How often should you weigh on the scale?

investinginme
investinginme Posts: 7
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

I am just getting started and want to find strategies of using the scale that will be motivating but not accessive. Any tips would be appreciated!:smile:

Replies

  • investinginme
    investinginme Posts: 7
    Hello,

    I am just getting started and want to find strategies of using the scale that will be motivating but not accessive. Any tips would be appreciated!:smile:
  • nillawafer
    nillawafer Posts: 9
    For me, I try to weigh myself 1/week or every 2 weeks first thing in the morning. If you are doing a lot of weights and strength training you may not want to rely very much on the scales because you will be building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. This may feel discouraging to not see the scale move much, so a better method would take your measurements and go by inches lost. You can also use a tighter fitting pair of jeans to help you see the results of inches shed. When I did a local boot camp, they didn't allow us to weigh ourselves because we were building so much muscle. They said to go by our jeans and inches. I hope this is useful info for you!
  • chilli
    chilli Posts: 211 Member
    once a week tops ....same time .morning is best..same clothes or none as the case may be ! Don't take it too seriously ... water retention and other bodily things alter your readings ...go by inches and how your clothes feel.
    People can get very obsessed with that little machine ...it is the devil in disguise!!! :bigsmile:
  • Nonibug
    Nonibug Posts: 1,214 Member
    I agree with the no more than once a week and dont obsess over the scale:smile:

    By the way, I love your name...investinginme!:flowerforyou: Thats how I like to look at my life changing process...doing something for Mom for a change!:drinker: :drinker:

    Good luck to you!:flowerforyou:

    ~Roni
  • investinginme
    investinginme Posts: 7
    Thanks for the suggestions. I think I am going to start a Saturday morning weighin routine. Will keep me honest through the weekend.
  • usmcwifeb15
    usmcwifeb15 Posts: 470 Member
    For me, I try to weigh myself 1/week or every 2 weeks first thing in the morning. If you are doing a lot of weights and strength training you may not want to rely very much on the scales because you will be building muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. This may feel discouraging to not see the scale move much, so a better method would take your measurements and go by inches lost. You can also use a tighter fitting pair of jeans to help you see the results of inches shed. When I did a local boot camp, they didn't allow us to weigh ourselves because we were building so much muscle. They said to go by our jeans and inches. I hope this is useful info for you!

    I always thought that was true but it is actually a myth. Muscle does not weigh more then fat and I just thought I would let everyone know.

    5 lbs. of fat is much bulkier than the 5 lbs. of muscle, but five pounds is still five pounds. Muscle does not weigh more than fat.

    Fat is bulky and lumpy so if you carry an extra five pounds of fat, you'll be lumpier than with five pounds more muscle. A five pound pile of fat will take up more space (volume) than a five pound pile of muscle; but five pounds is still five pounds, so for those of you that don't "get" English, you cannot say one thing weighing a certain weight weighs more than another thing at that same weight. It's a common joke to play on an 8-year old. The correct way to state the muscle weighs more than fat scenario is, "Muscle is heavier by volume than fat."

    A woman weighing 150 pounds with 19% fat will look much smaller (and be much healthier) than a woman at 150 pounds with 35% fat. They weigh the same, yet the composition is different. Because muscle is more dense than fat the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller.
  • pettmybunny
    pettmybunny Posts: 1,986 Member
    I have to say that I'm a weigh myself every day kind of girl. Yes, I know weight can fluctuate, but how do you know if you're weighing yourself only once a week/month that it isn't one of those high fluctuation days? I am on the scale every morning, nekkid, after going to the bathroom, but before my shower (so my wet hair doesn't add :tongue: ). I truly do not see fluctuation that often.
    -Robin
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
    I always thought that was true but it is actually a myth. Muscle does not weigh more then fat and I just thought I would let everyone know.

    When people say this I think they are actually saying. The same volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. There for a pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle. So a quart of muscle actually does weigh more than a quart of fat.

    I only weigh once a week. I tend to fluctuate so much from day to day that I end up getting discouraged if I weigh more than once a week.
  • releko
    releko Posts: 16
    "Muscle is heavier by volume than fat."

    A woman weighing 150 pounds with 19% fat will look much smaller (and be much healthier) than a woman at 150 pounds with 35% fat. They weigh the same, yet the composition is different. Because muscle is more dense than fat the person with less fat and more muscle will look smaller.

    That's the best way I've heard it explained EVER. Thank you for making my day!
  • TaraJ16
    TaraJ16 Posts: 304
    i weigh myself every monday morning when i first wake up
  • clewliss
    clewliss Posts: 640 Member
    I weigh daily to keep up with my changes, but I only record it on Friday mornings! I do this because I may be up or down all week long, but I would never see the "down" if I happened to be "up" on the weigh in day and that, my friend, would get me down! It's been working for me for 4 weeks now and it also keeps me on my toes. I chose to weigh on Friday mornings b/c that kinda wraps up the week for me. To each his own, but do what you feel comfortable with! Find what works for you because doing it my way may not work for you. If you live by the scales, you may only want to weigh once/month. If you can handle up .6lbs one day and down .4lbs the next, have fun with it, but if you start feeling dependent on those scales, throw it away! Now, that didn't cost you a penny:tongue:
  • nillawafer
    nillawafer Posts: 9
    Thank you Anna Banana for the above clarification. That is what I'm meaning when I say muscle "weighs" more than fat. It is by volume. I should have made that more clear. I appreciate the correction. :flowerforyou:
  • cupcake568
    cupcake568 Posts: 178 Member
    I weigh daily to keep up with my changes, but I only record it on Friday mornings! I do this because I may be up or down all week long, but I would never see the "down" if I happened to be "up" on the weigh in day and that, my friend, would get me down! It's been working for me for 4 weeks now and it also keeps me on my toes. I chose to weigh on Friday mornings b/c that kinda wraps up the week for me. To each his own, but do what you feel comfortable with! Find what works for you because doing it my way may not work for you. If you live by the scales, you may only want to weigh once/month. If you can handle up .6lbs one day and down .4lbs the next, have fun with it, but if you start feeling dependent on those scales, throw it away! Now, that didn't cost you a penny:tongue:

    This is how I do it too (unless I maintain a loss for a few days - then I'll record it) My weigh in day is tuesday. If I am down on wed-friday I'll put that new weight in then.
  • gnicolecan
    gnicolecan Posts: 293 Member
    I'm a daily girl is well. I usually don't tell people this because they overreact, but this is my response- The times in my life that I have weighed the most often, I have weighed the least. The times in my life that I weighed in the least often, I have weighed the most.
    Like cupcake, Tuesday is my 'official' day, but if i see a dip on the scale wed-fri, I'll record it.

    I'm down 51lbs, so I guess its working.
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