how often should i weight myself?

goku89
goku89 Posts: 160
in Getting Started
i've been doing it every month but i read to just do it once a week.
(misspelled "weigh")

Replies

  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    It's up to you. If you like weighing in every month, go for it! I think if you do start weighing more often, you're more subject to seeing all the fluxes. My weigh goes up as much as 5 lbs in a single day depending on exercise, bodily function, sodium intake. So, if you were to do it more often, keep those things in mind. Weighing at the same time, place, and clothes (or non) is important too for accuracy.
  • goku89
    goku89 Posts: 160
    It's up to you. If you like weighing in every month, go for it! I think if you do start weighing more often, you're more subject to seeing all the fluxes. My weigh goes up as much as 5 lbs in a single day depending on exercise, bodily function, sodium intake. So, if you were to do it more often, keep those things in mind. Weighing at the same time, place, and clothes (or non) is important too for accuracy.
    my routine was going for a run when i get up the day i weigh myself then weighing myself with no clothes on, having not ate yet. thing is with the winter up here in the glove its too cold right now its driving me crazy.

    i could see how you could start to obsess on it if you weigh yourself all the time, i'm just curious
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    Ya, I don't mind it personally. I actually do it every day but mostly for my Libra app on my phone. I enjoy seeing trends over time and I'm not too bothered if a few days are + a pound or two. Now, after about a week or two, if it continues on that trend, that's when I start looking at calorie intake vs exercise, etc.
  • merecard
    merecard Posts: 56 Member
    Totally up to you. I do a daily - keep myself on track weigh in but I only record it once a week with measurements once a month. Whatever is going to keep you motivated. You can't weigh yourself everyday and not expect to see the numbers all over the place. They will be up after a big workout. I weigh myself every morning after I use the washroom and before I have anything to eat or drink. It keeps me motivated - but I know that the numbers will be all over the place. Find what works for you.
  • GradatimFerociter
    GradatimFerociter Posts: 296 Member
    As often as you want to.
  • rllewell
    rllewell Posts: 234
    I weigh myself daily which means I see myself gaining a pound here, losing a pound there, and staying the same all of the time. If you can't handle seeing that Yo Yo every once in awhile then I would NOT weigh myself daily. However it is a great way to analyze what makes your weight go up or down.

    The vast majority of folks weigh themselves at least weekly.
  • goku89
    goku89 Posts: 160
    i'll just weigh myself weekly or biweekly, i'd get upset seeing my weight yo yo on a daily basis, plus the suspense is killing me this is the first time since i started MFP that i logged in EVERY DAY since the start of this month, i'm excited to see how i am.
  • dixoncrew
    dixoncrew Posts: 186 Member
    I weigh myself once a week and measure biweekly, I feel like it gives me more accurate info.
  • br1twaslyke
    br1twaslyke Posts: 41 Member
    I got a scale almost 2 weeks into my weight loss journey and when I stepped on it I had lost over 10 pounds already! it felt so awesome and encouraging.. After that I was weighing myself everyday and although it kept going down a couple ounces each time, it also fluctuated by up to 3 pounds a day.. I found it was much more fun when I gave myself some time to weigh in, so that the progress can really be encouraging! I plan on weighing in every 1-2 weeks, depending on how long I can hold myself back from the anticipation lol
  • OKameny
    OKameny Posts: 1 Member
    I find it helpful to weight myself once a week.
    This way I feel proud of myself often or I remind myself to stay focused.
  • RonP2014
    RonP2014 Posts: 1
    My goal is to lose 1-2 lbs a week so I usually weigh in once a week. I usually weigh in when I first get up after using the restroom. Sorry for being a little detailed - lol.
  • debbienglish
    debbienglish Posts: 10
    Hi, I weigh myself once a week, although I have been known to weigh myself everyday. Don't do that, it's upsetting at times!
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    Hi, I weigh myself once a week, although I have been known to weigh myself everyday. Don't do that, it's upsetting at times!

    I recommend daily weigh-ins, with a huge caveat: you need to do some math to find the difference between your actual weight loss and the daily fluctuations, which are much larger. I find it less upsetting than a big leap from week to week, which can happen if you weigh only once a week.

    Your weight fluctuates depending on water, salt, and fiber intake, and other factors having nothing to do with calories. Using an exponentially weighted average can help you filter out the noise and focus on the trend, as John Walker explains in "The Hacker's Diet" (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/). The chapter on "The Rubber Bag" explains, briefly, the source of these fluctuations. The chapter on "Signal and Noise" explains how some simple math can filter them out. Walker explains how to do the math, but you can also set up a free account on his server to do it for you, or use a service like Beeminder or TrendWeight.com.

    If you're going to be all "OMG! I'm bloated!" if you see the number go up by 2 lbs. from one day to the next, then daily weigh-ins aren't for you. Personally, I'm not bothered, because it's the trend that matters. Seeing the trend behind the numbers is reassuring, because I know that even if my weight is 1.5 lb. more than yesterday, as long as it's below the trend line I'm still on track.
  • goku89
    goku89 Posts: 160
    thanx

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