Your Scale and You

IsMollyReallyHungry
IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
Your Scale and You

Unlike other plans that recommend weighing in weekly or less often, we advise you to weigh yourself daily.

"Daily?" you ask. Yes! Studies show that people who weigh themselves daily are more successful at long-term weight loss than those who weigh themselves weekly. Experts speculate that frequent weigh-ins remind you of your goals and help keep you motivated. At the Duke Diet & Fitness Center (DFC), we feel that an essential part of this daily weighing strategy is tracking your weight on a graph. A graph helps you to see the big picture: Rather than focusing on one day's number, you're looking at trends over several days, weeks, or months. There's nothing more motivating than seeing that line move downward over time!

We also like graphs because they can help you to become accustomed to the fact that the number on the scale does fluctuate each day. The line won't always move downward, and that's okay. Weight normally varies from day to day, based on factors like how much water your body is retaining, among others. We find that seeing these normal fluctuations on a graph keeps our clients at the DFC from getting discouraged by them — they look past the little ups and downs and focus on the larger trends.

Another advantage to graphing with daily weigh-ins is that it helps you self-monitor more effectively. If you see your weight beginning to trend in the wrong direction, you can take steps to nip that trend in the bud.

Of course, weighing in daily isn't right for everyone. If you've ever had an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia or if you find it extremely upsetting to get on the scale, you should talk to your doctor or mental health–care provider. Otherwise, give it a try and see how it works for you!

If daily weighing is a good strategy for you, we encourage you to keep it up — even after you meet your weight goals. Research has shown that people who've lost weight and continue to weigh themselves regularly afterward are better able to keep the weight off. So plan to make your friendship with your scale a lifelong one. Doing so will greatly increase your chances of both short-term and lifelong success.

Duke Diet & Fitness Center. You can find even more nutrition, fitness, behavioral health, and medical tips at www.dukediet.com.

Replies

  • amyfritz
    amyfritz Posts: 33
    I love daily weighing.. Yes, its frustrating at times, but at least I know if I am bloated or if I am trending up so I can do something quickly.
  • mrsw510
    mrsw510 Posts: 169
    This is why I weigh in daily. I have one "offical" weigh day that is that weight I log for the week but I step on that scale every morning. I know that if I just weigh one day a week---say Monday morning I would give myself a pass to eat not so great monday and maybe Tuesday because I have a whole week to burn off the extra calories. If I have to see that scale everymorning it keeps me more accountable on a day to day basis.
  • dzdame
    dzdame Posts: 89
    I also weigh myself everyday..It can be discouraging for a moment and then I have to remind myself that some days it may seem as if I have put on weight, but I try to remember that it is only a problem if it doesn't go back down in a day or two..I agree that it helps keep me on track and reminds me that I may have to watch my calorie intake a bit more or step up my workouts..I like the idea of graphing it out, so I may try that...I seem to be a plateau right now and the graph might help me see if that is the case..
  • XoXoCountryGalXoXo
    XoXoCountryGalXoXo Posts: 41 Member
    Love to weigh daily. This definitly holds true for me. Thanks for the helpful article!
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
    I weigh myself daily. I love my scale. It only weighs what is on it. It is up to us to try to decipher the results. The scale never lies to us and so it is my friend. It helps me stay grounded and on top of my weight daily. After a lifetime of never weighing myself, I do it now to stay focus, mindful and on track.
  • johnwreagan
    johnwreagan Posts: 6
    Weird, my wife suggested this a couple of weeks ago and I have been doing it ever since...
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
    I think it can be motivating for some, and drive other's neurotic. :) I happen to be one that weighs myself every day and find it motivating. But there are those that can not handle seeing the fluctuation and do much better seeing a more significant loss (hopefully) weekly. If you do weigh daily, it is probably better for your sanity if you have an official 'weigh in' on the same day every week and use that to report to MFP.
  • hkystar
    hkystar Posts: 1,290 Member
    I kinda agree with this article (so I guess that means I am in the group who should be weighing daily). I already do it (for the most part). I track it using this app on my cell phone but I only log once a week on the website.

    Days I dont weigh, I tend to not remember the big picture. Days I weigh higher I tend to be a little more upset and hard on myself. But it does remind me of what I am striving for.
  • blbond82
    blbond82 Posts: 32
    I absolutely weigh daily. Its all part of taking control for me. If I don't weigh daily I don't feel like I have a real handle on what is happening with me, food and my weight.
  • assyn
    assyn Posts: 6
    I also weigh daily (well, almost daily). I can see what is happening day to day that way. I only really record my weight on a Saturday (although the Wii keeps track of my weight every time I weigh myself and I can see a graph, which I love). I don't think I'd have a grasp on the whole idea of losing weight if I didn't weigh almost every day.
  • gingajoy
    gingajoy Posts: 52
    I can definitely see how it could be motivational for some people. But in the past I've been a daily weigher and I have to say it wasn't good for my sanity -- it did make me neurotic, and obsessing over figures. I found I was weighing myself several times a day to see if I could 'trick' the scales. I now strictly stick to once a week so I am not fretting so much about it. I guess it's like many things with losing weight and getting fit -- you need to assess what will really work for you.
  • Kate_UK
    Kate_UK Posts: 1,299 Member
    I weigh daily too, although I tend to block out the higher weights and focus more on when the numbers are going down. I've been stack at a bit of a plateau the last couple of weeks so maybe graphing it would give me a better idea of what is going on.
    Thanks for sharing.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    i weigh daiy too. i have never been one that defines myself by the number on the scale, but i like seeing how my body works. for a while i was weighing both in the morning and at night, so now if i hop on the scale at 9 p.m., i have a fairly good idea what the scale is going to say in the morning. :)

    one of my friends who only weighed weekly had no idea why her weight wasn't going down. after she confided in me about it, i told her to weigh everyday for a couple of weeks. turns out she was losing weight all week long and then ruined it with her 'after church brunch' (it was very carb-heavy, even though it was in her calories to do so). after she adjusted her sunday habit, the scale reflected the losses she had worked for all week.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
    Well I have went to weighing myself 2 to 3 times a week vs. everyday. I do this for my sanity. It was getting me down when scale was not moving like I wanted it to move. But now I am better. I may go back to daily until the week before TOM. Not sure but since 2 to 3 times a week is working I will probably stick with this. I count the best weight between Sunday and Monday for my records.
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
    bump!
  • givprayz
    givprayz Posts: 328
    Thanks Mollie, for the article, and for posting to my wall to let me know about it. I think I will start charting, and I think I will put in notes about eating and exercise, and just how I feel, to see if there really are some correlations I've speculated about.
  • AnnaPixie
    AnnaPixie Posts: 7,439 Member
    I weigh daily too. Keeps me accountable and in touch with my water weight.

    Thanks for writing this post as so many people are anti scales. When I threw my scales out and went through a phase of just being happy with who I am, I gained 40lbs! :laugh:

    Your mind denies what your eyes dont see!!

    Face up to your weight and keep on top of it. Simple as that :wink:
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