Is it a bad idea to weigh yourself everyday

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  • Lives2Travel
    Lives2Travel Posts: 682 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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: 440 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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)
  • CulturedCowgurl
    CulturedCowgurl Posts: 136 Member
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    I weigh in twice daily right before my morning coffee and soon as I get in from work. I know "overkill" but I enjoy seeing how much I fluctuate from the morning.
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
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    I weigh everday, but only log once a month. The scale will go up & down depending on what kind of a day you had the day before. Good luck to ya! :flowerforyou:
  • bperkins88
    bperkins88 Posts: 357 Member
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    I weigh myself every morning and keep track of how my weight is fluctuating. Sometimes I will just weigh myself during the day to see how much it went up due to water and salt retention. Pretty amazing how our bodies work.
  • suebae32
    suebae32 Posts: 8
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    I need a scale so I coulld weigh myself every day, when I get paid I plan to buy one, it will help me from slipping like I did. I personally think that if you are in my situation where I have to gain and maintain then you should weigh yourself every day. But if you have to lose I think its a bad idea. Now weekly is fine bc your giving yourself an amount of time to lose a bit at a time. But if I was 160 and I had to get down to 130, seeing the same weight the next day would be discouraging. Thats why friends of mine have become bulimic {then again they were all cheerleaders} they saw it as a easy way out bc they were gona eat unhealthy reguardless. I wish I could take those memories away.
  • jodi41086
    jodi41086 Posts: 240
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    Its just a number I weigh myself whenever I think about it but I don't really care what the scale says as long as I am seeing noticeable differences in my body!
  • denisemcgee547
    denisemcgee547 Posts: 6 Member
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    usually it is best to weigh yourself once a week as your weight fluctuates from day to day, when you do first thing in the morning is the best time before breakfast
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
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    Like someone else said, it's a bad idea if you get emotionally attached.

    I used to weigh myself every day because it interested me. I liked working out how much sodium would make me retain water, etc.

    But I started to get upset always seeing the scale go up and down and some days when it was higher than expected I would think 'sod it' and eat, even though I knew the reason I'd 'gained'! So I did the sensible thing and weigh once a week now.
  • suebae32
    suebae32 Posts: 8
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    Now theres a great and healthy side to weighing yourself, with this site you can learn how your body works and your intake better. This site breaks down so much and you can use that knowledge to understand your weight.
  • starrylioness
    starrylioness Posts: 543 Member
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    I weigh every other day or so, just to keep an eye on my fluctuations but if it's going to bother you seeing the number go up and down, because it will (water retention/salt/gravity, etc) then don't do it. But I would advise weighing the same time of day when you weigh. The best time is after you wake up.
  • luvclay10
    luvclay10 Posts: 26 Member
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    I always did a 1500 calorie a day diet, and not losing weight but now under a doctors care using 800 calories a day. after one week
    i have lost 2 lbs and this upsets me terribly! I worked hard and really stuck to this diet, the doctors weight in is next week. i just thought with so few calories i would have dropped at least double. I am annoyed i got on the scale, should have waited to week 2.

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