Does that .X really matter?

yes. it does matter. Especially to those on smaller caloric deficits.

And to answer you other question, yes, I do tell them "I've lost 26.8 pounds".

Since my goal is to lose about .5 to 1 pound per week right now, yes, the .X matters since I may not be losing a full pound and yet as long as there's a loss, I consider it a successful week.

I think the fractions matter. It could be the difference between losing nothing for four weeks and then magically dropping (which I don't trust), or losing a pound over the course of four weeks.

Or we could all just ignore the scales since we know there are other ways to measure.

Does it matter that it matters to some people?

I personally do not count decimals on MFP. I have such a large amount of weight to lose that it would be moot; I can see how people with smaller amounts of to lose would keep track of their exact weight, though. But unless you weigh-in at the same time everyday, I don't think the decimal points on a pound are an accurate measure of fat loss due to fluctuations that happen over the course of a day.

My water weight doesn't fluctuate nearly as much as people here, definitely not 5 pounds. I don't know why. The .6 doesn't really matter to me much personally.

I've reached my first goal weight and reset it for my ultimate goal weight. I only have 6 pounds left to lose, and I have to work really hard for those tenths of a pound. So, yes, they are important to me!

To me, personally. I won't even BUY a scale that doesn't give me the X factor.(lol) I have roughly 100 lbs to lose, so to see even a fraction of a pound lost is great to see. If I step on and I'm up a fraction, I don't panic either. My scale sis between two tiles in the bathroom so even with the kitties chasing through the house and moving the scales, I can realign it each time to where it needs to be. I weigh approximately the same time each morning, undressed and after business so there is no change in clothing, etc.
It can motivate me, too. If I see I haven't budged, I go back over the food diary and check to see if I'm eating differently. Maybe more carbs lately, or sodium, etc.. and you can catch it earlier. A steady loss of a fraction each week, too, is nice to see, rather than four weeks of no change. That little X factor can keep someone motivated, knowing that they're done something. I know we know about fluctuations with water, etc. and I think we do take that into consideration, too.

To some, no, it doesn't matter, to each his own, but please, don't condemn the ones of us who DO like to see even .10, because to us, that does matter.

So I always see people with the tag of I lost 2.6 lbs since the last time I weighed in. Does that .6 really matter? When you consider that water weight can fluxuate up to 5 lbs, does that .6 really matter? When somebody asks you, "Oh, how much have you lost?", do you say "I've lost 20.6 lbs!", my guess would be NO!

So why even record that? I understand that in the grand scheme of things, it's there essentially to make you feel better, but c'mon. If you are worried about .6 lbs, you need to find other things to worry about.

I weigh every day and record my weight in a spreadsheet. My weight does indeed fluctuate up to about 5 pounds a day, which I don't stress about.

I only record my weight on MFP when I hit a new low. Sometimes this low is .2 pounds less than the previous one and sometimes it's 2.2 pounds less than the previous one. Either one is within the five pound fluctuation zone and may be an equally illusory loss due to water weight (I doubt that I've every truly lost 2.2 pounds overnight, but my scale has dropped that much at times).

The fact is, the numbers are all relative. You need to pick some way to record your progress. I've chosen the "new low" method. Others may choose to take an average or to only record a loss when it sticks around for a while. It's really up to the person.

When people ask me how much weight I've lost, I usually just round it off to "about 50 pounds", since I'm not 100% sure what my top weight was.

Finally, if recording a .2 pound loss makes someone feel better, thus inspiring them to stick with their healthy habits a while longer, than why begrudge them that? Personally I am more inspired when I look at the graph I keep with my daily weigh ins and see the constant downward trend then I am by any individual loss, but whatever helps people stick with it is a positive as far as I'm concerned.

It matters to some more than others. For instance if you are trying to track water retention or depletion, ever tenth of a pound does make a difference. Weighing before a workout and after a workout to determine how much you need to rehydrate is also important.

I use the information to track patterns, decide on where I need to cut sodium intake and to determine even the tiniest gain or loss. For instance, I've never gotten below 134.2 so if the scale moves down to 133.8 I know I've made more progress.

I also count the tenths of miles when calculating my gas mileage on my car. I guess I just like to be precise.

Every ounce counts lol

:laugh:

I'm a fan of rounding. I don't worry much about the scale anyway.

well, it does matter to me since I'm on a .5 loss per week...

I'm not obsessed with the number on the scale by any stretch, but my weight only drops in fractions. I don't lose a full pound or multiple pounds at a time. So that's what gets recorded.

This. Also, by your logic, you shouldn't record anything under 5 lb because it could be water fluctuations? I think it's easiest to just record what my digital scale tells me, but understand that there is a margin of error. Also, my habits are pretty set, so my water weight fluctuations aren't much at all. For the most part, the .X doesn't come back