How Often do you Weigh Yourself And What Kind of Scale do you use

mpkpbk2015

How often do you weigh yourself? What kind of scale do you use? Digital or just a plain bathroom scale. Do you do body measurements to guage your progress as well? Such as inches loss? BMI changes? Body fat changes?

jerbullamm

I have the same question. I'm new to this and actually new to trying to lose weight. Anything would be helpful. I was thinking weighing in once a week. Is that too often or not often enough?

nanastaci2020

I have a Fitbit Aria scale. Its connected to my Fitbit account, can have multiple profiles. (So it also can track Hubs, adult daughter, etc.) If someone without a profile steps on it shows as 'guest' in my Fitbit app as I'm the primary on the scale. If 2 people of similar weights have profiles, you have to indicate which one you are.

I get on the scale most mornings - it is just part of my morning routine. I get up, use the bathroom, remove clothing, step on scale and then shower. If something throws off my routine where I end up eating or drinking before getting on the scale, I do not bother as the weight of the food/drink in me would throw the # off.

But I don't stress over the scale #. I know my weight fluctuates. When I was losing, I would only 'count' the most recent 'low' number. And if it went up (water weight due to TOM/hormones, sodium, muscle soreness, etc.) I trusted the science and knew that eating at a deficit results in a downward trend. And that the weight would go back down when the temporary water weight was gone.

Now I'm in maintenance and same theory. My maintenance goal area is 128-130. I don't fret if its a little above that, but if I see a trend upward then I can take it as a signal to improve my logging accuracy. (I allow myself a bit more estimation now, but I still log majority of days.)

My general rule of thumb while losing: I should be at a lower weight NOW than I was a month ago. And while maintaining, if I'm a more than a pound higher at this time next month than I am now, then I'll need to improve my logging accuracy.

ruqayyahsmum

I weigh daily and log it on a weight trending app to smooth out the water fluctuations

I have a digital scale that sends the weight to my phone because without my glasses on I can't see squat just blurs where the numbers should be

The scales app on my phone shows me what my bmi is and a load of other things that aren't accurate so I just ignore

sijomial

jerbullamm wrote: »

I have the same question. I'm new to this and actually new to trying to lose weight. Anything would be helpful. I was thinking weighing in once a week. Is that too often or not often enough?

There isn't a universal best, just a best for you.

Personally I weigh daily (on digital scales) but I'm completely accustomed to my weight fluctuations day to day and only the trend concerns me rather than individual days. It's just a part of my morning routine and doesn't rule my emotions anymore than brushing my teeth does.

Experiment to find what suits you best.

Ddsb11

I weigh daily when I wake up, I use a Renpho. I love that I have more data to follow my weight trend, and I can account for what used to be scary fluctuations. Now I’m like, “3 lbs jump, no big deal, I’m ovulating”. When I eat overly salty food for dinner and see the weight increase the next morning, I know it’s water. And I can also track how long it takes for me to lose the water weight, so it’s encouraging! Knowledge is power 😊

ninerbuff

Daily and a Tanita.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

dragon_girl26

I have an old cheap digital scale I bought from. Target for like $15. It doesn't do anything fancy, all it does is tell me my weight when I step on it.
I weigh daily...every morning, 3rd thing I do after waking up and right before eating breakfast. Then I record those in the Libra app so I can track trends.

OAS5

Daily every morning and I like it. Its just you have to put in to perspective what you are seeing on the scale. You can't get too high or low with every number. That is why weighing everyday is not for everyone. I could see it setting people off if they see a number or numbers over a few days they do not like. Sometimes even I have to fight that.

goal06082021

I weigh weekly on Friday mornings, nude, immediately after using the toilet. I have one of those fancy bodyfat % scales with the conductive pads but I know those aren't terribly accurate. I don't pay much attention to the bf%/body water % reading, just the weight. I keep track in my bullet journal and on here; I have monthly health spreads, with my workout plan for the month, a space to record the weekly weigh-ins, and a graph to chart my progress.

callsitlikeiseeit

everyone does what works for them. there is no 'correct' way.

i have a basic digital scale. i weigh daily and log it in happyscale on my phone. once logged, I tend to forget the number (weight fluctuates day to day and can be up or down). I log once a week on mfp. i take my measurements and log them in mfp on the 1st of every month. often, the measurements are more telling of progress than numbers on a scale.

MsCzar

I weigh every 2-3 days first thing in the morning immediately after elimination. Weirdly, I have two scales. One is a 50 year-old Krups spring model that I use to log with since it is the scale I started with. I also have a new digital scale that tracks slightly higher. You might think that at least the same amount of weight loss would be reflected on both. But NOOooOOO. Sometimes the digital scale shows weight loss when the spring model needle doesn't budge. Conversely, sometimes the Krups will drop and the digital will show no change.

I stay away from the scales completely for 2-4 days after a high-calorie day. I am always irrationally worried about gaining after one indulgent day and the delay makes me double-down on my weight-loss efforts.

loonylovegood0715

I was weighing weekly, but due to cyclical monthly shifts upward (woman problems, smh) I have just changed to the first of each month. I will be taking measurements on that day as well, because those tend to better reflect results.

AnnPT77

Daily when at home, and record it, as I have for over a decade, even when not trying to lose/maintain weight. (Not obsessive, just a data geek in various ways. If I miss a day, it doesn't bother me.)

These days, it's a digital scale (that also gives me absurdly unreliable body composition percents that I mostly ignore), and I put it in a weight trending app (Libra for Android, in my case). I used to use a mechanical scale, and graph paper charts (put a dot at the intersection of date on the x-axis, weight on the y-axis).

I'm not stressed by daily fluctuations, but rather find them interesting and educational. (I added 3 pounds from Friday to Sunday; now it's gone again: Don't care. Know why.)

People who *are* stressed by random fluctuations would perhaps be better off weighing infrequently (which can still mislead!), or not at all (instead relying on less-frequent tape measurements, fit of specific clothing, or something like that).

Many aspects of weight management work best when personalized to an individual's perspectives, strengths, and limitations. How often (or whether) to weigh is one of those things, IMO.

heybales

Happens to be Omron hand/feet BF% scale, but rarely use that aspect since as commented - inaccurate.

Weigh and log on valid days without known water weight fluctuations, I don't need 10 lbs down from prior long bike ride day to carry over into stats, nor the high sodium meal.
So maybe 3-4 days a week logged.

Measure about monthly, 8 spots used in BF% calc.

mpkpbk2015

Thank you everyone it's all over the board. I guess it is a matter of what works for the individual. I was just wondering this morning . I have heard pro and cons to weighing everyday. And pro and cons to using the scale as the only measure to success. I used to weigh every day. I started a new routine and weigh and measure on Sunday to start my week fresh. I measure as a back up to the scale to guage how I have really done for the week. Because I noticed the closer I get to my goal the slower the pounds are coming off. I too have a Renphro scale. I like it because I can graphically see how I am doing on my phone. I don't pay attention to the BF % either .
Thanks again for all your wonderful insight and guidance.

kali31337

Ddsb11 wrote: »

I weigh daily when I wake up, I use a Renpho. I love that I have more data to follow my weight trend, and I can account for what used to be scary fluctuations. Now I’m like, “3 lbs jump, no big deal, I’m ovulating”. When I eat overly salty food for dinner and see the weight increase the next morning, I know it’s water. And I can also track how long it takes for me to lose the water weight, so it’s encouraging! Knowledge is power 😊

I also have the same scale and also weight daily after I wake up and use the bathroom. I really like this scale. I also use a body trace scale that links to a health program through my insurance and that gives me no other measurements except weight and I only use it as part of the program to show that I'm keeping up with it

Ddsb11

kali31337 wrote: »

Ddsb11 wrote: »

I weigh daily when I wake up, I use a Renpho. I love that I have more data to follow my weight trend, and I can account for what used to be scary fluctuations. Now I’m like, “3 lbs jump, no big deal, I’m ovulating”. When I eat overly salty food for dinner and see the weight increase the next morning, I know it’s water. And I can also track how long it takes for me to lose the water weight, so it’s encouraging! Knowledge is power 😊

I also have the same scale and also weight daily after I wake up and use the bathroom. I really like this scale. I also use a body trace scale that links to a health program through my insurance and that gives me no other measurements except weight and I only use it as part of the program to show that I'm keeping up with it

My old job had a weight loss challenge and we would use this scale for our weekly weigh in. I was hooked so bought one for my house. I liked the data, even if it isn’t entirely accurate, it’s fun to follow the trend.

mpkpbk2015

Nice to see other Renpho user until I purchased mine I had never heard of it. Kali your right Knowledge is power it also relieves some of my stressing. Ddsb11 I did several weight challenges when I worked sadly I lost for the challenge and then when it was over gained it all back. Now I in the last 2 years have taken a more sustainable approach. Its easy to get hooked on those and they are fun and exciting.

mpkpbk2015

MsCsar is your Krups by the same people that make the coffeemakers. I didn't know they made scales. I think it quite ironic how scales contridict each other, my doctors scale is always 2-3 pounds heavier than my home digitial. And I weigh with clothes on. On both scales. It use to bother me but now I just chalk it up to scale calibration differences.

MsCzar

The Krups scales were made in Ireland. That Krups weighing scale company dates back to 1846; I'm not sure if they have anything to do with their German namesake. I'd set the Krups spring scale immediately after returning from a doc visit one day... wearing the exact shoes and clothing I'd worn at the docs - and with no bathroom visits along the way. I didn't get the digital one until about a month into trying to lose weight. The first week, it wouldn't give me the same reading twice when I got on and off. But I figured maybe that was because I'd stored it on egde for months and months. Now it is more consistent - but ~2-3 lbs. more than my trusty old Krups.

zombieblondie

I weigh on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Basic digital scale but it's pretty accurate when I compare it to the inbody scans I have done at the gym.

mwgibler

I weigh everyday. I find it keeps me motivated. It’s a basic digital scale

robinaddison

Daily and Withings

mpkpbk2015

Zoombie how did you come up with Tuesday andFriday just wondering.

mpkpbk2015

mwgibler so are there flucuations when you weigh everyday and how does that effect your motivation. I use to weigh everyday and it was drying me crazy so I stopped. Just wondering out loud.How youkeep your sanity

DancingMoosie

I weigh daily on a WW conair digital scale. There are daily fluctuations. I just try to stay within a healthy range. Too far to either side means I make adjustments to dIet and/or exercise.

MsCzar

Weighing in once a week would tempt me to slack a little for a day or two after weigh-in. I'd convince myself I could make up for overindulging in the remaining 5 days. Weighing in every 2-3 days doesn't let me do that. Plus, I avoid those annoying daily fluctuations and generally only see forward progress. That's pretty encouraging.

DavWillTry

I weigh every day on a "doctor's" type upright balance beam scale.

Not so much for the information, though I do track it here, but I need the consistency or I'll forget to weigh. I really like being retired and able to forget what day of the week it is.

So far I've known ahead of time if the weight is going to fluctuate. So when it does that doesn't bother me at all.

The_Stargazer

I weigh in every day, immediately after waking up / using the bathroom and before showering / eating breakfast.

While individual day/day fluctuations are not important, I find it helps to work it into part of my daily routine.

I use a Garmin Index Smart Scale. My Garmin Connect App is linked to MyFitnessPal so when I step on the scale every morning my weight's automatically uploaded. No chance to cheat ;-)

mpkpbk2015

Lots of good information and things to ponder thanks everyone for your guidance and advice.