How often do you step on the scale?

peachypants
peachypants Posts: 34 Member
in Motivation and Support
The scale is currently my enemy. In trying my hardest to avoid it but its becoming difficult especially after having a baby 3 weeks ago and dropping 22 lbs the first 2 weeks. Im sure most of it was extra fluids and water I carried around for so long.
now-when I weigh, the scale and I are no longer friends.
How often do you weigh in?
How do you avoid it?
What other ways do you measure progress to stay motivated?
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Replies

  • doomspark
    doomspark Posts: 228 Member
    I decided that I was only going to step on the scale once a week - on Monday morning. Since I slack off on the weekends (I eat bad and don't exercise), weighing on Mondays gives me a more accurate over-all picture of what I'm doing.

    As I get closer to where I want to be, I'll stop relying on the scale and start relying more on how my clothes fit and how I feel.
  • paige_eloise
    paige_eloise Posts: 170 Member
    The scales are my enemy. We don't get on - I just made myself get on them, and it put a real dampener on my day.
    I feel better if I go on how my clothes fit, makes me feel as if I've accomplished more.

    However, I am going to make myself weigh once a week - Monday mornings.
    You should never weigh more than that because your weight naturally fluctuates :)
  • CaliSteph
    CaliSteph Posts: 142 Member
    I go on maybe once a week, sometimes two weeks if I remember. I take my measurements more than anything else.

    If you and your scale are not in emotionally healthy relationship right now, maybe keep it out of view like in a closet or under your bed. ;)
  • waferless
    waferless Posts: 16
    I step on the scale once every 3-4 months. I don't own a scale on purpose because I know I would obsess over my weight.
  • kezza8888
    kezza8888 Posts: 75
    **WARNING - UNHELPFUL POST**

    I have the same problem - the scales just glare at me every single morning in the bathroom, and I cant resist a quick check most days of the week! I avoided them today, mostly because I was less than perfect over the weekend, but I really need to get into the habit of weighing once a week! It's hard tho......I would like to put the scales away between weigh-in's but my other half is even worse than I am, sometimes getting on twice a day!! Eeek! Not healthy behaviour really, I know before anyone posts me some abuse! :-)
  • missdaisy79
    missdaisy79 Posts: 566 Member
    The scales and I are on a break for the time being. I used to weigh weekly, but I started obsessing like others have mentioned on here. I may have a look next week, just for a point of reference.
  • jenlucas1981
    jenlucas1981 Posts: 10 Member
    I weight myself once a week.. Every Sunday morning..After that my scale goes back in the corner of my bedroom..
  • terilou87
    terilou87 Posts: 328 Member
    i used to be really bad everyday, now my scale has ran out of battery's and i keep forgetting to pick one up from the shops so hardly ever now. congrats on the new baby :~)
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I weigh daily, because I'm a numbers geek and the daily fluctuations fascinate me.

    But if the daily fluctuations worried me (which it sounds like they do for you, OP), I would put the scale away somewhere, where it's a really pain in the *kitten* to get to it. Then you'll only haul it out once every couple weeks, because it's not worth trying to get it out every morning.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    I weigh in once a week at the most – usually once every two weeks. My scale actually slides right under my dresser in the bedroom so it is out of sight, out of mind. I don't trust the scale to give me a complete picture of my progress – it is just one small bit of the equation. I gauge my progress more by how my clothes fit, how I feel, how much energy I have, how much I progress with fitness challenges, etc.
  • jezama77
    jezama77 Posts: 138 Member
    The scale and I are still a little unfriendly at times, but I have come to embrace my weight fluctuations more. I have decided to be *heatlhy* and eat well with good exercise no matter what that beast says! That being said...I weigh myself every day and usually log it into MFP. I have noticed that usually I go down, then up a little and then down again, but often I get 'stuck' on a number for a few days. I am more worried about my eating and exercise than the number this time which has helped a LOT!

    Good luck to you! Try to weigh yourself, write the number down, then forget about it. Look for trends later and celebrate the downward trend. It doesn't have to go down every day. :)
  • BigBrunette
    BigBrunette Posts: 1,543 Member
    My weight fluctuates wildly during the week -- during the day, even -- so I only weigh once a week. The scale stays out of sight except on Sunday mornings.

    Congratulations on your precious new baby!
  • barbaramitchell101
    barbaramitchell101 Posts: 360 Member
    I have no problem weighing ANYTIME I think about it..sometimes it is every day, sometimes once a week...maybe I am this way because I know this thing takes time......and I have been working on it for 2 1/2 years, SLOWLY, if my scales go up, I just watch more closely, maybe try to drink more water if lately my sodium has been higher...it helps me to watch everything daily, before it gets out of control....this I think workd better for me...no UNHEALTHY relationship issues here!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • ncl1313
    ncl1313 Posts: 237 Member
    First, congrats on your baby!! It's too soon to start worrying about how much you weigh! Enjoy your little bundle for at least a few more weeks and hide that scale until then. ;)

    I weigh daily, every morning, just so I can see the patterns in the fluctuations, and I definitely don't let those daily numbers get to me. I "weigh-in" once a week, and that's the number that "matters".
  • silla1111
    silla1111 Posts: 4
    I made the mistake of not only weighing daily, but multiple times during the day. BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!!! It is amazing how much your weight fluctuates during the day. Now I weigh once a week. I will say I am older (66) and I work out in the pool or machines 3 to 4 times a week. Even though my weight loss has not been significant the inches lost have been. Just sayin.............
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    Once a month, that way you just worry about the overall picture not mini missteps. Certainly it is tempting to check, but I find that if I have a big weigh-in at the end of the month that it keeps me in check most of the time. I don't want to have waited all that time to only find I have made no progress or even regressed.
  • paige_eloise
    paige_eloise Posts: 170 Member
    I do know how you feel! The last time I dieted, I was obsessed with my scales.
    Maybe I'm not anymore because I'm more ashamed of my weight.

    Scales are evil, evil things!
  • TheWinman
    TheWinman Posts: 684 Member
    About once a month.

    No need for the scale. Track your measurements including body fat percentage and that is all you need to know.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    I'm a little different. I like to weigh in every morning to see exactly how my body reacts to things. It doesn't bother me if I weigh in a couple pounds heavier than the day before. Like today, I'm 1.6lbs heavier than yesterday. Not a big deal, I ate a lot of sodium yesterday, the only time I worry about it is when the gain stays for several weeks. So in two weeks if I still weigh what I do today, then I probably need to re-evaluate what I'm doing, but until then I will just continue to do what I've been doing.

    edit: I also take measurements once a week. I don't log weight gain on MFP, but I have an excel document where I track everything (workouts, weight, measurements, ect).
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    First thing every morning.

    More data = more accurate trends.
  • kriskris92
    kriskris92 Posts: 190 Member
    I don't. I go by measurements instead. I don't have a scale in my apartment, so I only weigh myself when I go back home to my parents' house, which is usually once every 4 months or so.
  • sportzmom23
    sportzmom23 Posts: 103 Member
    Congratulations on your baby! My body and losses were totally different after each of my three. Number three, I wore my pre-pg street clothes on discharge day, I had lost all a baby weight from first two, gained 37 pounds, but dropped a ton, fast.

    After my first two, things took time, even with breast feeding. Hormone fluctuations, etc had me all over the place, so I say do not worry about it yet, give it another 2 weeks, right now focus on logging food, getting into that habit.

    When you can start exercising, then maybe once a week, and remember, it took 9 months to gain the weight. It doesn't all fall off immediately. Don't compare yourself to a celeb mom, they have trainers, nannies, etc, lots of help in the battle to lose.
  • katinachaos
    katinachaos Posts: 90 Member
    I only weigh in once a week or so and I do it at my BFs house on Fridays (so I don't get disheartened if I have a few too many beers over the weekend). It's the same scale, so it's consistent, but I only do it on Fridays, so if for some reason I don't get over there that Friday, I wait another week. It keeps me sane. Maybe bring your scale to a friends house or a parent (someone you visit fairly regularly) so you aren't tempted to check it all the time?
  • ril0riley
    ril0riley Posts: 54 Member
    Usually about 2x a day. Its been vital to learning more about my body-- how I usually fluccuate, how salty foods will bloat me, the types of patterns I see before drops, gains, and plateaus.
    Knowledge is power!!
    Very often it means recording a weight "gain" but the overall trend is very much down
    works for me
    :shrugs:
  • Vune
    Vune Posts: 674 Member
    I weigh twice daily, morning and night. I have a kidney transplant, so keeping track of water fluctuations is vital for monitoring the health of the kidney in between blood tests.
  • Dorothy888
    Dorothy888 Posts: 11 Member
    I originally lost 20 pounds, but have put 10 back on since Christmas!!!! Granted, I did fall off the wagon with eating and exercising, but one of the major things I stopped doing was getting on the scale every morning. When I was dedicated and had motivation, I would get on every morning, just to keep on track. I knew that my body fluctuated a few pounds, and was ok with that. After Christmas I wouldn't get on because I knew that what I was doing was not good for me.....and here I am 10 pounds later!!! I have started up again today, and will get on the scale every morning! It works for me! Good luck!
  • chelseascounter
    chelseascounter Posts: 1,283 Member
    Every morning when I had a scale, now I just measure my waist every morning.
  • deeva2266
    deeva2266 Posts: 65 Member
    Once a week.
  • Rgtjax85
    Rgtjax85 Posts: 99 Member
    I weigh in almost very other day. Sometimes twice a day. I have realized that it is unhealthy for me to weigh in every day or multiple times in one day. I now do it before breakfast when I first wake up and try not to do it day after day.
  • diliveslife
    diliveslife Posts: 42 Member
    I try to only track my weight once a week but weigh in at least 4x a week. I don't freak out with small fluctuations but weighing often helps keep my focus on my fitness and health. Its kinda like excersize or food tracking to me. The more often I do it the more on track I stay.

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