Considering putting the scale away and weighing in on a monthly or bi-weekly basis. Thoughts?

SteroidalLolita

Like a good portion of the people that frequent MFP I tend to weigh every day and disappoint myself, even though I know it's water retention. Especially on days (more like weeks) like this one where I've reached that lovely monthly hormone shift.

My question is: Does anyone else weigh in bi-weekly or monthly?

RelCanonical

I weigh monthly. I have enough data from previous weigh-ins to know that I'm being accurate with my food intake and exercise calories, so I just trust the process and treat the weigh-ins as a guide rather than a result. It does really help me to not see those fluctuations. For some reason, as long as I've lost something, even if it's only 2 pounds in a month where I should have lost 4, I'm happy.

zeejane4

My daily weigh-ins and using that data to track my trends on Libra is one of the tools that I use as part of my weight management plan. I've stopped weighing daily in the past and I've promptly regained. So for me it wouldn't be a good idea, but you can always just give it a try for a month or two and see how it works out for you.

emeraldwoods4214

The scale stresses me out. I think I get too obsessed with the number and then I make bad decisions because I feel like I’ve failed if I’m not consistently going down. I’m using the “clothes fitting” measurement system 🤣

SteroidalLolita

RelCanonical wrote: »

I weigh monthly. I have enough data from previous weigh-ins to know that I'm being accurate with my food intake and exercise calories, so I just trust the process and treat the weigh-ins as a guide rather than a result. It does really help me to not see those fluctuations. For some reason, as long as I've lost something, even if it's only 2 pounds in a month where I should have lost 4, I'm happy.

I never used to weigh myself so religiously, I think I just get more neurotic as I get older.

SteroidalLolita

zeejane4 wrote: »

My daily weigh-ins and using that data to track my trends on Libra is one of the tools that I use as part of my weight management plan. I've stopped weighing daily in the past and I've promptly regained. So for me it wouldn't be a good idea, but you can always just give it a try for a month or two and see how it works out for you.

I've been using Happy Scale but I don't think it makes me feel any better about it? I'm apparently SUPER prone to holding onto a lot of water and it becomes very, very exhausting.

SteroidalLolita

emeraldwoods4214 wrote: »

The scale stresses me out. I think I get too obsessed with the number and then I make bad decisions because I feel like I’ve failed if I’m not consistently going down. I’m using the “clothes fitting” measurement system 🤣

Ditto with getting too obsessed. I can tell that everything fits me soooo loosely now but then I look at the scale and go; "HOW?!"

Then the water weight drops off and I'm even lighter than I was at the last weigh in and feel good for two weeks before it all starts again. It's a vicious cycle.

mike_rom

I HIGHLY recommend something like this. Weighing regularly is NOT a good idea. When you are working out, dieting, etc your body weight is going to fluctuate... both up and down.....water retention, new lean muscle mass, and other reasons. I personal only weigh myself every month. SOMETIMES every 2 weeks. I prefer to go off body measurements and progress pictures. Your weight is nothing more than a number. Means NOTHING. Go off of how you feel and how you look in that mirror.

SteroidalLolita

mike_rom wrote: »

I HIGHLY recommend something like this. Weighing regularly is NOT a good idea. When you are working out, dieting, etc your body weight is going to fluctuate... both up and down.....water retention, new lean muscle mass, and other reasons. I personal only weigh myself every month. SOMETIMES every 2 weeks. I prefer to go off body measurements and progress pictures. Your weight is nothing more than a number. Means NOTHING. Go off of how you feel and how you look in that mirror.

That is exactly what I've been thinking. I need to hide that little sucker from myself until the 28th of every month, I swear. My measurements have been drastically going down each time I take them (probably once every two-three weeks.)

emmies_123

zeejane4 wrote: »

My daily weigh-ins and using that data to track my trends on Libra is one of the tools that I use as part of my weight management plan. I've stopped weighing daily in the past and I've promptly regained. So for me it wouldn't be a good idea, but you can always just give it a try for a month or two and see how it works out for you.

I'm more like zeejane, if I don't weigh daily I start grazing again. I don't mind my weight fluctuating, so the daily weigh-in keeps me from lying to myself that "oh this extra serving won't matter" without stressing me out too much.

PWRLFTR1

I only weigh myself when I have to. When I sign up for a powerlifting meet, weigh myself to know which weight class to sign up for, get weighed in the day before the meet and visits to the doctor. Other than that I never step on a scale.

bobshuckleberry

I rarely weigh myself. I go by how do I look, how do I feel, how do I perform.

dogWalkerTX

If the scale is annoying you, then I wouldn't look so often. Maybe weigh monthly and focus on eating well and exercising? What do you think?

SteroidalLolita

dogWalkerTX wrote: »

If the scale is annoying you, then I wouldn't look so often. Maybe weigh monthly and focus on eating well and exercising? What do you think?

I think that is an excellent idea and just what I was leaning toward.

echmain3

Dreadful idea.

A daily weight check is a great way to make sure you’re on the right track.

Weighing in at long intervals is bad because you could be weighing on two “spike” days which will give you a very wrong indication of your progress.

That isn’t enough data points.

Daily (once per day, at the same time in your daily routine) is the only way to go.

Keto_Vampire

Obsessing over daily changes will mess with you mentally & make you more prone to making irrational decisions (excessive dieting, purging, excessive exercise, etc.) when they are completely unnecessary. Slow & steady wins the race/focus on the big picture for long term. Too much of a crap shoot looking at weight by itself (water/hydration status, inflammation, workouts, hormonal cycles, muscle gain, fat gain, recent food consumption, etc. among the many variable @ play)

Generally go with waist/hip/thigh/chest/shoulder measurements, the mirror, & clothing fit when deciding to make long term changes

emmamcgarity

I think this is an individual thing. Some people do well with the data and others don’t. For me it’s a habit and the scale does not stress me out at this time. But if it did, I would consider your approach.

To me the scale is just one tool to gauge my fitness. My pants size is also an indication on how I’m meeting my weight loss goals. How far or how long I can run is another tool I use to gauge my fitness. I bought a new fitness tracker that has a heart rate monitor that I am finding very intriguing. The results from my cholesterol screenings are more data. I think a combination of tools is giving me a better picture of how things are going.

At the beginning of this journey I think I needed the scale more often. I needed to form the habits. Track food.... weigh self... keep repeating... the setting of the habits have helped me not stress about the variances.

It might just come down to finding the right tools and schedule of when to use each of those tools that give you accountability but also keep you from going crazy. I think that combination of tools may be different for each of us. Give it a try!

NovusDies

If your instinct is to put the scale away then, at least for now, that is what you should do. You don't need daily numbers to manage your weight.

spiriteagle99

When I was losing weight, the scale was not my friend. If I hadn't lost anything, or found I had gained, I would tell myself, "This isn't working. I might as well just eat what I want and forget the diet." If I did lose weight, I would say, "Oh good, I'm down 3 pounds. I can celebrate by eating some ice cream or pizza." I was better off weighing every couple of weeks. When I saw I'd lost 3 pounds in four weeks, I'd think, "Okay, this is good, but I can do better."

Now that I'm in maintenance, I weigh myself more often. I have a 5 lb. window, and try to stay on the low side. I don't get upset if I'm up a couple of pounds, but I need to stay on top of it if I gain more. From past experience as a lifetime yoyo dieter, I know how easy it is to ignore weight gain when I don't want to see it.

aokoye

echmain3 wrote: »

Dreadful idea.

A daily weight check is a great way to make sure you’re on the right track.

Weighing in at long intervals is bad because you could be weighing on two “spike” days which will give you a very wrong indication of your progress.

That isn’t enough data points.

Daily (once per day, at the same time in your daily routine) is the only way to go.

Except there's no one best way, or in your words "only way to go" for most things, including monitoring your weight. If stepping on the scale every day is the catalyst for making poor decisions, then it's not a good idea. I personally think it's a dreadful idea to continue to do something that is both unnecessary and causing someone a large amount of stress. If someone is in a calorie deficit, they will lose weight. A scale isn't going to cause them to do so. It might help them notice when they've stepped out of that deficit, but if they've managed to continuously lose weight (which it sounds like is happening for the OP) then what's the point in weighing oneself other than for their own curiosity.