anything. Should I still log when I weigh myself or just leave it? Also if you gain anything back like a pound or 2 would you log that or just work your way back down? I feel like these are dumb questions but I'm a stickler for doing things right.

Yes...data points let you track trends over time. Weight loss isn't a linear process, it's important to observe overall trends over time.

bkbirge

I log every day or every few days, usually skip weekends because I don't get up as early and I like to log the exact same time.

ryry_

There is no right way. Whichever method makes you feel the most at peace wtih what is going on is the one to go with.

Ready2Rock206

I log whatever the scale days on Monday morning - down, up or the same. You can do whatever works for you however.

SusanMFindlay

I log daily because then it's just habit and I don't have to dwell on the number (which goes up and down - but has a general downward trend). Like one of the other posters, I have a FitBit account which picks up the weight from here and sends it to TrendWeight so that I can see my overall progress more clearly.

kermax39

I only log when I lose weight never when I gain a pound or two.....unless its a big gain and I know the reason for it..like a holiday, xmas etc.

cruisin99

I do it daily as i like to see a downward trend overall, a couple days of bad choices and i see the weight going back on.

JaydedMiss

I only update mine every 5 pounds. That way when i panic thinking im not losing i look back and realize iv been losing 5 pounds every 20-25 days consistently since i started. Makes me feel beter im super impatient XD

Christine_72

I weighed daily for a couple of years, and have now changed to every 2nd or 3rd day. I have to keep it somewhat regular as i use Trendweight, and weighing once a week or less doesn't give it enough info.

kshama2001

I just log in MFP when something changes dramatically. For a while I was weighing every day and charting in Excel. This is how I learned I gain water weight at ovulation as well as premenstrually.

leanjogreen18

I only log my weight loss in mfp simply because I don't want to annoy my friends on my newsfeed when I lose the same lb over and over:). And I don't take it off my newsfeed because I do like "atta girls" once in awhile:).

I do log it in happy scales pretty much daily though.

lorrpb

I weigh daily and log in Happy Scale to track the trend and fluctuations. I log each new low in MFP. That way when MFP says "You've lost x lbs since last weigh in" it's a TRUE loss towards my ultimate goal and not a fluctuation.

Tacklewasher

hookandy wrote: »

I log every time I jump on the scales, gives me a pretty graph. Then every 10lbs or so I will reset my goals to drop my calories (The two are not linked in MFP)

I've noticed this, and also when you do change your weight in the goals, it resets you macro levels so I have to remember to go in and up my protein.

afrsilver

Thanks everyone I was really curious about this, I think I'll start logging my weight every week I usually weigh myself everyday or every other day but logging my weight every day seems a bit too much and I will probably forget

afrsilver

midwesterner85 wrote: »

I log every time I weigh, which is usually every 2-3 days (sometimes daily). MFP syncs with my FitBit account (though I now use a Garmin tracker, my Fitbit account still exists), which then syncs with TrendWeight. It is nice sometimes when I feel like I'm not making progress to be able to look at that and see whether I'm really stalled, gaining, or losing.

ETA: In order to have the most accurate data, I log everything that is relevant. Not just every scale reading, but also every bite of food.

I've been thinking about getting a fitbit for a while everyone tells me it's extremely useful when trying to lose weight, maybe I'll stop putting it off and just get one

callsitlikeiseeit

i log every week. no matter whether the scale is up or down.


that would be how you identify TRENDS.

afrsilver

JaydedMiss wrote: »

I only update mine every 5 pounds. That way when i panic thinking im not losing i look back and realize iv been losing 5 pounds every 20-25 days consistently since i started. Makes me feel beter im super impatient XD

I was doing the same, I only updated when I had lost at least 5 lbs because 1-4 seems like such a little bit, I'm also extremely impatient, I want fast progress which I had to learn isn't really possible

PAV8888

To the poster who said he's going to get a Fitbit, while I am certainly not going to dissuade you given that I love mine, note that you do not need a device in order to use the free fitbit.com account and connect it to trendweight.com.

I have my daily morning weigh ins automatically push from fitbit.com to MFP and trendweight. I have mfp notifications turned off and only turn them on before posting a new low which is infrequent enough is that it is not a big deal.

To my chagrin there have actually been days that I forgot to weigh myself before eating or drinking something but I mostly do remember

CafeRacer808

Yes, you should log your weight regularly. How often you do it is up to you, but it's important to remember that as your weight decreases, so too will your daily calorie goal. If you don't log a 10 pound loss, for example, MFP will assume that you're 10 pounds heavier and will base your daily calorie goal on the wrong weight. If this happens, you'll likely stall your weight loss (or even reverse it) because you'll be eating more than you should.

SusanMFindlay

CafeRacer808 wrote: »

Yes, you should log your weight regularly. How often you do it is up to you, but it's important to remember that as your weight decreases, so too will your daily calorie goal. If you don't log a 10 pound loss, for example, MFP will assume that you're 10 pounds heavier and will base your daily calorie goal on the wrong weight. If this happens, you'll likely stall your weight loss (or even reverse it) because you'll be eating more than you should.

True, but note that you'd have to have forgotten to update your settings in more than 50 pounds to actually reverse your weight loss. I suspect it's one reason so many people report getting stuck after losing about 50 pounds.