Stepping on the scale...

nicehormones

I'm sure this has been discussed a whole lot on this site, but I didn't find anything scrolling through. I was wondering how often you guys actually step on the scale and how close to heart you take those numbers. I know weight can fluctuate a lot due to water, especially if you are a woman. I am just wondering how people take the numbers on the scale into account to see their progress in weight loss. I feel like I have been trying really hard and then I step on the scale after a few days and I'm up 2 pounds. Very discouraging. I always want to check my weight every day even though I know that's silly and unproductive. How often should I really be stepping on the scale?

grace1611

once every two weeks suits me. Usually go by how my clothes feel.

KareyMarie

I weigh everyday, but only "log" my weight once a week. I like to see the number daily (I'm sort of type-A), but I don't really give a second thought about it until it's on the my actual "weigh-in" day.

skylinekt

I'm a bit obsessive, and I'm on the scale EVERY day. I don't count a gain or loss until I've been at that same # for 2 consecutive days. That's just what works for me.

cheyenne_alexis

I weigh my self at the beginning and ending of each week, before i eat or drink anything.. after i wake up on Monday and then again after i wake up on friday.. I try not to look at it during the week and normally im good unless i havent lost any weight in like a week or two i cant help but look on weds.. I also take measurements too that helps to see how far youve come :flowerforyou:

AZackery

I step on the scale once a month. I have a body fat scale and just recently gotten myself an Omron handheld body fat monitor. Although, I log my scale weight, I'm not tracking my scale weight. I have to log my weight to see how much pounds of fat that I'm losing. I'm tracking my body fat percentage/pounds of fat and inches loss.

I'm aiming to lose pounds of fat. I'm aiming to lose 4 to 8 pounds of fat a month. I have a body fat percentage goal and I know it will take me a year or so to get there and I'm okay with that.

Dickersondiva

I won't lie...I get on the scale DAILY. I know...bad habit. And my weight fluctuates by the hour. (Don't ask me how I know this)
So, to modify my behavior, I am starting a No Scale Challenge for myself....I am going to start with no getting on the scale for two weeks. That may not seem like a long time for many, but for me, two weeks is eternity. Just don't want to get discouraged (or comfortable) with small losses and gains.

moushtie

I weigh 3 times a week, when I go to the gym, because I love their scale. It's a regular time of the day for me too. I tend to not compare day to day, but this monday's weight with last monday's ( weight is always up after the weekend) . I tend to log wednesday's weight, because that's usually the lowest of the 3 days :P

darlilama

I never, ever, weigh myself more than once a week… although sometimes it's terribly tempting. I always weigh myself on the same day and approximately the same time. For me, that Saturday morning's. If you do the "spike" or "cheat" days, as someone pointed out to me, your weigh-in should be before that day. That will tell the "truth" of it.

As for taking it to heart… I do take it to heart, but I also try to be within reason. Fortunately, I haven't had an "up" week (I think maybe I have a guardian angel who knows I couldn't take it right now :0), but I had an even-steven week before last where I weighed exactly (I have a digital scale) the same as I did the week before. I took it hard because I had been really excited to get to my weigh-in day since I thought I'd done such a great job on eating and exercising that week. I regrouped… I ran reports (so helpful) for the past 4 wks to see what I might have done differently. Maybe it wasn't the calories, maybe it was the TYPE of calories, etc. I adjusted my eating and exercise slightly and the next weigh-in … 2lbs gone!

If you can't help yourself from weighing more often, though, at least do it exactly the same way each time… same type of clothing, same time of day. That will make a difference. But, be tough, if you can!

megz4987

I weigh multiple times throughout the day and it's usually the same (which is rare for anyone, really) but I only log once or twice a week. If I'm in two challenges on these boards, I'll log the two seperate days our weigh-ins are.

Abbie_Thompson

I step on the scale to log my progress every Monday morning. "Monday Morning! Are you crazy?" Having a Monday morning weigh in looming helps keep me focused on Saturday and Sunday. I like the weekly progress reports because it motivates me but not everyone motivates the same way. I do jump on the scale at other times during the week but not for "official" weights. When I really want something I shouldn't have or am feeling too lazy to work out, I'll hop on and see I'm not 200lbs anymore and it refocuses me. I don't fret or obsess over those weights if I'm a little more than the last "official" weigh in because weight fluctuates up to 2lbs daily. The only ones that count are on Monday mornings.

texancountess

I weigh myself daily. I really don't see any harm in it. I'm not obsessed with the number; but I'm typically just checking to make sure that the trend is still downward. I only log my weight on Mondays. If I get to a point where weighing daily becomes mentally unhealthy for me, then I'll stop. Until then? I'm going to keep doing what works. I like keeping track of how things are going and modifying according to that. I also haven't noticed much fluctuation in my weight from day to day. It's typically a steadily downward trend unless I have an "off" day.

laura2501

i used to weigh every day but it was driving me mad i was going up a pound then going down a pound now i only get weighed every friday at the same time in the morning and take this as right, i know if i have been good it will be the same or better, i havent put on any weight that i could not account for yet

FifiLea

I weigh everyday, but only "log" my weight once a week. I like to see the number daily (I'm sort of type-A), but I don't really give a second thought about it until it's on the my actual "weigh-in" day.

This for me as well. It's kind of comforting for me as I'm learning how my weight does fluctuate, so I don't need to panic if it's up a little. On weigh in day (mostly) there's a downward trend - that's what matters!

nicehormones

Thanks, everyone. Yeah, I think maybe I get a little carried away with numbers because I want to see the change rather than wait, and I know that's not really the patient way... I think what I'm going to do too is only record my weight once a week and judge based off that even if I weigh myself more often through the week... And maybe start taking weekly measurements too. I can't wait to have those jeans falling off!

mermx

I weigh every morning after going for a pee. The 1st weigh in doesn`t count, the second one after 1 minute is the one I go with because it always changes....I don`t know why. If I havent lost then I go through the best of 3 more weigh ins lol!
I do the stepping on a different part of the scale. then I do the exhale all my breath and hold it weigh in. Then I do the walk away and creep up on the scale with Ninja skill secrecy and weigh in again.

If it has not gone down then...I look at what I ate over the last few days in my diary and tweak it a bit.

As it is going to be a lifestyle then I want to make sure I get things right with my choice of foods each day.

HMonsterX

I'm on the scale EVERY day. I don't count a gain or loss until I've been at that same # for 2 consecutive days. That's just what works for me.

Exactly the system i use!

nicehormones

I weigh every morning after going for a pee. The 1st weigh in doesn`t count, the second one after 1 minute is the one I go with because it always changes....I don`t know why. If I havent lost then I go through the best of 3 more weigh ins lol!
I do the stepping on a different part of the scale. then I do the exhale all my breath and hold it weigh in. Then I do the walk away and creep up on the scale with Ninja skill secrecy and weigh in again.

If it has not gone down then...I look at what I ate over the last few days in my diary and tweak it a bit.

As it is going to be a lifestyle then I want to make sure I get things right with my choice of foods each day.

Haha I appreciate the ninja skill secrecy part

Jessabi93

I've just restarted my diet again, and I'm certain I've put back on all the weight I lost before. And I'm terrified to weigh myself and prove myself right haha! So I've vowed that I won't for a month, since by then I'll have hopefully lost some and won't feel so bad.. But when I was doing well before, I got a bit obsessive and was starting to weigh myself every day which wasn't the right thing to do for me because then it became all I could think about. So this time I want to go more by how my clothes feel instead and only weigh myself every two weeks or monthly:)

servilia

I weigh several times a day but usually don't take the little fluctuations to heart. I only log it here when I have a loss - but I log my morning weight in a notebook so I can look back and see if there's a pattern.

randylevy

Honestly I weigh myself twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, but I only log it once a week and I log the evening weight. I really don't know why I do it that way, but it works and so far I have seen a steady loss every week since I started on MFP. Slow and steady wins the race. Weigh yourself as much as you want but don't obsess about the interim numbers.

hazelnutflav

once a month on the 15th.

SarahRuth♥

I weigh myself constantly. At least once a day, sometimes more, and often after a really good workout. I don't freak out about the numbers, and I only log once a week. I just like to see the fluctuations and understand fully how my actions affect my weight. I know if the scale is up because I had too much sodium the day before, or during certain times of the month, etc. I know that I typically weigh anywhere from 2-6 pounds more in the evening than I do in the mornings, and that's okay. My official weigh-in, though, is always on the same day, at approximately the same time, on the same scale, and naked. Progress is what you're looking for, and that's the only way to log your progress.