How often should I weigh myself?

pursuitOFhappiness11

I like to use my current weight to help track how I eat, but waiting to do a weekly weigh in just seems to be too long. Is weighing myself twice or three times a week doing more harm than good?

wendyw8

weighing yourself is a personal decision, some ppl think that that would be to much, but as long as you are not obsessing over gains and loss's you should weight yourself whenever you feel like it.

editara13

Once a week is the best option. All week you have to focus on your exercises and checking your calories and drink lots of water and then as I used to do it, on Monday mornings you will be surprised with the results of your weight :-)


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

ChitownFoodie

i only weigh in on mondays. i feel like the scale fluctuates too much during the week due to various things. like if you weigh in on friday, then you splurge during the weekend, you will have to record the weight gain on monday. you will constantly be going up and down.

alise_lmx

You could weigh yourself everyday but pick one day a week to actually log your weight. I weigh everyday, but that may work for everyone.

Egger29

You're going to see more results and progress by actually weighing yourself less frequently (Every couple of weeks or so) than every day.

Your "scale weight" can fluctuate based on a wide variety of variables, so people who are hooked on the scale tend to be more disappointed than those who focus on their workouts and nutrition plans.

Remember, the number on the scale is just a number. It's a reflection of Earth's gravitational pull on your total body mass. That's it. If you really want to WEIGH less....move to tMars or the Moon where the gravity is much lower.

A better option though, is monitor yourself in the mirror and in how your clothes fit. How do those old jeans of yours fit? What about that top you've been hesitant to wear out?

Those are the more reliable monitors of your progress as your body changes over time in the long run.

Note: No one ever goes to bed looking like an Olympian and wakes up looking like a Biggest Loser Contestant. the changes happen over a long period of time due to poor choices in lifestyle and diet.

In the same way, reversing that trend takes the same time and doesn't happen over night. Make concious choices for the future starting with right now and that's the key to success! :-)

Cheers!

lisabaldauf

I know they say once a week, but I have a hard time not weighing more often. The only thing is that I get depressed to see the number go up, even knowing that it is normal for my weight to fluctuate. I think as long as it's not discouraging you can weigh yourself as much as you want.

melizerd

I admit I weigh every morning, but it doesn't bother me to see the scale go up here and there depending on what I ate the day before. So for some people that would make them obsess about the scale. I weigh in the morning, after going potty, naked. Then I go about my day and don't worry. My official weigh in day is Wed and only that day gets recorded.

duke520

As long as you're not obsessing about it. Use it as a guide but not concrete proof. What if you had a bit too much salt the day before you weigh yourself and retaining a little bit of water? Also realize you're going to plateau. I just got over a month long one. Got a bit sore about it but now I'm back on track. My trainer said not to put too much stock into it. Plus over time, your muscle to fat ratio is going to increase so, even though you're the same weight, you'll have less fat percentage.

Garrett1234

I hear once a week is the standard for figuring out long-term progress. I weigh myself once a day just because it's on my mind and it's fun, but I don't get too worried about day to day results or if I gain a couple of pounds. Water, etc. can make small differences and it's really the long term goal we're focussed on. Good luck!

marquesajen

It's up to you, but I find that weighing more than once week leaves me disappointed (wrongfully) and anxious.

deanie0515

I sneak peeks throughout the week, but I have my "official" weigh-in once a week and log it Just don't let the fluctuations get to you...we all have our ups and downs.

mike_littlerock

you should get LOADS of comments on this topic.

the two camps are:
a) you never do it more than once a week, or you might get discouraged.
b) create a habit of doing it daily.

My wife and I have found that weighing daily, same time in the morning each day, really helps us. We do keep in mind that it is a trend and we have to look at the daily number for what it is. The fact is that you will have fluctuations up and down depending on your diet, exercise, hydration, sodium intake, (TOM for the ladies), etc.
I feel that our daily weight checks help keep us completely honest. If we have a day where we were less than perfect on the diet, we still weigh in. This has actually been a great learning experience and we keep each other motivated and encouraged on good days and bad.

if you decide to do daily, either keep mental track of it, or you can record the weights in a excel spreadsheet to see your progress over time.

good luck!

Dave351

Weighing yourself everyday becomes a counter-productive obsession after a while. Egger29's suggestion of using the mirror is a good one as is Editara13's advice on weighing in once a week.

Here's something else to consider. Get bodyfat tested and track your bodyfat instead. Use the mirror method daily, weigh in once a week and every other week get a BF test.

kbarry90

I get on the scale everyday just to see where I'm at. But my official weigh in day in Friday that's when I log it on here. I know that the scale is going to go up and down all through the week. It's really up to the person but if your going to upset from seeing it go up and down throughout the week maybe only once a week would be best for you.

strongdad62

monday morning is the best for me. same scale, same time, naked before you eat.

anubis609

You can weigh yourself anytime you want as long as you're fine with what you see and don't freak out over little fluctuations.

I've actually fashioned wheels onto mine and I use it as my main source of transportation so I can keep an 18-hour long record of fluctuations throughout the day. Then I log it on my arm, then at the end of the day, I close my eyes, make a wish, choose one of the dozens of logged weights, and viola! That's the weight I decide to be that day.

mponeil1982

I too am one who steps on the scale in the morning, however I only log that number once a week, sometimes once every two weeks. I don't get down or depressed or feel like eating everything in sight when the number goes up a tad because of all the variables involved with that number. Like a lot of people say here, it's just a number. If you belong to a gym, see if they offer free or cheap body fat tests and measurements. My trainer suggests doing that at least once a month. Just try and to it at the same time every time you have it done.

I say if you treat the number as a number and don't get mad or bent out of shape if that number goes in the wrong direction, you should be okay. If it'll have just the opposite impact, where you get mad, depressed and want to eat when it goes up, then hold off. That part is 'all in your head'.

Amo_Angelus

I weigh in everyday and thus see a better relation between my activitie/food and weight than people who weigh themselves less frequently. And of coure my weight changes virtually everyday, sometimes up, most of the time down, buy I don't look at the individual numbers, I llook at my chart which shows my progrees much more acurately than people who don't weigh every day and yes it is bumpy but the trend is constantly going down.

I also kknow what foods make me heavier (probably through water retention) because I see the weight come on the very next day every time I eat them. So my weight is more accurate because someone who only weighs once a week won't know the correlation and thu can eat a bloat food without realizing one day and not the next weigh in and believe that they've lot more than they have, when that first reading was simply a bloat food.

Weigh yourself as you want, depending on what you see, but remember that it fluctuates daily and you will go up and down a lot more the more you weigh in.

Jill_newimprovedversion

It depends on how you react to the numbers it says. I have, just out of CURIOSITY, weighed myself EVERY DAY for 2 weeks- just to see HOW MUCH it fluctuates.
It would drive me stark raving MAD if I let those numbers dictate my day.

I'm an emotional eater, and this is simply self-defeating for me.

I stick w/ once a week, same day/ about same time/scale in same spot and ONLY weigh in more often if I feel I've gotten a little too far off course......which can happen over weekends when I'm more likely to eat away from home


Just remember: The SCALE is just a gauge- and only ONE gauge- along with
BMI, Body Fat, and blood work ( if that's a concern)
EQUALLY important are the NON SCALE VICTORIES (NSV)
Inches lost, looser clothes, more energy, better sleep, other people noticing, etc.....

bktemple

I am so glad this topic has been discussed. I have been obsessing with weighing myself. I have been eating better, exercising every day for weeks and haven't seen any results on the scale. In fact, I went out and bought a new scale thinking the old one was broken and it weighed me four lbs heavier.....:( I was so distraught,. However, i am seeing results on the scale now. I weigh in every morning, but only record every 3 weeks. I measure and weigh. Slowly and surely it is coming off. Yeah.....

peteb79

I believe its personal preference, like others have said if you obsess over gains then its best to weigh weekly, if you know gains are normal then its ok to weigh daily. I weigh every day, I log it weekly on MFP and daily in a spreadsheet along with my food and water and other information and notes.. just so I can keep track of my progress and maybe see things that work and things that don't work.

butterfly0589

You could weigh yourself everyday but pick one day a week to actually log your weight. I weigh everyday, but that may work for everyone.

this' what i do xxx

vim_n_vigor

I like to use my current weight to help track how I eat, but waiting to do a weekly weigh in just seems to be too long. Is weighing myself twice or three times a week doing more harm than good?

The scale is an evil beast. Personally, I don't like the scale for the 'small' weight loss measurements. It just doesn't tell the whole picture. If you lose .4 pounds, did you really lose some weight? Is it a freak weigh in? 10 lbs, ok, there is a genuine amount of weight gone. The really important part is the composition of your body. Use the scale, it is a great tool, but it does not show the whole story. Measure yourself at your neck, shoulders, bust, upper and lower arms, waist, hips, thighs, lower legs and track those measurements. That will give you a much better story of your progess. What mentally sounds better? I lost 1 pound, or I lost a combined total of 4 inches on my body?

sunshinethompson

I weigh myself every Sunday morning before breakfast! Mornings are always the best time for me as my body has been at rest therefore retain less water weight after using the bathroom before weighing in. I try not to obsess over the scale. My scale is program to track my weight loss. It displays my BMI, Height and Weight. It has indicator lights to show me whether I have lost, gained or maintained stability. Once a week is always better!

Cushworth

I currently weigh my self daily but am planning to log once a week, on a Friday. Although I been registered for 3 weeks I've only been using the site properly for 2 weeks the first week was a test just to see how much i was actually eating everyday and how much of it was rubbish, was a proper eyeopener,
I find weighing myself daily is a benefit in the fact i am encouraged to keep going by the fact the weigh is dropping even by a tiny amount, but on days it doesnt change, or heaven forbid it goes up it actually motivates me to try harder, no scale is going beat me lol.

I am hoping as i get further in this and a visible change is noticable i will be able to reduce the need for weighing myself everyday and just use the way i look as a measure,

I am so glad i found this site, the phone app is the most useful diet tool and i find all the stories inspirational. As someone with only a stone to lose, i think some of the people on here are amazing and when i read about their stories and their amazing weight losses, its like a virtual kick up the backside. I tell myself if they can, i can.

stephyy4632

I weigh everyday but record once a week on Tuesdays ( I weigh in the morning after using the rest room). I also messure 2 times each week you really should messure its an even more impressive than the scale

123456654321

You can weigh yourself anytime you want as long as you're fine with what you see and don't freak out over little fluctuations.

I've actually fashioned wheels onto mine and I use it as my main source of transportation so I can keep an 18-hour long record of fluctuations throughout the day. Then I log it on my arm, then at the end of the day, I close my eyes, make a wish, choose one of the dozens of logged weights, and viola! That's the weight I decide to be that day.

lmao

Foxybee1

I weigh myself once a week first thing in the AM after pottying naked.

beach_bum_gurl

I weigh daily, but only log it once a week.

Interestingly, I wrote a blogpost about this exact issue today. Feel free to read it : )