Is it a bad idea to weigh yourself everyday

edelm09
edelm09 Posts: 20
in Getting Started
Hi everyone i'm a newbie and i'm wondering do you weigh yourself's everyday or once a week..

Is it a bad idea to weigh everyday? will the scales keep going up and down if i do?..
«1345

Replies

  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    It's a bad idea IF you get emotionally attached to the number on the scale. If you accept the fact that the number on the scale will fluctuate daily and use that number as data to track the overall trend, then no it's not a bad idea.

    I weigh in every morning, track it in excel. Like today I'm up 2 lbs from yesterday, it doesn't upset me, I know it's water weight because of my sodium intake. My overall tracking is still moving in the right direction.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    It's a bad idea IF you get emotionally attached to the number on the scale. If you accept the fact that the number on the scale will fluctuate daily and use that number as data to track the overall trend, then no it's not a bad idea.

    This.
  • kagevf
    kagevf Posts: 509 Member
    i would weigh once a week on an empty stomach when I wake up first thing in the morning after I did my 1s and 2s
  • ProMooch
    ProMooch Posts: 39 Member
    I personally choose to weigh weekly, every Saturday morning, I like to have a regular weigh and don't do it daily as I don't want to track that closely, knowing that your weight does fluctuate daily. Ultimately its what works for you, I'd advise weekly and others would advise different.
  • Miss_james1990
    Miss_james1990 Posts: 214 Member
    I weigh once a week. I quite look forward to a nice little surprise on a Saturday morning! I also measure once a week as the results are a lot better than weighing for me lol
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Hi everyone i'm a newbie and i'm wondering do you weigh yourself's everyday or once a week..

    Is it a bad idea to weigh everyday? will the scales keep going up and down if i do?..

    the scales will go up and down, its normal for your weight to fluctuate... i
  • Flab2Fab27
    Flab2Fab27 Posts: 461 Member
    Agree with the other poster. Don't get obsessed with the number on the scale because it does fluctuate a lot. I would track measurements as well which you could do once a week. You may notice you're losing inches even if the scale isn't giving you the numbers you want to see.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    - DON'T! -
    Your weight varies from one day to another up and down. Depending on the period of the month, water retention levels, time of the day and other factors you could pick up 3 to 4 lbs in a day and the day after loose them or stagnate over and over again.
    Realistically your best way to measure yourself is yourself in front of a mirror.
    Your body will start moving and you will notice changes as and when they happen.
    they wont happen form one day to another but they will come.

    If you really have to weight yourself then do it every other week or once a month.
  • hmaddpear
    hmaddpear Posts: 610 Member
    I weigh myself every day because I'm curious. But I've definitely learned that so many factors influence what you weigh at any one time - water weight due to sodium, TOM, new exercise routine, stress, lack of sleep.... the list is endless. Add to that a very slow digestive system and it gets very interesting!

    But it's important not to stress to much with the fluctuations. Apart from being counter-productive (see above), it's really not worth your mental health. Which is why most sites recommend you don't weigh more than once a week.

    I only log once a week and I find that weighing every day can actually get me over a temporary up on weigh-in day - if the previous few days have been lower, I know that I'm not gaining - I'm just fluctuating. That data I wouldn't have if I only weighed once a week.
  • edelm09
    edelm09 Posts: 20
    Thanks Everyone yeah i think i might be disheartened a little bit if i see it going back up even if it is normal..

    Ill stick to doing it once a week and the measuring sounds like a good idea ill start doing that... :)
  • Madam_Natalie
    Madam_Natalie Posts: 3
    I must admit, I do weigh myself daily but I can't help it. If I don't weight myself then I will just be wondering whether I've lost any weight that day for the rest of the evening.
  • saragirl2000
    saragirl2000 Posts: 2
    I weigh in once a week. I can get easily discouraged if the scale doesn't drop fast enough sometimes. :tongue:
  • ketorager
    ketorager Posts: 3 Member
    I weigh myself once a day, after waking up. The whole purpose is not to consistently check on a measure that a tool is providing, and to react accordingly if I see changes that appear as a trend.

    The scale is simply that, a tool, and the interpretation of its measurements is up to you. I like data, and to be able to use it and analyze it.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    Hi everyone i'm a newbie and i'm wondering do you weigh yourself's everyday or once a week..

    Is it a bad idea to weigh everyday? will the scales keep going up and down if i do?..

    It's actually a good idea to weigh in every day to keep a close check on your weight. You'll get an honest answer day in and day out which is a very good reality check for us all and keeps one on task. And it's a good way to keep one in maintenance mode once the goal weight has been reached.

    And if you are exercising a lot, it's good to weigh in before and after so you know if you are hydrating enough to fight what you lose in water weight during an hour or two of cardio. Too many of us easily get chronic dehydration which makes us feel lethargic and not sharp, so the scale can help you detect that with the fluctuations you see.

    As another poster mentioned, it will fluctuate a lot based on hydration and sodium intake. I ate Mexican last night - not a lot of calories as I did run a 314 calorie deficit for the day, but the meal had a a lot of sodium. A ton of it!!! I'm 2.4 pounds heavier this morning thanks to the sodium and water retention. That will easily be gone by tomorrow morning based on my exercise scheduled for today and laying off the high sodium foods for sure.

    I would advocate the daily honest reality check by using the scale.
  • marsellient
    marsellient Posts: 591 Member
    It's a bad idea IF you get emotionally attached to the number on the scale. If you accept the fact that the number on the scale will fluctuate daily and use that number as data to track the overall trend, then no it's not a bad idea.

    I weigh in every morning, track it in excel. Like today I'm up 2 lbs from yesterday, it doesn't upset me, I know it's water weight because of my sodium intake. My overall tracking is still moving in the right direction.

    You will get a variety of opinions on this issue, for all kinds of reasons, so you need to figure out how you'll respond best to the numbers on the scale. I'm in the every day camp because I know that if I'm avoiding the scales it is because I'm avoiding the truth about what I've been doing with eating and exercise; however, I also know the number will fluctuate. I'm just looking for the trend.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    Thanks Everyone yeah i think i might be disheartened a little bit if i see it going back up even if it is normal..

    Ill stick to doing it once a week and the measuring sounds like a good idea ill start doing that... :)

    Measurements, progress pictures, how your clothes fit, and fitness goals are great ways to track progress.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
    Hi everyone i'm a newbie and i'm wondering do you weigh yourself's everyday or once a week..

    Is it a bad idea to weigh everyday? will the scales keep going up and down if i do?..

    is it a bad idea? that depends on your mindset and whether you are informed about the reasons why your scale "weight" may change.

    will the scale keep going up and down? yes. your body is not at a steady state. you are constanly eating and pooping and peeing and perspiring and all sorts of metabolic processes are occurring in your body that convert matter to energy. your scale "weight" is going to vary from hour to hour and day to day. if you don't understand that this DOES NOT reflect only fat loss and fat gain, then you may panic. if you are prone to that sort of panic, then don't weigh yourself every day.
  • twixlepennie
    twixlepennie Posts: 1,074 Member
    I weighed myself every day during weight loss and I continue to weigh myself daily now that I'm in maintenance. It's been a great tool for me, but I've learned to remove any emotion from it. It's like brushing my teeth or combing my hair-weigh, chart it on my graph and move on with my day :)
  • tatty2707
    tatty2707 Posts: 1
    I used to weigh everyday but it can be a soul destroyer because your weight will fluctuate from day to day so now I do it once a week and I get on a lot better.

    Someone once tried to talk me out of using the scales completely, they said that in reality we're not trying to be lighter, the actual goal is to be smaller/thinner which is true so if you can get by on just measuring yourself you'll see better results. However, I like to see the difference on the scales plus I can't be sure I measure myself exactly the same way everytime.
  • Greytfish
    Greytfish Posts: 810
    It's a bad idea to weigh yourself daily if the number on the scale with affect your self worth, or if you mistake a number changing either way in the course of a day or two means that you have gained or lost soemthing other than water.
  • Lives2Travel
    Lives2Travel Posts: 682 Member
    Maybe and maybe not. Some people get too invested in the numbers and lose heart. I weigh every day and have one of two responses to the result:

    Number is lower = Motivation to lose more
    Number is up = Pissed off and motivated to lose more

    Either way works to my benefit.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    If I were asked how often one should weigh themselves...I would recommend no more than once a week. I would also explain the reason of weight fluctuation and how discouraging it can be.

    However...here is reality for me...

    I weigh every day and yes I have seen those fluctuations and I have felt the discouragement. I have also experienced those highs...those moments of elation as each pound has disappeared and not returned.

    What it has taught me is perseverance...to keep working...but most of all patience.

    I ignored all those pounds for so long...I didn't pay attention as 1lb turned in to 2lbs...those 10lbs turning into 20, 30 40...100lbs.

    5 1/2 months ago...I decided to not ignore them anymore...to bid them farewell as they left...each and every one of them.

    I have also learned so much about my body...how I lose weight...how I gain...how water affects me...how the choices that I make in food plays a roll.

    Some of those pounds have fought hard to stay with me...they had no desire to go anywhere...I learned that I am stronger than the pound...that I can win the battle against a pound that just wants to hold on.

    As of this morning...I am 2lbs away from seeing the one hundreds again...the first time in so many years that I can even remember. I will be there every morning to encourage those two pounds along the way. These 2lbs are significant to me...I don't want to miss their departure because I didn't weigh...I want to say good-bye to those pounds...say good-bye to the 200 hundreds.

    Weighing every day works for me...would I recommend it to others...no...not really. However when I got pass the obsession of seeing the number go down daily and started using it as a tool to know my body and how it works...I have experienced greater success.

    We like to call our weight loss a journey instead of a diet...part of that journey has to be...learning what works for you as an individual...because in the end...we take that journey on our own.
  • mrs_kurz
    mrs_kurz Posts: 185 Member
    I weighed myself every day during weight loss and I continue to weigh myself daily now that I'm in maintenance. It's been a great tool for me, but I've learned to remove any emotion from it. It's like brushing my teeth or combing my hair-weigh, chart it on my graph and move on with my day :)

    This. I weigh every day. I'm more accountable to myself if I do. I found once a week it was too easy for me to slip into old habits. However I do not get upset with the numbers. I use them and move on and take the relevant action. EG. I've been out for a big meal, and the next day i'm 9st 12 where I've actually been steady around 9st 8/9 for the rest of the week. Do I get upset? No, but it does make me think that I won't go out for 2 more big meals that week, because then my daily rate will start to creep up so I resolve to drink lots of water and eat better the rest of the week.

    Ultimately whatever works best for you is good. If you are the ind of person where the number on a scale in the morning will determine whether you have a good day or a bad day then daily weighing probably isn't for you. Good Luck :)
  • milknbeans
    milknbeans Posts: 25
    i would weigh once a week on an empty stomach when I wake up first thing in the morning after I did my 1s and 2s

    After I did my 1's and 2's, that made me chuckle, lol
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    The scale will fluctuate daily. It's a guarantee.

    Personally, I weigh once a week. It makes me crazy to weigh daily. My husband doesn't care if he weighs daily.

    I say, find what works for you. If you can weigh daily without it making you crazy and second guess everything, and you find it helpful, then do it. Otherwise, find a schedule that works for you.
  • charleyreedto175
    charleyreedto175 Posts: 60 Member
    Is it a bad idea to step on the scale daily??? Well it depends if you live or die by the scale. I step on every morning and use the information as a tool and motivate myself. It tells me if my work out and food intake are working. I can tell you when I eat Chinese I gan three pounds. I can tell you when I eat pasta I gain or when I eat mashed potatoes. Those are my trigger foods for me. I built a list over time and I know that what foods I eat will do for me. I really don't care if I eat Chinese but I sometimes like it and can work harder to make up for the choice. I am not crazy about the scale so I don't cry if it goes up or down. I look at it as a tool. Most people will tell you to step on once a week. If the numbers bother you then please do. Otherwise, feel free to follow the daily step.
  • pawsnpurrs
    pawsnpurrs Posts: 39
    Hi I let my tape measure tell me how my progress is going, my pedometer , and I weigh in once a week, I also use body weight measurement sizing charts found in clothing catalogues I circle the bust hips waist inches to show what dress size I am at and
    paste it in a work out journal. My neighbors are used to me tossing my weight watchers scale out front door every January LOL
    I have two scales the digital one is 6 pounds heavier then the manual non battery one. WW scale matches the sliding scale at
    Drs office
  • lucyricky2
    lucyricky2 Posts: 450 Member
    I weigh myself first thing in the morning everyday. i have always done that. It keeps me motivated. If i am up a little i just try to work harder that day or drink more water that day
  • NCFootballCoach
    NCFootballCoach Posts: 17 Member
    I weigh every day on a slide scale in the locker room, just to see the effects of sodium and such. The number I concern myself with is the digital scale every Wednesday night after my workout. The slide scale is not always accurate, as people mess with it freely. Also, I don't let it get me all upset. I will be upset with a bad number on the digital, but use that as motivation to push a little harder.
  • alexa_75
    alexa_75 Posts: 2
    I step on the scale daily, when I wake up after I brush my teeth and before I exercise. It motivates me to stick to my plan and to do a better workout. It can get obsessive, but it's good to establish trends as to when your body is retaining water (time of the month for girls) or the damage done by sodium intake...but that's just me... I use to hate the scale, now its the most important tools besides my food tracking on MFP. :o)

Categories