Why you should weigh yourself daily
monicainacoma
Posts: 84 Member
I know not everyone will agree with this, but I had to post it, because it totally reinforces my daily weighing habits! and shows why it's not a bad thing.. I def don't obsess if it shows a gain of a few pounds, because one of the benefits of daily weighing is knowing your body. I know that my weight fluctuates through the day, week, month, etc. It's just normal! especially for women. So, hope this info helps. :-) Here's the link, but I'll copy and paste it as well.
http://www.prevention.com/scale/index.shtml
Here’s how to use the scale with your self esteem intact
For years, many experts recommended tossing your scale. Good advice when you consider the emotional whiplash that weighing yourself can cause. As the number goes down, your confidence goes up, but a gain of even a pound can easily ruin your day. It’s time to end the love-hate relationship with your scale. A review of a dozen studies tracking over 16,000 dieters provides indisputable evidence that the bathroom scale is one of the most effective tools for losing weight and preventing pounds from creeping on.
A whopping 75% of members of the National Weight Control Registry— men and women who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off—weigh themselves at least once a week.
Here are five surprising facts that will help you make peace with your scale—and use it to your weight loss advantage.
1. Weigh yourself often (really!)
Out of sight, out of mind simply doesn’t work. In one study, daily weighers dropped twice as many pounds as weekly weighers—12 pounds versus 6, possibly because it was a regular reminder to stay on track. Meanwhile, dieters who avoided the scale altogether gained 4 pounds. And despite the common belief that focusing on weight makes women feel bad about themselves, scientists have found that tracking your weight can actually improve your mood by giving you a sense of control.
Tip: Weigh yourself daily
2. A cheaper model is better
You can spend hundreds on a high-tech scale that also estimates your body fat percentage and more through a series of mathematical algorithms, but you’re just getting another number to worry about that’s possibly less accurate than your weight. “I avoid scales that measure body fat because there are so many inaccuracies based on fluctuations in how much water you drink,” says exercise physiologist Kara Mohr, PhD, who’s done extensive scientific research on weight loss.
Tip: Buy a basic digital scale that displays weight to the nearest 0.5 or 0.20 pound to minimize fluctuations.
3. Don’t sweat fluctuations
The biggest culprit is water (and water in the food you eat). The calories in a liter of soda would add about 0.10 pound if you didn’t burn them off, but step on the scale immediately after drinking it and you’ll be up over 2 pounds; go to the bathroom and you’ll likely drop 1 to 1.5 pounds. You even lose water weight—about 2 pounds a day—just by breathing and sweating. Day-to-day fluctuations can be the result of eating a high-sodium meal or your level of hydration, while your menstrual cycle can cause changes all month long.
“It’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind,” says Mohr. No one meal or single splurge will move the scale’s needle in a lasting way unless it becomes a habit. However, a difference of 100 calories at every meal could add up to more than 30 pounds in a year—in either direction.
Tip: Weigh yourself once, first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and getting undressed to avoid confounding factors like water weight and clothing. Track your results, and focus on the pattern over time. The number may go up and down from one day to the next, but the overall direction month to month should be down if you’re trying to lose weight. If you see an upward trend, it’s time to take action
4. Muscle gains indicate progress
In a recent study from the University of California at Berkeley, women in their mid-50s followed a 12-week cycling routine while eating a diet designed to maintain their weight.
The result: One 56-year-old dropped two sizes with only a 1-pound loss, thanks to a 7% drop in body fat. She replaced about 4 pounds of fat with 4 pounds of muscle—pound for pound, muscle is firmer and denser, and it takes up about one-third the space of fat. But don’t blame muscle for a stuck scale. It actually takes about a month of strength-training to add a single pound of muscle, on average, according to Wayne Westcott, PhD, author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger.
Tip: Track other markers like the size of your waist and thighs with a tape measure, how your clothes fit, or how much energy you have—and celebrate those successes
5. Where you put your scale matters
In most cases, your bathroom floor will work just fine, but if the floor is textured or the grout creates an uneven surface, the readout might be off. Bath mats or carpet of any thickness can absorb some of your weight, throwing off the scale’s sensors and decreasing your weight by 20 pounds or more, explains Keith Erickson, company spokesperson for Tanita scales. Some higher-end scales come with carpet feet to accommodate the inconsistencies, but our tester still found a several-pound discrepancy.
Tip: Weigh yourself in the same spot every day. Even if it’s off by a few pounds, you’ll still be able to see changes over time. For the most accurate reading, place your scale on a bare floor that’s hard, flat, and level. You can test the scale’s accuracy by weighing an object that you know the weight of—like a dumbbell.
6. One woman’s scale diary
Don’t let the number determine your self-worth! One 40-something Prevention reader shared how her weight fluctuated in 1 day.
7:15 AM: 133.8 lb, Right before hopping in the shower
8:30 AM: 137.5 lb, Wow, my clothes weigh 3.7 lb!
9:15 AM: 138.7 lb, Gained 1.2 lb from breakfast
10:30 AM: 137.9 lb, Bathroom break, -0.8 lb
1 PM: 135.8 lb, Lost 2.1 lb, thanks to a sweaty cardio workout
1:30 PM: 137.4 lb, Up 1.6 lb from lunch
4 PM: 138.6 lb, Gained 1.2 lb, probably from all the water I was drinking
5:30 PM: 137.5 lb, Bathroom break, -1.1 lb
11 PM: 140.8 lb, Yikes! Gained 3.3 lb—probably the pasta I ate and the wine!
11:30 PM: 137.1 lb, Undressed—huh, gained 3.3 lb since this morning
7:15 AM: 135.4 lb, Lost 1.7 lb while sleeping
http://www.prevention.com/scale/index.shtml
Here’s how to use the scale with your self esteem intact
For years, many experts recommended tossing your scale. Good advice when you consider the emotional whiplash that weighing yourself can cause. As the number goes down, your confidence goes up, but a gain of even a pound can easily ruin your day. It’s time to end the love-hate relationship with your scale. A review of a dozen studies tracking over 16,000 dieters provides indisputable evidence that the bathroom scale is one of the most effective tools for losing weight and preventing pounds from creeping on.
A whopping 75% of members of the National Weight Control Registry— men and women who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off—weigh themselves at least once a week.
Here are five surprising facts that will help you make peace with your scale—and use it to your weight loss advantage.
1. Weigh yourself often (really!)
Out of sight, out of mind simply doesn’t work. In one study, daily weighers dropped twice as many pounds as weekly weighers—12 pounds versus 6, possibly because it was a regular reminder to stay on track. Meanwhile, dieters who avoided the scale altogether gained 4 pounds. And despite the common belief that focusing on weight makes women feel bad about themselves, scientists have found that tracking your weight can actually improve your mood by giving you a sense of control.
Tip: Weigh yourself daily
2. A cheaper model is better
You can spend hundreds on a high-tech scale that also estimates your body fat percentage and more through a series of mathematical algorithms, but you’re just getting another number to worry about that’s possibly less accurate than your weight. “I avoid scales that measure body fat because there are so many inaccuracies based on fluctuations in how much water you drink,” says exercise physiologist Kara Mohr, PhD, who’s done extensive scientific research on weight loss.
Tip: Buy a basic digital scale that displays weight to the nearest 0.5 or 0.20 pound to minimize fluctuations.
3. Don’t sweat fluctuations
The biggest culprit is water (and water in the food you eat). The calories in a liter of soda would add about 0.10 pound if you didn’t burn them off, but step on the scale immediately after drinking it and you’ll be up over 2 pounds; go to the bathroom and you’ll likely drop 1 to 1.5 pounds. You even lose water weight—about 2 pounds a day—just by breathing and sweating. Day-to-day fluctuations can be the result of eating a high-sodium meal or your level of hydration, while your menstrual cycle can cause changes all month long.
“It’s important to keep the bigger picture in mind,” says Mohr. No one meal or single splurge will move the scale’s needle in a lasting way unless it becomes a habit. However, a difference of 100 calories at every meal could add up to more than 30 pounds in a year—in either direction.
Tip: Weigh yourself once, first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and getting undressed to avoid confounding factors like water weight and clothing. Track your results, and focus on the pattern over time. The number may go up and down from one day to the next, but the overall direction month to month should be down if you’re trying to lose weight. If you see an upward trend, it’s time to take action
4. Muscle gains indicate progress
In a recent study from the University of California at Berkeley, women in their mid-50s followed a 12-week cycling routine while eating a diet designed to maintain their weight.
The result: One 56-year-old dropped two sizes with only a 1-pound loss, thanks to a 7% drop in body fat. She replaced about 4 pounds of fat with 4 pounds of muscle—pound for pound, muscle is firmer and denser, and it takes up about one-third the space of fat. But don’t blame muscle for a stuck scale. It actually takes about a month of strength-training to add a single pound of muscle, on average, according to Wayne Westcott, PhD, author of Get Stronger, Feel Younger.
Tip: Track other markers like the size of your waist and thighs with a tape measure, how your clothes fit, or how much energy you have—and celebrate those successes
5. Where you put your scale matters
In most cases, your bathroom floor will work just fine, but if the floor is textured or the grout creates an uneven surface, the readout might be off. Bath mats or carpet of any thickness can absorb some of your weight, throwing off the scale’s sensors and decreasing your weight by 20 pounds or more, explains Keith Erickson, company spokesperson for Tanita scales. Some higher-end scales come with carpet feet to accommodate the inconsistencies, but our tester still found a several-pound discrepancy.
Tip: Weigh yourself in the same spot every day. Even if it’s off by a few pounds, you’ll still be able to see changes over time. For the most accurate reading, place your scale on a bare floor that’s hard, flat, and level. You can test the scale’s accuracy by weighing an object that you know the weight of—like a dumbbell.
6. One woman’s scale diary
Don’t let the number determine your self-worth! One 40-something Prevention reader shared how her weight fluctuated in 1 day.
7:15 AM: 133.8 lb, Right before hopping in the shower
8:30 AM: 137.5 lb, Wow, my clothes weigh 3.7 lb!
9:15 AM: 138.7 lb, Gained 1.2 lb from breakfast
10:30 AM: 137.9 lb, Bathroom break, -0.8 lb
1 PM: 135.8 lb, Lost 2.1 lb, thanks to a sweaty cardio workout
1:30 PM: 137.4 lb, Up 1.6 lb from lunch
4 PM: 138.6 lb, Gained 1.2 lb, probably from all the water I was drinking
5:30 PM: 137.5 lb, Bathroom break, -1.1 lb
11 PM: 140.8 lb, Yikes! Gained 3.3 lb—probably the pasta I ate and the wine!
11:30 PM: 137.1 lb, Undressed—huh, gained 3.3 lb since this morning
7:15 AM: 135.4 lb, Lost 1.7 lb while sleeping
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Replies
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Great article! I am a daily weigher as well. I keep track of the fluctuations, but it doesn't bring me down or make me super excited when there is a gain or loss, because I know it fluctuates. I only log one weigh in per week on here though.0
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I agree, it keeps me on track, good post, thanks for sharing:flowerforyou:0
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I weigh and log once a week, but i sometimes hop on in the middle of the week0
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I weigh every day. Keeps me on track.0
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I weigh and log once a week too.
I personally don't see a point in weighing every day... I tried it once and it made distinguishing an actual loss harder I thought because I was different weight everyday. So once a week after I've gone to the bathroom and after I take my vitamins/Bc and right before breakfast is how I do it.0 -
I also weigh daily, like others it helps keep me on track, like a constant reminder of what I'm doing.0
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I weigh daily, but log once a week. I can see my daily fluctuations but also my long-term weight loss.0
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It's subjective. Where those who HAVE lost most the weight they want can do it, people who struggle to lose 1-2lbs a week and gain 1lb in a day would end up using the scale as the success/failure result. To each his own (I weigh everyday) but not every plan is for everyone.0
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great post, thanks!0
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i like to weigh in twice a week but only log once. that half week weigh in lets me kow how i'm doing. i come away feeling more motivated to do the work for the rest of the week. i also make sure i weight first thing in the morn before eating or drinking, after going to the bathroom and naked. lol makes me feel like i'm not weighing heavier than i actually am!!0
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I weigh and log once a week too.
I personally don't see a point in weighing every day... I tried it once and it made distinguishing an actual loss harder I thought because I was different weight everyday. So once a week after I've gone to the bathroom and after I take my vitamins/Bc and right before breakfast is how I do it.
I had that problem when I first started losing weight. That's why I selected a specific day and time to log my weight weekly, so I know when I step on the scale that morning that it's the weight I'm going to log.0 -
I weigh in everyday...it keeps me on track everyday. Like this article a lot, thanks0
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I weigh in daily and I agree with this article. I truly think weighing in daily has helped me to understand my body and what is going on with it better. I know how different foods affect me - negatively or positively. How water (or lack of!) affects me. I know what is a normal range for my weight and on average how much I fluctuate between morning and night time. I know some people may consider it obsessive, but I think it actually helps curb freak outs because you know it's normal for it to be up or down by X number of pounds!0
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I'm a once-a-weeker, with the occasional mid-week weighing. I find that the fluctuations in weighing every day drives me batty.0
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I'm going scale shopping tomorrow ;] Great article!0
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Thanks for posting this! I weigh everyday too, but I only log when I lose. So some times I'm logging twice a week, some times I go a few weeks withut logging :noway:
I don't sweat it when it fluctuates...0 -
me too-everyday. if i lose-i add it to my progress. if it stays the same or goes up-i leave it. it keeps me where i am and keeps me feeling a little more in control. if im up-i look back and see if i had to much sodium or didnt drink my water or what could have caused it-its working really well for me
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I weigh in daily and I agree with this article. I truly think weighing in daily has helped me to understand my body and what is going on with it better. I know how different foods affect me - negatively or positively. How water (or lack of!) affects me. I know what is a normal range for my weight and on average how much I fluctuate between morning and night time. I know some people may consider it obsessive, but I think it actually helps curb freak outs because you know it's normal for it to be up or down by X number of pounds!
exactly!0 -
me too-everyday. if i lose-i add it to my progress. if it stays the same or goes up-i leave it. it keeps me where i am and keeps me feeling a little more in control. if im up-i look back and see if i had to much sodium or didnt drink my water or what could have caused it-its working really well for me
Thats what I do. I log if I weigh in less than the last weight I logged. Sometimes I log once a week, sometimes 3 times a week.. depends how it goes.0 -
Interesting article. I don't weigh everyday, but I do weigh a few times a week. I have tried losing weight without using the scale, but I am always in too much denial. Keeping close track makes me think about what I'm eating and inspires me to make better choices.0
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I do often, but not daily!0
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I weigh in every day too. I've noticed that my lightest weight of the day is right before lunch without clothes. I log my weight once a week. I think it is interesting to see how much I gain or lose during the day.0
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I weigh daily but log my weight loss if I lose more than 4 pounds and it stays off for at least four days.0
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like this post...thx. but still try to only weigh in once a week.0
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I weigh every morning, but I take my Sunday weigh-in as my official weekly weight 0
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i weigh every day, but i only do it in the morning, before i've eaten to keep it consistent. i know that i can put on 0.5 to 1.5kg in a day depending on my food and activities, but it keeps me going. if i put on a bit during the week, i'll really focus on my food and continue to exercise so that at monday i haven't put on weight from the previous monday.0
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Does anyone else notice a difference if you weigh yourself before & after you workout?
I'm assuming there would be a gain due to water, and muscles expanding, storing water, etc.0 -
I weigh in daily and I agree with this article. I truly think weighing in daily has helped me to understand my body and what is going on with it better. I know how different foods affect me - negatively or positively. How water (or lack of!) affects me. I know what is a normal range for my weight and on average how much I fluctuate between morning and night time. I know some people may consider it obsessive, but I think it actually helps curb freak outs because you know it's normal for it to be up or down by X number of pounds!
Same here.
On an aside and assuming that your avatar is your before and after . . . WOW you look great. I really wish now that I had a before photo but I never allowed anyone to photograph me . . . still don't. :ohwell:0 -
Each to their own but I find it hard to track loss if I do this and would get discouraged by the fluctuations. i agree weighing often helps keep track but I think once a week is suffice0
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I agree with this.I always seem to do a lot better when I weigh myself daily compared to weekly. It helps me get to know my body, and if I need to push harder in my workouts or change my eating habits.0
This discussion has been closed.
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