How often should you weigh yourself?

bobbinalong

i have my "official" weigh-in once a week, first thing after waking and going to the bathroom - with no clothes, btw, as different clothes can have different weights, and that can confuse the weight issue.

but to answer your question, i weigh myself almost every time i walk by the scale for entertainment value. my scale is pretty sensitive, and it shows the gain after drinking water or having something to eat, and i've discovered my workout shorts weigh a pound and my light-weight tshirt weighs .2 of a pound. for some reason seeing this stuff amuses me ;-)

I think numbers are fun too and have recently discovered how amusing it can be, lol!

OP, don't get tripped up in the numbers and Trust the Process, don't give in to the defeatist mentality as that is how in 10, 15, 20 years or more you could possibly have 50, 100 lbs or more to lose.

mscheftg

I've done a lot of different weight loss "programs" and adventures over my life... the one thing I've avoided doing is weighing daily. You see the fluctuations way too much and it can be SOOOO disheartening.

A few years ago, my friend and I decided to try losing weight together. We weighed ourselves, made a graph, and started tracking our weight. Our weigh-in day was Tuesday (because we knew we were getting together to watch The Biggest Loser that night) . So, each week we recorded our weight.

The program that I'm following now is telling me to weigh in every 15 days.

I'm trying to not just look at the numbers, but to look at my body and how I feel about myself, too.

So, as everyone has said, you need to decide what's best. I personally think once a week or every two weeks is plenty.

MKEgal

How often do you weigh yourself

Daily, in the morning, naked, after peeing and before eating.
I write it on the calendar, but only record it here if I've lost weight, otherwise the stupid computer announces every time it _looks_ like I've lost weight, when it may be the same couple of pounds I've been fluctuating around for the last week & has already been announced 4 times. :P

I also measure myself every 2 weeks.

I am 149 lbs., 5'6'' tall, and want to lose around 10-15 pounds.
I honestly don't know how fast the weight will come off

Since you're at a healthy weight, it will probably be slow.
But that's OK, because slow change is lasting change.

I am consuming around 1,200 calories a day and walking 4 miles in an hour (around 300-350 calories burned) each day.

To maintain the weight you want (140 lb) you could eat 1400 cal & get there gradually.
1200 will be a bit faster, probably a pound a week with the 300 cal burn, but don't go below that.
And treat exercise as extra, don't add it to your calorie total for eating.

gelar93

How often depends on you really and how fast you're losing weight. One thing I do think you wanna do is tho that weigh yourself first thing in the morning right after you go to the bathroom so there's no uhmm waste in your body and you haven't drunk/eaten yet so that's the most accurate one. You can gain up to 5 pounds throughout the day just buy eating and drinking and you don't want to see those

EDIT: And take your clothes off, at least the heavier pieces as they can easily add a pound or two

Debssssssssss

I weigh morning and night. Much easier to see trends this way versus 1x a week. It use the Aria fitbit scale so it sends it to the website and graphs it without need to use a spreadsheet.

I'm the same, morning and night, gives you a good idea of your body's fluctuations. I used to laugh at the idea of the fitbit scales, but I'm actually considering getting some. Love the graph idea.

ketoambahh

Every morning, without clothes on. It keeps me from slipping up and knowing that my weight loss is steady and consistent.

traceywoody

Thanks, guys. I thought about weighing everyday and taking an average at the end of the week, but I honestly don't know. I'm one to get really frustrated if I don't see a change on the scale. So this Tuesday will make two weeks since I started exercising and eating better. I sure hope I've dropped around 3 pounds. If not, I know I will be really angry with myself. My problem is that, if I haven't lost any or very, very little, I will probably end up saying "Screw it" and go back to eating the way I was before.

Ok. Now that you have identified your pattern, why not change it? Instead of saying, "screw it" and going back to the way you were eating before, why not say, "screw it, it was only the scale" and keep on eating well because you are worth looking after(or insert your own reason). You will see progress if you keep eating at a deficit. Someone once said, "if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." Do something different and see what happens. You're worth it!

erinelissa91

I was weighing myself daily but it bothered me and frustrated me to see the the fluctuations from water weight. I have really put all my willpower into not stepping on the scale more than twice a week. Otherwise it seems to become an obsession. I try not to worry about the number but instead focus on muscle tone and the way my clothes fit. If I can feel a difference in my clothes, I am happy and don't need a number to tell me otherwise.

derik999

Once a week. Weight can fluctuate daily so you can get a mixed message if you are weighing every day. Plus it gives you something to look forward to at the end of the week.

easto_79

It's a mental game with yourself, some people do better not weighing themselves some do better weighing often. For me when I'm fully engaged in weight loss I weigh myself at least once a day, I've been known to weigh myself multiple times a day, the up and downs are interesting to me and I track them, seeing if I can figure out if I've been eatting too much salt, not enough water, too much exercise etc, but for someone else that could be really stressful and exhausting. I'd say just weigh youself when you feel like it, track it and move on. Just like the number of calories is different per person so if the mental game of weighing yourself, Do what feels right and keeps you motivated and on track.
Good luck

summer92008

Thanks, guys. I thought about weighing everyday and taking an average at the end of the week, but I honestly don't know. I'm one to get really frustrated if I don't see a change on the scale. So this Tuesday will make two weeks since I started exercising and eating better. I sure hope I've dropped around 3 pounds. If not, I know I will be really angry with myself. My problem is that, if I haven't lost any or very, very little, I will probably end up saying "Screw it" and go back to eating the way I was before.

Ok. Now that you have identified your pattern, why not change it? Instead of saying, "screw it" and going back to the way you were eating before, why not say, "screw it, it was only the scale" and keep on eating well because you are worth looking after(or insert your own reason). You will see progress if you keep eating at a deficit. Someone once said, "if you keep doing what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten." Do something different and see what happens. You're worth it!

This was actually quite helpful. Thanks. I couldn't tell you how many times I have tried dieting. I'd go for a week and step on the scales all excited in hopes to see a pound or two gone. But that was normally not the case. So I would go back to eating how I was before with no exercise. Then I would be happy with the way I looked - I thought to myself that no one if perfect and I'm fine the way I am. Then I will see myself in something that doesn't look so great, decide to diet again, and start the cycle all over again. I'm not horrified by my weight, but I know I would be happier and more self-confident if I dropped some weight. So I need to just dedicate myself to it and not think of it as a diet but a lifestyle change. Thanks!

kessler4130

I do several times a day, just so I understand how my body reacts to several things. However I only concern myself with my Saturday morning weights when it comes to macro adjustments or making changes to my routine, the daily weights are non factors in the big picture I use weekly weights averaged over 3 weeks before I change anything.

tycho_mx

Unfortunately, I'll give you a tautological answer: as often as it works for you.

What is clear is that successful, long-term weight loss correlates strongly with people that weigh themselves to monitor the changes in their weight with regularity.In other words, you can't improve what you don't measure.

Maybe one way is to do it once a day and get over the natural fluctuations? Put them in a graph and focus on a trand.

DerekVTX

I like to weigh daily, but I will admit those fluctuations can drive a person crazy. I read somewhere about keeping a weight trend spreadsheet, and ever since I started doing that, I've been able to see more of the big picture and I don't get discouraged as easily if the scale shows a higher number for one or two days. As long as the trend is still going downward overall, that's what's most important.

I also take measurements once per month. It's just another way to measure progress. And definitely pay attention to how your clothes are fitting too. I've lost 11 pounds in 13 weeks (May was terrible. It has waaaay too many holidays) but I can already see a difference in how my pants fit.

No need to make a weight trent spreadsheet. If you log your weight into MFP they make one for you. Check out the reports.

summer92008

Well...I weighed in this morning and weigh 146.2. That's roughly 3 pounds (I originally weight 149.x, just not sure what that last number was). This is how much I was expecting to weigh! I'm happy because I reached my goal for every 2 weeks, but at the same time, I'm afraid that somehow that is just water weight or my normal fluctuation and I secretly haven't lost any. It's so weird - I'm where I wanted to be 2 weeks in to my weight loss journey, and yet I still feel a little discouraged. Help?

juleszephyr

Firstly you are already within your healthy BMI range so you shouldn't be looking to lose more than about half a pound a week. I would say your cals are set to lose quicker than this - maybe re-plug in your numbers for .5lbs a week loss and see what this gives you.

I would say weigh yourself once a week at the same time, I usually go for first thing in the morning on Fridays after I have been to the toilet and naked.

Once you are at maintenance I would say weigh on the 1st of each month...

You should also be eating back your exercise cals or at least some. Most people on this site think MFP overestimate burns so opt for about half!!

Good luck.

ExpectantHope

I weigh myself once a week, first thing every Monday morning. Personally I find weighing everyday excessive because you see all the fluctuations that happen throughout a week, which can be disheartening, whereas if you weigh once a week you'll just see the general trend instead.

Mischievous_Rascal

How often you weigh yourself will depend on how comfy you are with normal, daily weight fluctuations, and that's a mental thing. Having a solid base of knowledge on how it all works will do wonders for the mental aspect of losing weight. Give the link below a read (as well as all the links it references) and figure out what goals are best for you, personally. MFP is amazing, but it's very generic and it will set goals for you based on what you tell it you want to do, informed or uninformed. You need to decide which it will be, first.

The most valuable part of this whole site is the wealth of knowledge you can gain from the people who have done what your about to do. Best of luck!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

feralkitten1010

I don't own a scale because I have a history of obsessive weight control (in my teens). I weigh myself once a week at my parents' house. It keeps me sane.

focused4health

It's a personal thing. I like to weigh daily so I have more data points, what can I say I'm a number nerd.
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Me too. Every morning. Love data.