How often should I weigh in

halfjapgirl79

It's a little hard to not become obsessive over that stupid scale. How often should I really check in?

PinkCoconut

The scale truly is the LEAST reliable indicator of your success because it only weighs your overall body, it doesn't take into consideration how your body processes what you've been doing, muscle, sodium, TOM, etc. My own opinion is to check it ONLY once a week but if you can swing, once per month. Instead, take measurements, photos (DEFINITELY take photos) and see how your clothes are fitting.

I once literally threw my scale out for YEAR so I could learn not to obsess over the number! Totally worked!

Feel free to friend me!

fast_eddie_72

I can't say I actually do it, but once a week is probably good. At the gym I joined they said once a month. Really have to be careful about weighing all the time. It gets stuck in your head "don't eat or drink anything!" so you can watch the thing move a little. Really bad idea. As we all know, you should be drinking a lot of water while trying to lose weight. A couple of weeks ago I got kinda dehydrated. I think a lot of that was due to the "nothing in" mentality. I realized what I was doing and gained 3 lbs in one day just because I drank a ton more water.

It's really hard, though. "I'm just sure I lost weight this hour!" lol

DemoraFairy

I weigh in everyday and log it in a spreadsheet. Everyone seems to say that weighing everyday makes you obsess over it, which I don't understand. Do something everyday and it becomes routine, mundane, boring. Like showering or brushing your teeth. Once a week however, and it suddenly becomes this event because it happens rarely. Even more so with once a month. I'd spend the whole time leading up to it thinking about it because it was so rare, and because it's going to be such a bigger change than it would be otherwise. Everyday though it's just a normal thing that I don't think about unless I'm standing on the scale. Everyday means that I KNOW where my fluctuations are, and because they happen all the time I KNOW they're going to go down. Everyday means I know exactly what my weight is - weighing only once a week means that if you happen to weigh on a fluctuation day you're going to think you've gained weight when really you haven't. You won't know that the day before you were 2lbs lighter.

Obviously it doesn't work for everyone, but those are my reasons for weighing daily, and why I think it takes importance off the scale rather than putting it on.

BarbellApprentice

I weigh in everyday and log it in a spreadsheet. Everyone seems to say that weighing everyday makes you obsess over it, which I don't understand. Do something everyday and it becomes routine, mundane, boring. Like showering or brushing your teeth. Once a week however, and it suddenly becomes this event because it happens rarely. Even more so with once a month. I'd spend the whole team leading it up to it thinking about it because it was so rare, and because it's going to be such a bigger change than it would be otherwise. Everyday though it's just a normal thing that I don't think about unless I'm standing on the scale. Everyday means that I KNOW where my fluctuations are, and because they happen all the time I KNOW they're going to go down. Everyday means I know exactly what my weight is - weighing only once a week means that if you happen to weigh on a fluctuation day you're going to think you've gained weight when really you haven't. You won't know that the day before you were 2lbs lighter.

Obviously it doesn't work for everyone, but those are my reasons for weighing daily, and why I think it takes importance off the scale rather than putting it on.

EXACTLY! Well said. Thank you.

links_slayer

for best* results: hourly

*ymmv, jmho, this statement has not been evaluated by FDA.

miqisha

I usually weigh once a week, the last couple weeks I been weighing Monday and Friday, however Monday I usually gain or not lose depending on how my weekend went, and it started to bum me out, so I am going back to good old weighing on Fridays only....

I also struggle with learning to ignore the scale, because I weight train, my clothes fit way better, but not seeing that scale move, can really bug you.

Once a week is good, anymore and you may stress for no reason

Good luck!!!!!!

meribethd

Yes, I agree that daily (or every few days, which is what I do) is just fine. I don't know why that would make you obsess more than weekly, or any other time you decide to do it. When I weighed myself weekly, I would get all bent out of shape the day before. WHAT IF I DIDN'T LOSE OMG!?!?! Now I just get on the scale, realize things fluctuate, and with a general downward trend (taking into account PMS/period time--I do hold onto a couple pounds that week), I know I'm doing what I need to be doing.

cwolfman13

completely depends on you. if you don't understand much in RE to how the human body works and natural weight fluctuations i would suggest not weighing in all that much because you'll be back on here starting an "OMG I GAINED 5 LBS OVERNIGHT...HALP!" thread.

If you do understand natural body weight fluctuations and like data analysis and want to have more data points then I would suggest daily or at least 3-5 times per week.