When to weigh yourself for 'correct' weight?

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SHHitsKaty
SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't have a scale at my place so I tend to only weigh myself when I go to the gym and the scale there is one of those high tech ones, so I know it's pretty accurate. The days when I go early in the day, towards the morning (which is mostly the weekend) always seem to be lower than when I weigh myself if I go to the gym after work around 5:30, after I've ate two meals, which makes sense but should I start only weighing myself in the morning? Is that really the best time to weigh yourself?

I just sometimes get discouraged when one day I weigh myself and I'm 2 lbs less and the next day I weigh myself and I'm back up those 2 lbs.
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Replies

  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
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    It won't matter which weight you use as log as it's the same time on the same day in the same clothes/or lack of. Most people seem to prefer first thing in the morning after shower and bathroom. I actually weigh less just out of the shower LOL
  • cindybowcut
    cindybowcut Posts: 250 Member
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    I always weigh myself first thing in the morning. When I had my last physical, I weighed before I went and was weighed at the doctors and they were the same.
  • LuckyCheryl
    LuckyCheryl Posts: 71 Member
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    I agree - Weigh in right away after going to the bathroom in the morning and preferrably naked.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
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    Fair enough, mine just seems to fluctuate between a pound or two difference depending on the day, even if I do it at the same time. I suppose that could be water weight as well, whenever I'm near 'that time of the month' I have so much water weight, so I do disregard that.

    I think I need to just stop wanting to weigh myself a few times a week and just start weighing myself once a week.
  • My1985Freckles
    My1985Freckles Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I've discovered that my lowest weight of the week is on Saturday at 10am.... Don't ask me why, but it is. So, I weigh on Saturday mornings around 10am. I'm usually awake for a couple hours at this point, but haven't eaten breakfast yet.
  • newcs
    newcs Posts: 717 Member
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    I'd say to either stick to weighing consistently (same-ish clothes, same time of day, etc) or accepting that it'll fluctuate and just becoming comfortable with a range. For me, I don't weigh at consistent times and have a 3lb range that I fluctuate within.
  • itsmyvwbeetle
    itsmyvwbeetle Posts: 272 Member
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    First thing in the morning here too. It lets your body stabilize and digest food and process liquids. During the day your scale varies drastically based on how much you have ate or drank that day.
  • skopp18
    skopp18 Posts: 27
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    It's normal for your body to fluctuate a few lbs throughout the day. That's why it's best to weigh yourself at the same time every day to get an accurate reading of how much your weight has changed from the day before.

    I bought myself a digital scale from walmart or amazon or something for $15 and I weigh myself every morning after bathroom before breakfast. I find that it's the lowest weight for me, generally. My weight will change even within one hour - before or after a workout. So, I try to keep it as consistent as possible in my times that I weigh myself.
  • Capegirl8013
    Capegirl8013 Posts: 12 Member
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    My belief is that it honestly doesn't matter as long as you are consistent with when you do it.

    The human body's weigh fluctuates throughout the day (our height does too - usually we're a little taller in the morning than at the end of the day!). If you always weigh yourself in the late afternoon, then that is going to give you a true indicator of your weight at THAT moment in the day.

    Generally speaking, weighing yourself first thing in the morning will you give you the lowest weight, and later in the day you'll see a higher number. I would make a decision on which time you like better and concentrate on the number at that time of day rather than random times.

    I have a scale at home and I also participate in Weight Watchers. I weigh myself every morning before I get in the shower and then also weekly at my meetings. The meetings are at 6:30 in the evening, and I can tell you that generally I'm 2 lbs heavier by the end of the day than when I woke up! I don't sweat it because I've made the decision to view my weight loss as a trend rather than data based on a single point in time.
  • Nalgh94
    Nalgh94 Posts: 181 Member
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    I find the best that works for me is in the morning after I've woken up for a bit, I kinda weigh more if I'm straight out of bed. I guess you need to give your body some time to settle
  • Capegirl8013
    Capegirl8013 Posts: 12 Member
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    ... the scale there is one of those high tech ones, so I know it's pretty accurate.

    Actually, unless they are routinely calibrating it, there's no guarantee that a high tech one is anymore accurate than a low tech one.
  • r0se125
    r0se125 Posts: 228 Member
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    Yeah I weight myself in the mornings after i been up for about an hour.
  • Princess41463
    Princess41463 Posts: 39 Member
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    I get up each morning, go to the bathroom, and then weigh myself completely naked. I was instructed to do this by my doctor and have stayed with it. It's motivating to me to see a lower number on the scale than I would if I would fully clothed and at the end of my day. I think of that lower number all day when I feel hunger pains and it encourages me to stick to my diet plan.
  • DontWeightStartNow
    DontWeightStartNow Posts: 58 Member
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    It won't matter which weight you use as log as it's the same time on the same day in the same clothes/or lack of. Most people seem to prefer first thing in the morning after shower and bathroom. I actually weigh less just out of the shower LOL

    Me too here! Those 2 extra pounds of dirt that come off after a shower really make a difference!!! LOL (j/k)
  • angelique_redhead
    angelique_redhead Posts: 782 Member
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    I'm lower in the morning but then again I've been up running to the restroom all night. Good luck!
  • ninakir88
    ninakir88 Posts: 292 Member
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    Typically I weigh myself in the mornings.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
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    Guess it's time to just go buy a scale and start weighing myself in the morning, naked!
  • tgcitw
    tgcitw Posts: 19
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    Every morning M-F I wake up use the bathroom, then jump on the scale. I feel like I need to do it to see the number so I know where I am at everyday. Keeps me motivated......
  • kayleen_longworth
    kayleen_longworth Posts: 147 Member
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    I only weigh myself at work as I don't have a scale at home. And I found the best time to weigh myself is later morning (after breakfast, before lunch). The weight fluctuates some, but I'm getting a close enough reading for my purposes. I can tell when I've eaten too much salty foods and just plain eaten too much. It does matter where I am at in my cycle. I gain during ovulation and lose during my period.
  • knittingwitch
    knittingwitch Posts: 231 Member
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    MFP recommends you only weigh your self once a week and record that weight, it really doesn't matter when you weigh your self as long as you always weigh your self at the same time and ware similar clothing. However when you weigh your self in the afternoon your going to weigh more because there is food in your belly being digested. If you weighed your self in the morning then again in the afternoon, and one more time before bed you would see your weight fluctuate.

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