Why is it bad to weigh-in on a daily basis?

standout00

I weigh myself on a daily basis because that allows me to track even small gains or losses.
Before I used to do weekly weigh-ins on Saturdays. Should I go back to weekly weigh-ins instead of daily weigh-ins?

John772016

Who's said it 'bad'?
Unless you have a specific issue, not sure I understand the context.

I weigh myself daily, always have, and I record my weight on Monday.
As long as you're doing it in a consistent manner and not obsessing over minor changes, when, shouldn't matter.

Retroguy2000

It's not bad?

You should use a rolling average of daily reads though, not stress over any one reading.

tomcustombuilder

It’s bad for people that don’t understand that there are daily water fluctuations and get stressed when they weigh a couple pound more than the day before.

Those people do better with a once a week weigh in where they weigh the same day at the same time which optimally is Friday after rising and using the bathroom

MargaretYakoda

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

It’s bad for people that don’t understand that there are daily water fluctuations and get stressed when they weigh a couple pound more than the day before.

Those people do better with a once a week weigh in where they weigh the same day at the same time which optimally is Friday after rising and using the bathroom

Curious. Why Friday?
/gen

tomcustombuilder

MargaretYakoda wrote: »

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

It’s bad for people that don’t understand that there are daily water fluctuations and get stressed when they weigh a couple pound more than the day before.

Those people do better with a once a week weigh in where they weigh the same day at the same time which optimally is Friday after rising and using the bathroom

Curious. Why Friday?
/gen

Because generally your diet is a bit better during the week and holds less water so Friday you're usually at your lowest amount of water, glycogen. Too many times its the weekend when you loosen things up a bit with foods higher in carbs and sodium so first of the week can be higher.

Your results may vary

Retroguy2000

I weigh myself first thing Monday. I'm not worried about going off the rails on the weekend. I don't drink, and am less likely to eat out on the weekend because most places are so busy. However, since it's easier to be consistent from M-F then if I end up temporarily heavier on Monday morning than the week before, that simply gives me motivation.

Ofc if you're the type to throw in the towel in frustration, then this could be a problem for you.

lynn_glenmont

I'm a weekly weigher myself (too much noise in daily data for me and no interest in adding a trending app), but I wouldn't call daily weighing "bad." If it works for you and you like the extra data, that's great.

I do wonder from the phrasing of your question if you're putting excessive faith in the meaning of "small gains and losses" you see on a daily basis, which tend to be influenced more by shifts in water weight or the weight of what's in your digestive tract. But whatever works for you.

KareninCanada

Daily is fine as a way to monitor your trends through the week - just recognize that those small gains and losses are mostly water and don't obsess over them.

yirara

Doesn't matter how many days per week you weigh yourself. It only needs to be consistent: same clothing, same time of the day, preferably before any food or fluid. Whatever you chose, as long as you don't panic because of fluctuations (water weight, poop in the intestines) then neither is wrong.

evileyefirefly

To each their own as far as I've read. Most things are just opinion pieces of why they think one is better than the other, but in the end choose what works for you. I prefer weekly as I don't care to see the day to day fluctuation. But I will sometimes do a mid-week weigh in, but daily doesn't appeal to me. Obviously there are many people who do daily, considering there are multiple "Daily check-in" challenges/threads here on MFP. Pick what you like and go with it.

Hobartlemagne

I think it all depends on how likely you are to act on irrational feelings if you dont like the scale reading.
Sometimes I weigh in twice a day and only record the better number.

mtaratoot

I read an article today suggesting you shouldn't weigh every day because the daily fluctuations can get into your head.

I disagree wholeheartedly. I'm a recovering scientist. I like data. I say weigh daily and don't pay too much attention to the actual number. Instead, put it in a spreadsheet that calculates a rolling average. THAT is the number I pay attention to.

Once a day - in the morning when I get out of bed. No more, no less.

Check out The Hacker's Diet, especially the section on Signal and Noise.

pashin8nz2000

I read on Google that research showed daily weighing managed to keep weight off more.
I weigh daily but need to get used to the daily fluctuations.I put on 1 lb in one day!

tomcustombuilder

In reality the way your clothes fit tells you more than the scale. Weigh as often as you like however it won’t speed up weightloss regardless of the weighing frequency.

Don’t obsess with the scale.

CrazyMermaid1

For me, I focus much more on my eating plan when I start the day with a weigh in. Nips upward trends in the bud before the weight settles on my body.

yirara

pashin8nz2000 wrote: »

I read on Google that research showed daily weighing managed to keep weight off more.
I weigh daily but need to get used to the daily fluctuations.I put on 1 lb in one day!

1lb in a day is nothing! After a flight I might be 5-6lb heavier. Or if you don't poop every day (as is normal) your weight will be higher the next morning, eating more salt, hormonal fluctuations, etc.. It's just normal.

mtaratoot

pashin8nz2000 wrote: »

I read on Google that research showed daily weighing managed to keep weight off more.
I weigh daily but need to get used to the daily fluctuations.I put on 1 lb in one day!

Three (or sometimes more) pounds in a day (up or down) isn't that uncommon for me. Averaging helps with that.

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

In reality the way your clothes fit tells you more than the scale. Weigh as often as you like however it won’t speed up weightloss regardless of the weighing frequency.

Don’t obsess with the scale.

I think if you use the scale as a tool, it can optimize (or speed up as you say) the weight loss process. By using the information that the scale provides, you can take steps to prevent things from going sideways when they start to. I agree that how clothes fit can be another metric. If you tend to wear very baggy clothes, I would suggest that regular (daily) weighing and looking at seven to ten-day averages will give you the best data. You can't manage what you don't measure, and the scale provides a measurement. Using a tape to take body measurements is also a great way to get data, but that is a much slower process. Scale weight is a point-in-time bit of data. It's pretty powerful really.

tomcustombuilder

mtaratoot wrote: »

pashin8nz2000 wrote: »

I read on Google that research showed daily weighing managed to keep weight off more.
I weigh daily but need to get used to the daily fluctuations.I put on 1 lb in one day!

Three (or sometimes more) pounds in a day (up or down) isn't that uncommon for me. Averaging helps with that.

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

In reality the way your clothes fit tells you more than the scale. Weigh as often as you like however it won’t speed up weightloss regardless of the weighing frequency.

Don’t obsess with the scale.

I think if you use the scale as a tool, it can optimize (or speed up as you say) the weight loss process. By using the information that the scale provides, you can take steps to prevent things from going sideways when they start to. I agree that how clothes fit can be another metric. If you tend to wear very baggy clothes, I would suggest that regular (daily) weighing and looking at seven to ten-day averages will give you the best data. You can't manage what you don't measure, and the scale provides a measurement. Using a tape to take body measurements is also a great way to get data, but that is a much slower process. Scale weight is a point-in-time bit of data. It's pretty powerful really.

Yes the scale is a great tool however too many people put too much faith in it as the be all end all word on their progress or lack of it. I use it as a long term gauge however there are many factors to consider, muscle mass being one. 180 lbs in a period where you have been doing a lot of weight training will be a vastly different 180 lbs in a period where you haven't been able to train for awhile.

kshama2001

standout00 wrote: »

I weigh myself on a daily basis because that allows me to track even small gains or losses.
Before I used to do weekly weigh-ins on Saturdays. Should I go back to weekly weigh-ins instead of daily weigh-ins?

If you weigh daily, you will get an accurate trend line quicker in a weight trend app. But use the moving average or whatever your app calls it, not the daily reading. Too much noise in them.

mtaratoot

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

mtaratoot wrote: »

pashin8nz2000 wrote: »

I read on Google that research showed daily weighing managed to keep weight off more.
I weigh daily but need to get used to the daily fluctuations.I put on 1 lb in one day!

Three (or sometimes more) pounds in a day (up or down) isn't that uncommon for me. Averaging helps with that.

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

In reality the way your clothes fit tells you more than the scale. Weigh as often as you like however it won’t speed up weightloss regardless of the weighing frequency.

Don’t obsess with the scale.

I think if you use the scale as a tool, it can optimize (or speed up as you say) the weight loss process. By using the information that the scale provides, you can take steps to prevent things from going sideways when they start to. I agree that how clothes fit can be another metric. If you tend to wear very baggy clothes, I would suggest that regular (daily) weighing and looking at seven to ten-day averages will give you the best data. You can't manage what you don't measure, and the scale provides a measurement. Using a tape to take body measurements is also a great way to get data, but that is a much slower process. Scale weight is a point-in-time bit of data. It's pretty powerful really.

Yes the scale is a great tool however too many people put too much faith in it as the be all end all word on their progress or lack of it. I use it as a long term gauge however there are many factors to consider, muscle mass being one. 180 lbs in a period where you have been doing a lot of weight training will be a vastly different 180 lbs in a period where you haven't been able to train for awhile.

If you are in a period where you're doing a lot of weight training and were 180 pounds and didn't weigh for a fair amount of time and next time you did you were 190, perhaps you were adding more non-muscle mass than you planned. Had you been paying attention, you could keep that in mind as you continued your weight training so that you didn't bulk more than intended. It is still a useful tool. You just need to recognize what it does for you. You can use a hammer to put a screw into a piece of wood. It's not the right tool, but that doesn't mean the hammer isn't actually a good tool for its intended purpose.