Weighing myself???

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amystmartin
amystmartin Posts: 11
in Motivation and Support
How often does everyone weigh themselves??? I never had a scale before, but now do and I am hopping on it every morning......so far it has been motivating, as I just started MFP on Monday, so I am sure that I am losing "water weight" I guess???, but wonder what your thoughts are on this.......thanks for the input! :smile:

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  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I have a tendency to weigh almost daily. The fluctuations I find fascinating. But it can be highly demotivating when you see gains. Yes, you're probably losing some water weight if you're in your first week. After that, you won't see daily losses; you may see some gains. You'll probably see gains from morning to night - we tend to be heavier in the evening. Many people also have a weekly fluctuating cycle based on workouts if your workouts change from day to day. So only record/go by one weekly weigh in to gauge your success. And keep in mind that weight loss isn't linear; you may not see a loss every week even if you did everything right.
  • Lisah8969
    Lisah8969 Posts: 1,247 Member
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    It really all depends on the person and how much you will let that number affect you. I probably step on the scale 2 - 3 times a day. Even though I have been on a LONG plateau, I am also at the lowest weight I have been in probably 20 years so even though that number hasn't changed much in a long time, I am still happy to see it. If you are one who can get easily de-motivated if there is no action on the scale, I would really suggest no more than once a week. Also take measurements. Don't let the scale be the only judge of your success.

    Good luck! :drinker:
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
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    Once a week
  • howardheilweil
    howardheilweil Posts: 604 Member
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    How often does everyone weigh themselves??? I never had a scale before, but now do and I am hopping on it every morning......so far it has been motivating, as I just started MFP on Monday, so I am sure that I am losing "water weight" I guess???, but wonder what your thoughts are on this.......thanks for the input! :smile:
    It will be less motivating to weigh yourself daily when things slow down... and they will slow down. If you can deal with the daily fluctuations that will happen and are normal, then fine. If you weigh yourself on a weekly basis, same day, same time, you are more likely to see an overall loss from the prior week. Good luck!
  • amystmartin
    amystmartin Posts: 11
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    Thanks for the tips and advice! I assume that it will slow down, total bummer, but expected! ha! I am thinking that for now, I am more of a once a week type of gal....I don't want to be defeated by the numbers and yes, I better start the measuring, I haven't done that yet! Thanks again....very helpful!
  • MissMarthaGrace
    MissMarthaGrace Posts: 227 Member
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    One a week girlfried or you will drive yourself bonkers!!! And measure, measure, measure!
  • Jenimyers
    Jenimyers Posts: 3
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    I officially weigh in once a week on Sunday, first thing in the morning when I roll out of bed buck naked. I don't want those pesky ounces from my pjs to affect my weigh in. You fluctuate a lot during the week. So once a week is ideal. I do however sneak in a weigh in or two a week. I get frustrated seeing the fluctuations.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    It definitely depends on how you view that weigh in. I weigh myself every morning, heck, sometimes I weigh myself several times a day - and it's mostly just to keep an eye on my progress. Most of the time I'm up a little (1-3 pounds) from my lowest current weight and that's all due to water weight fluctuations so I don't let it worry me. Things like high sodium, monthly cycle, hard workouts, etc can mess with your weight, especially closer to goal so it's really not worth stressing out about.

    BUT plenty of people do let it mess with their heads - and if you're that kind of person, trying only weighing once a week or maybe even once a month.

    I'd also highly recommend measuring your progress in other ways. Take body measurements, progress pictures, pay attention to how your clothes are fitting and/or get your body fat measured. Most body fat measurement isn't very accurate but if you use the same method (and use it accurately) all the time, it can still be a valuable tool. For instance, I have one of those handheld electronic body fat measurement gizmos. It has about a 3% margin of error and is only accurate if you've fasted for at least 4 hours. Water retention can mess with the readings too. But I still use it and see progress.

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