How often and when to weigh?

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AgnesInWonderland
AgnesInWonderland Posts: 14
in Health and Weight Loss
That's pretty much my question: How often and when to weigh?

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  • Hollywoodm55
    Hollywoodm55 Posts: 155 Member
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    I think once a week is best and in the morning. Make it the same day each week too, like every Thursday etc.
  • dwh77tx
    dwh77tx Posts: 513 Member
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    It's really personal preference. I used to be a weekly weigher but that didn't work for me. Now I weigh every day or every other day. Know though, that if you do weigh every day you need to be aware that your body will fluctuate and you can't get obsessed with the numbers. I like to know out of curiousity's sake.
  • FerretBuellerr
    FerretBuellerr Posts: 468 Member
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    Bump

    I also want to know this. I've heard weighing in the morning is best, and everyone differs on how many times a week to weigh (some everyday, some once a week), but looking to hear other opinions.
  • kasiaj
    kasiaj Posts: 63 Member
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    I weigh myself everyday in the morning but only log on Sunday. I don't think it matters how often (how many days) as long as it's only once a day and at the same time each day (since your weight goes up and down through out your day).
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Depends how well you understand what the number on the scale represents and how emotionally tied to it you are. If you understand what the number represents, then you can weigh in about as often as you want. If you are emotionally tied to the number, then you should probably weigh in less often (1x month, perhaps).

    For most people... once a week first thing in the morning is best.
  • becka63
    becka63 Posts: 712 Member
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    It's up to you!

    I weigh each day, first thing in the morning. That works for me.

    I think as long as it's the same time of day each time, then you will get a comparable reading to when you last weighed.
  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
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    Whatever you do, the most important thing to do is NOT to place time deadlines on when to expect losses. I weight daily but take the readings with a grain of salt. When I do lose, I record it here at MFP. If that's two days in a row, that's just hoopy with me.
  • RTrigger91
    RTrigger91 Posts: 18 Member
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    i weight my self every week if i did it daily i would fret to much over the little number. I don't tend to have a specific time of day i do it eater but remember if you do it later you'll have the weight of undigested food as well, but i'm not one to worry about such things :)
  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
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    As far as the time of day, do it in the morning about the same time each day, after weeing and pooing (if you can, because it's instant weight loss :laugh:). Do it before drinking a lot of water and strip down as much as possible.
  • krisDanielle16
    krisDanielle16 Posts: 42 Member
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    It's really up to you when you want to weight yourself BUT if you ask me, from experience I would say ONCE a week at the SAME time each week.
    I weigh myself every Monday morning as soon as I wake up (usually around 8)
    I've seen my mom weigh herself a couple times a week throughout the day and she always gets discouraged when she sees the number. Half of the reason for that is because your weight fluctuates throughout the day because of your food and water intake.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I do weigh in Wednesdays. Wednesday morning before work. Best to pick the same day of the week and at the same time (as others have said here).
  • funsteps
    funsteps Posts: 74 Member
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    Like others have said, it's a matter of what works for you, but when you do weigh yourself, try to make it on a consistent time/day. The first few times I tried losing weight I would weigh myself every single day and I got too disheartened by it. I do it once every other week now, but I'm considering dropping it down to once a month. My goal is a complete lifestyle overhaul and I was getting far too focused on that one little number rather than the big picture!
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
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    I weigh every day and plug it into weightgrapher to smooth out the bumps. It also gives me a predicted date of when I'll meet my goal, and usually tells me early/mid-December. I also make a note in my fitness log every Monday of my weight, and use that as my day to look at what I'm losing per week.
  • ashandstuff
    ashandstuff Posts: 442 Member
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    There are lots of things to consider here. For me my weight is, well, literally just a number.

    I can "gain" three-four pounds in a 12 hour period (yes, that much. it is no exaggeration.) And I would consider that normal for an active person who drinks a lot of water. If you are wanting to keep track of your weight it's probably best to keep the timing consistent. Since I tend to forget about something unless I do it everyday, so I weigh right after I wake up each day. I only enter the weight into the app every three-four days. So if you are a forgetful person like me, maybe everyday is best to weigh.

    BUT if you decide to do that: also keep in mind other factors that effect your weight such as the amount of salt & water you intake the day before, or even stress & ailments (constipation/the opposite problem lol) And as a woman it's probably a good idea to keep a solid record of your cycle, as the hormonal changes can really make a difference in weight for some women.

    If you are more worried about weight loss than the number, something I've started doing is using the "gauging outfit" method. This is done by wearing the same outfit every other week on a consistent day, mine being thursday. That way I can gauge how much (if any) changed and is it a positive or negative change! The best feeling in the world is realizing that you will need a NEW gauging outfit because your old one is falling off. :]

    Anyway hope that helped! Good luck.
  • jen_zz
    jen_zz Posts: 1,011 Member
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    Depends how well you understand what the number on the scale represents and how emotionally tied to it you are. If you understand what the number represents, then you can weigh in about as often as you want. If you are emotionally tied to the number, then you should probably weigh in less often (1x month, perhaps).

    For most people... once a week first thing in the morning is best.

    Exactly how I feel.
  • FHowA46
    FHowA46 Posts: 66 Member
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    I'd say always in the morning before eating or drinking anything atleast as it minimises other factors' effects. I used to weigh every day and it drove me a little crazy so for me it was demotivating. Now I weigh in every thursday and I think it allows me to assess my weight loss progress more accurately. Me being more strict with this specific weigh in date has been challenging but has really worked for me
  • lynalinda
    lynalinda Posts: 37 Member
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    I do it once a week, generally on sunday, i try not to focus too much on my weight, but more in how i feel in my clothes :)
  • newlife888
    newlife888 Posts: 83 Member
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    Every single day first thing in the morning. There is fluctuation, but it helps motivate me. When I lose it helps motivate me to keep going. When I gain it helps motivate me to keep going. Sometimes I get frustrated with fluctuation but when I don't weigh every day I often have motivation problems during the week. That's just me :)
  • Celuwen
    Celuwen Posts: 80 Member
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    I weigh in the morning everyday, because I'm curious about the fluctuations, but I record my weight once a week. I can fluctuate around 3 on average in a week. Sometimes around 5lb if my salt intake varies a lot.
  • AgnesInWonderland
    AgnesInWonderland Posts: 14
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    Thanks everyone!

    A lot of early in the morning. Morning it is then :)

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