Maintenance

chrisybratsven5273
chrisybratsven5273 Posts: 2 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Anyone else weigh in daily? My family thinks I’m obsessed. I feel as though if I don’t weigh in daily I can lose control of my weight quickly.

Replies

  • reversemigration
    reversemigration Posts: 168 Member
    edited May 2019
    While I may not need to do daily weight forever, I've found it useful not only for accountability but also to get a feeling for how and why my weight varies over time. It was interesting to see just how much variance can occur day to day from greater salt intake, water weight gain after strenuous workouts, etc.

    Over time I may segue to what a lot of folks here do and just keep an eye on how things fit, measurements, or the like, but for now it's simply a good way of staying on track.
  • jan110144
    jan110144 Posts: 1,239 Member
    As I am still trying to figure out maintenance, I am back to weighing daily. Once I feel like I am more stable, I suspect I will change to once a week or so.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    I weigh daily, so I can make adjustments earlier. The National Weight Loss Registry data shows regular weight recorded in, at least every week, led to successful maintenance.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,966 Member
    I've weighed daily (and noted the result) for many years, even while not trying to lose weight. I learned a great deal from that (about what causes water weight and other fluctuations in my body, for example), that helped me when I did get serious about weight loss. Now, in maintenance, it helps me stay at a healthy weight by making weight creep more obvious. I can't think why I'd stop.

    I don't talk about it to others, though, unless it's someone else who's weight management and fitness focused, on the same wavelength. Other people don't necessarily get it. (It's just like not talking to certain people about some of my arts-related activities that they think are a waste of time: Not a productive topic for either of us.)

    Scale weight is just data. I like data; it helps me make rational rather than emotional decisions. There isn't necessarily anything obsessive about collecting it. People can become obsessed with scale weight, but that's independent of weighing frequency, and is a psychological dimension beyond simply knowing/noting ones weight as part of a healthy weight-management routine.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I’ve been maintaining for 7 months now and I weigh myself every morning. I don’t discuss it with anyone though.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    chrisybratsven5273 wrote: »
    Anyone else weigh in daily? My family thinks I’m obsessed. I feel as though if I don’t weigh in daily I can lose control of my weight quickly.

    I think that if you become upset with daily fluctuations and eat according to the weight that morning then you may be obsessed and have to resort to different measures to monitor your weight. I think you may have a problem if you can not go through a day (or week or so if on holidays) without weighing yourself. I think if you regularly weigh yourself multiple times during the day (occasionally just to learn about how your weight fluctuates so much during the day is different), then you may be obsessed.

    If all you are doing is hopping on the scales once a day and becoming proactive if your weight gets to either end of your maintenance range for longer than a few days then what you are doing is perfectly fine and a great tool for maintaining weight loss, especially when only about 20% manage to keep the weight off long term.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    I weigh every morning, assuming I'm at home. I also weigh right before bed just because I find the normal water weight fluctuations interesting. The nighttime weigh-in doesn't mean anything other than helping me understand how quickly my body will get rid of the additional water/waste weight if I ate more than usual, and perhaps help me understand hydration and/or inflammation depending on my current training routine.

    I don't think weighing daily constitutes obsession unless one has other symptoms of a problematic relationship with weight/eating. However, if you're frequently telling your family about your daily weigh-ins, they might just be tired of hearing about it (sorry). They could mean "obsessed" in the sense that they think you talk about it too much, rather than thinking you have a psychological problem. I'd just stop talking to them about it.

    However, I don't think you're going to just lose control if you don't weigh daily. Lack of a daily weigh-in doesn't equal overeating that day. Additionally, you have to be okay with the fact that you're not going to be able to weigh every day. If *you* feel that your daily weighing is a problem, then maybe try weighing every other day or once a week.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    "Anyone else weigh in daily? "
    Yes, whether I'm losing or maintaining. It's how I (casually) monitor my weight trend.


    "My family thinks I’m obsessed. I feel as though if I don’t weigh in daily I can lose control of my weight quickly. "
    Perhaps it's not the daily weighing (which is far from unusual) that makes them think so but the fear of loss of control?

    Daily weighing gives you data but each data point should be regarded in the context of it being a tiny and in itself insignificant part of an overall trend. If you are reacting to each fluctuation and trying to over-control your weight due to the number on your scales that morning I would say you have to work on that. Part of maintenance is developing a long term view.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,974 Member
    edited June 2019
    chrisybratsven5273 wrote: »
    Anyone else weigh in daily? My family thinks I’m obsessed. I feel as though if I don’t weigh in daily I can lose control of my weight quickly.

    I have been weighing myself AND recording all of my food intakeon MFP daily for 3.5 years, ever since I started my weight loss/maintenance journey.

    As others will tell you, it is actually harder to maintain your weight than lose it and its very easy to go "off the wagon" and gain back the weight that you worked so hard to lose.

    Don't let others (who are probably overweight) try to shame or ridicule you into doing what you need to do to take care of yourself. It's no one's business but your own.

  • reflectionofme
    reflectionofme Posts: 310 Member
    edited June 2019
    As others will tell you, it is actually harder to maintain your weight than lose it and its very easy to go "off the wagon" and gain back the weight that you worked so hard to lose.

    Don't let others (who are probably overweight) try to shame or ridicule you into doing what you need to do to take care of yourself. It's no one's business but your own.


    I couldn't agree more with this.

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