weighing in...

AEfit4life76
AEfit4life76 Posts: 19
in Health and Weight Loss
My weight fluctuates from week to week...Does anyone know how often your supposed to weigh yourself to obtain an accurate weight loss count?

Replies

  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    No I don't but I do know everyone seems to say fluctuations are normal. I've weighed myself at least a week apart and usually more. I think that's my defense mechanism for not having to see that scale go up and down and up and down and up and down over and over and drive me totally nutsbonkers.Woman-with-Scale.jpg

    I guess I wait so long that each time I weigh it measures some type of loss.

    I would imagine if I weighed everyday it would look roughly like this. Ignore the text it's just an example to see what I've been trying to explain for awhile but my words fail me today.
    eurusd11.gif
    and I would have to be strong to ignore those temporary ups.

    Since I weigh so infrequently I get to have a mental image of something that looks more like this.

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSddZhBKY0slmRuADxevNuQmCj7Brrpmk8I6XHq-ZMYMIb2rVRZ My trick to not weighing frequently is not having a scale in the house. The downside is I can only weigh when I am in the presence of a scale by chance and happen to remember to do it. Nothing's perfect.
  • DalekBrittany
    DalekBrittany Posts: 1,748 Member
    inb4 'toss out your scale' replies.

    Most peoples answers will vary. Some people say never and only pay attention to how you feel. Some will say every morning. Your weight will fluctuate daily and weekly. It is a fact you'll have to accept, unfortunately. I personally weigh myself after two rest days in a row (my weekend, where I do only light exercise). If I weigh myself in the morning right after a workout I weigh more because of my muscles repairing. So I wait til Monday morning after I pee :)
  • 777twist
    777twist Posts: 75 Member
    My suggestion is to weigh yourself on a consistent basis. Probably no more than twice a week... and even that may be too much. I weigh-in once a week on Friday mornings.

    I have two reasons for doing this.

    1. I run a contest at work, and Friday mornings (either first thing, or right before lunch) ends up being the most free time we have to all weigh in together.

    2. Friday lunches are generally real bad as we hit a buffet or some other place that isn't real healthy. So I would rather weigh in before that happens... and also, that gives me a full week to work off any damage I did that day.

    But whether you weigh in once a week, or once every two weeks or whatever... just try and pick the same day, same time. That way food and water intake won't be radically different from weigh-in to weigh-in.
  • Cheeky_0102
    Cheeky_0102 Posts: 408 Member
    i weigh in every day... people argue that this is unhealthy, but I swear it keeps me on track for the day. It doesn't upset me when i go up for a day or two, i know that is to be expected.. if i was going up for more than a day or two, i would start to reevaluate. If i hit the scale after a week and was up 5 lbs, i would be a lot more upset than if i noticed it creeping.

    I also know that if i get on the scale in the morning, before i have eaten or drank anything, and without clothes, that i'm going to be at my lowest for the day (or at least in a constant situation.
  • fara180
    fara180 Posts: 1,260 Member
    i weigh myself every morning, but that's probably not a great idea for everyone. it works for me because it teaches me how my body fluctuates and it also can keep me on track when i slip off- for example, i ate way over calories one day and gained an entire pound the next day, so i got back in line the next day.

    i only suggest doing this if you're comfortable with seeing your weight fluctuate and if you are strong enough to not become obsessed with it or let any weight gain bother you.

    as a rule, i like to have Friday be my official weigh in day. this is when i log my new weight on MFP.
  • bwnorton
    bwnorton Posts: 100 Member
    My "official" weigh in for MFP is on Sunday morning when I get up. It's the start of a new week for me, and it works. I also weigh myself every morning too, because I have a really cool scale that I like using! It shows me that my weight fluctuates based on what I eat. If I eat a meal at a restaurant, especially one with lots of salt, or sodium - like MSG - my weight goes up two pounds. It then goes down over the next day, especially if I drink all the water I should drink.

    I can also see that my weight fluctuates based on the amount of exercise I do the day before. A trainer explained to me that glycogen in muscle also holds water. When it's used, then the body loses water weight. That's why my weight may go down a couple pounds after a 30 mile bike ride the following morning, and then go back up a day later, when my muscles replace their energy store.

    Also, two women I know mention that their weight fluctuates several pounds each month in time with their cycle.

    I'll still weigh myself weekly for my diet and daily out of curiosity!!!
  • HSingMomto7Kids
    HSingMomto7Kids Posts: 345 Member
    I am not sure how often you are supposed to weigh in, but I have always pretty much weighed myself 1X a week. Weight does fluctuate. Sometimes I have weighed and thought oh no and then the next week I've actually lost weight. Strange I know!!
  • SarahDavs
    SarahDavs Posts: 161 Member
    I've always been told it's best to weigh in in the morning before eating or drinking anything. I weigh in once a week.
  • squall88c
    squall88c Posts: 69 Member
    I weigh every morning with the same conditions (underwear only, right after pee & poo).
    Then I log it in a calendar where I can see a landscape view of my weight for the week & month.

    Do what makes you feel comfortable in regards to feedback.
  • manda1978
    manda1978 Posts: 525 Member
    I weigh in once a week. First thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and naked :) Any more than weekly and I get all OCD.
  • kcaffee1
    kcaffee1 Posts: 759 Member
    I don't exactly have a schedule I keep to for weighing in, but something I remember distinctly when I was seriously working through the "Carb Addict's diet" plan..

    If you weigh more frequently than once per week (the plan actually RECOMMENDS this) take the weights you record for those days and average them. Makes the weekly trend more visible when compared to other weeks. Especially because weight can fluctuate so much on a daily basis.
  • creamyjalapeno
    creamyjalapeno Posts: 10 Member
    I weigh once per week, same day every week, first thing in the morning, after going pee, and wearing the same clothes. Weighing daily causes too much stress. I've had great results with only doing once per week with all the same variables.

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