How often should I weigh myself?

PinkFlamingos84
PinkFlamingos84 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
I just started working out and eating healthy again, trying to shed some Lbs, and I know in the past I have obsessively weighed myself, usually 2-3 times a day. As most everyone knows, your body weight fluctuates throughout the day, so it can be very disconcerting. I actually got rid of my scale over a year ago, and reluctantly purchased another today, so that I could keep track for this website. How often should you actually check your progress on the scale? Every day? Once a week? Best time of day for accuracy?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • delwen57
    delwen57 Posts: 9 Member
    Same time of day only once a week
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    There's no accuracy to weighing yourself regardless of how or when you do it. Your body is constantly changing based on food intake, elimination, sweat, etc. You'll weigh the same whether you weigh yourself hourly or once a month. The scale doesn't make you gain or lose, it records a snapshot in time.

    Weighing once a week, same time, same place, same clothes (or lack thereof) is more than enough. You're looking for a downward trend overtime not figuring you suddenly weigh less because you pooped. Even at maintenance your weight won't remain static. My weight varies by as much as 5 lbs either way depending on any of the above factors.
  • htimsm87
    htimsm87 Posts: 104 Member
    I definitly suggest the same time every day. How often I would say is personal preference. Most of the things I have read might suggest weekly. However, personnaly, I like to weigh myself daily. I see where I can jump 2-3 lbs in a single day, being especially dependent on the amount of fluids I intaken in the day or two previous and the amount of exercise. By weighing myself daily I see these fluctuations and see them for what they are. If I was to weigh myself weekly I wouldn't know if I was on an up day or a down day on the scale. I don't worry so much if the scale says I gained a lb or two as long as I see a general trend going down over time.

    My preference is to weigh almost immediatly after getting out of bed each morning.
  • prettyprpro
    prettyprpro Posts: 128 Member
    Same time of day only once a week

    I agree with this post. I weigh myself every Sunday morning.
  • Spartan112
    Spartan112 Posts: 3
    Sunday morning for me too. Post workout.
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    That really depends on you.
    I weigh in every morning before eating or drinking and after a pooh...
    :drinker:
    I track trends and never obsess over a number. On average I lose one pound per week as per MFP recommendations.
    Just do what suits you; there are no rules.
    Good Luck!
  • Justkritter
    Justkritter Posts: 143 Member
    I do it on a Sunday upon waking up.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    once per month.

    i'm being serious. the scale can only mess with your head if you weigh too often. do your exercise and try to hit your calorie and macro goals, but only weigh in on the 1st of each month. not only will that free you from the worries of the scale, but when you do weigh in, you'll see a sizable loss each month.
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    It depends on your eating/sleeping habits, what time of day is best, but I agree that daily is best. For me, I do it either right before or right after my morning job, because it's before I've eaten much or anything at all. Waiting until the end of the day can be problematic when you factor in eating and exercise. You can keep your clothes on, but if you wear baggy stuff then weight it by itself so you can subtract a pound or two. (Or just weigh in the nude, another good reason to do it first thing in the morning :P) It's true that your weight will fluctuate a little from day to day but if you have a set routine schedule, having your meals and workouts and sleeping patterns around the same times, the fluctuation should be slim unless some outside factor is affecting you. (Stress, hormonal cycle, "cheat day", got sick, etc)

    Good luck!
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
    Same time of day only once a week

    same here
  • BrandyRelaxing
    BrandyRelaxing Posts: 68 Member
    I weigh myself once a week, on Sunday morning, after I've peed, with no clothes on (sometimes before and sometimes after I shower).

    One thing I notice about weighing in on Sundays is that it helps me keep Saturday as a reasonable day of eating, because I know over-eating, or eating a lot of fast food, will cause the scale to be higher (artificially higher due to water retension, or other other "transitional weight"), but I don't want to be showing I've gained weight... I worked really hard during the week, and I don't want what I did on Saturday to ruin my ability to see that.

    On an honest note, I do check my weight periodically during the week, probably 4 other days than Sunday, but it's just to see where the numbers are going, but Sunday is my official weigh-in and is the only number that does matter to me.
  • zoeyloves101
    zoeyloves101 Posts: 5
    I generally weigh myself every three or four days first thing in the morning (after I pee LOL) simply because it's so difficult for me to wait SEVEN WHOLE DAYS! I know, it sounds silly, but it really works for me. I highly recomend it to people with obsessive weighing issues! :)
  • Nancy_hc
    Nancy_hc Posts: 123 Member
    I would weight myself at the same time every day. It would fluctuate a pound or two but in general you'll see a trend (like over a week or two). You can also choose to weigh yourself weekly if the fluctuations are going to de-motivate you.
  • kluaneb
    kluaneb Posts: 13
    I personally have not weighed myself in over a year. When I go to the doctor and they require it, I get on the scale but tell them I do not want to know the number. It doesn't matter. Lean muscle weighs more than fat, and that for me is what I am focusing on. So my scale number may be high, but what I am looking at is my lean muscle mass weight. I get this by getting a Bod Pod done at my local gym. There is a fee, but it gives me the most accurate look at what I want to know. I found when I was weighing myself, I was stressing too much about the number and not focusing on the task at hand. To each his own, but remember, it's just a number.

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