Is weighing myself in the afternoon a bad thing?

emjohnston2014
emjohnston2014 Posts: 38
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys, so i work everyday from 8-4 and hit the gym everyday right after work. When i do get on the scale its always between 4pm and 5pm. Is this a bad thing? Am i getting any sort of accuracy ? When should i be weighing myself?

Ive been meaning to get a home scale. :)

Replies

  • Unknown
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  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    Just be consistent with weighing yourself at that time. But most people prefer to weigh themselves first thing in the morning.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    I like weighing myself once a week, first thing in the morning, but that's just me.

    I don't know how you define "bad".

    I'm thinking that you will still be able to see a general trend (upwards or downwards) in your weight regardless of when you weigh yourself. Besides, how you feel, look and how your clothes fit are all better indicators anyway.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    For accuracy, it's best to weigh at the same time of day each time you weigh. Therefore it's fine to weigh in the afternoon, as long as you consistently weigh in the afternoon.

    The only reason for this is that what you've eaten/drunk that day will affect the reading, so weighing morning one day and afternoon the next could result in very skewed readings.
  • wibutterflymagic
    wibutterflymagic Posts: 788 Member
    Well, you may be getting accuracy as far as the amount your loosing but not as far as what your true weight is. To get an accurate number of your weight you need to weigh yourself when you get up after having your morning bathroom trip(trying not to be graphic). This will give you your true weight.
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
    I weigh in the mornings...then i'll weigh again at work....then i'll weigh again before bed. I like to have an average cuz if you weigh once a week you might be skewed after having a glass of water or not pooping for a few days.

    I also like to weigh before bed cuz its funny to see how much weight i lose overnight from peeing and breathing. (every breath expels moisture.)
  • pyrowill
    pyrowill Posts: 1,163 Member
    Yes it's a bad idea in my opinion. Cos no day is the same, you might eat or drink more or less. This will play havoc with your weight throughout the day. Big down home scaled and do it in the morning.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    There's nothing wrong with it. Consistency is key. Plenty of people go to places light Weight Watchers and are weighed in the afternoon and evening with food in their bellies and clothes on their backs and they stlil will see losses.
  • LuckySlydog
    LuckySlydog Posts: 34
    "Bad" is relative. I'd say if you want the best idea you should weigh yourself first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and with nothing on. That's probably as accurate as you'll get. In the afternoon after eating all day and with clothes on is probably less accurate but you'd still see a trend up/down over time.

    Yup, that's what I do. It'll be your lightest weight as you lose moisture with every breath you take and natural perspiration throughout the night. And then going to the bathroom makes you even lighter. I will gain 1 to 5 lbs. during the day.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    as everyone else is saying, nothing really bad about it

    even if you weighed yourself at different times each day, you would still see an overall trend downwards over time. its just really for day to day weigh-in differences that people recommend at the same time every day, preferably in the morning to eliminate some fluctuations from food waste

    but again, the overall trends are what you should pay attention to
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    People actually concern themselves with the weight they lose from BREATHING???

    ibzh0TWyX24O8H.gif
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    People actually concern themselves with the weight they lose from BREATHING???
    you actually lose a considerable amount of weight from breathing via water vapour throughout the day/night

    definitely not something worth concerning yourself over, but it would skew short term results enough to cause some worry in those who dont know any better

    edited to take out the pic
  • accelerashawn
    accelerashawn Posts: 470 Member
    People actually concern themselves with the weight they lose from BREATHING???
    you actually lose a considerable amount of weight from breathing via water vapour throughout the day/night

    definitely not something worth concerning yourself over, but it would skew short term results enough to cause some worry in those who dont know any better

    edited to take out the pic
    Lol yeah i wasn't saying i was concerned about it...but I find it interesting how many pounds are lost through just breathing overnight.

    Its just water weight though...that goes up and down like the tides.
  • TX_Rhon
    TX_Rhon Posts: 1,549 Member
    People actually concern themselves with the weight they lose from BREATHING???
    you actually lose a considerable amount of weight from breathing via water vapour throughout the day/night

    Wait.........wut??? :huh:
    Pretends_to_be_interested_know_your_bsing.gif
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    As long as you're consistent (always morning or always afternoon or always whenever), you should still be able to track general trends. If you are dehydrated when you weigh in, you may weigh in lighter one afternoon than if you drank more water one day. That's why a lot of people prefer the morning. It doesn't really matter.
  • mnwalkingqueen
    mnwalkingqueen Posts: 1,299 Member
    My doctor told me to weigh myself in the morning before eating because that is when you are at your lightest. I think consistency on day of the week, time and how you are clothed also matters.
  • Pathend2
    Pathend2 Posts: 142
    I do it frequently nowadays. It's like an addiction, but it helps me. Plus by weighing myself routinely every day, I can see when I'm starting to plateau out and can make the necessary arrangements to fix it before it becomes a problem. Basically, it's a reminder to me that I need to change things up.
  • BigT555
    BigT555 Posts: 2,067 Member
    People actually concern themselves with the weight they lose from BREATHING???
    you actually lose a considerable amount of weight from breathing via water vapour throughout the day/night

    Wait.........wut??? :huh:
    Pretends_to_be_interested_know_your_bsing.gif
    can be +/- 0.25 lbs/hour depending on the person and the temp/humidity of the room they are sleeping in according to what i've read.
  • melindafritz1976
    melindafritz1976 Posts: 329 Member
    Just be consistent with weighing yourself at that time. But most people prefer to weigh themselves first thing in the morning.
  • melindafritz1976
    melindafritz1976 Posts: 329 Member
    My doctor told me to weigh myself in the morning before eating because that is when you are at your lightest. I think consistency on day of the week, time and how you are clothed also matters.
  • pikselinka
    pikselinka Posts: 154 Member
    From my experience the only right result is after you wake up and have a poo. Both conditions have to be met. In the afternoon you're usually after food so it's not a good time.
  • stacynoell
    stacynoell Posts: 41 Member
    Buy yourself a good digital scale and weigh yourself in the morning. I weigh every day to stay on track, but ideally weigh yourself twice a week on the same days- Sunday and Wednesday worked for me.
  • nopotofgold
    nopotofgold Posts: 164 Member
    No, it just can change more depending on what you eat. But it will be in line with what most places go by when you get weighed like the Doctors office.
    In the hospital the daily weight is done at six in the morning so that it is the most accurate for medication or weight tracking depending the reason the doctor ordered it.
  • iggyboo93
    iggyboo93 Posts: 524 Member
    It's not a bad thing if you are consistent. My weight loss support group meets in the evening so I have to record an evening weight. I'm still losing weight despite the PM weigh-in. It's been a struggle - gained 15 pounds over my start weight and finally clawing my way back.
  • emjohnston2014
    emjohnston2014 Posts: 38
    Thank you everybody so much! i only have 19 pounds left to lose and its starting to become more and more of a struggle! ill invest in a good scale!
  • healthyscratch1978
    healthyscratch1978 Posts: 76
    I don't think so. It may not be as accurate, but if you're eating at a deficit, you should see a downward trend. I weigh with clothes and boots on, so I'm not exactly worried about the scale #, just that it's slightly smaller than it was the week before.

    I fluctuate about 3/4 of a pound to a pound and a half depending on water retention, and whatever other factors I don't understand. I weigh 4 times a week: 2x midmorning on Tuesday & Thursday, and 2x late afternoon on the same days. I take the average of that and compare it to the average from the previous week. The extra sample points smooth out the fluctuations a little. Also helps you to not get down if it's a little higher than you expect at any one point, because it will most likely just be a factor in the weekly average.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    Hey guys, so i work everyday from 8-4 and hit the gym everyday right after work. When i do get on the scale its always between 4pm and 5pm. Is this a bad thing? Am i getting any sort of accuracy ? When should i be weighing myself?

    Ive been meaning to get a home scale. :)
    If you do it consistantly the same then you are doing fine. I have found the PM weigh ins ahve been better for me in the last 8 weeks. One thing you will need to watch is what you eat/drink during the day. Most do in the AM becuase they have bascially fasted for 8-12 hours.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    People actually concern themselves with the weight they lose from BREATHING???
    you actually lose a considerable amount of weight from breathing via water vapour throughout the day/night

    Wait.........wut??? :huh:
    Pretends_to_be_interested_know_your_bsing.gif

    e66d0b4644d73fd56540cf03949646c76b2deda57ab7125d951e9980e0713af1.jpg
  • TX_Rhon
    TX_Rhon Posts: 1,549 Member
    People actually concern themselves with the weight they lose from BREATHING???
    you actually lose a considerable amount of weight from breathing via water vapour throughout the day/night

    Wait.........wut??? :huh:
    Pretends_to_be_interested_know_your_bsing.gif

    e66d0b4644d73fd56540cf03949646c76b2deda57ab7125d951e9980e0713af1.jpg

    So.......I should hyperventilate more often (exhaling those vapors) and get rid of my humidifier cuz its making me gain weight???

    Jwr5tCK.gif


    OP - I do agree with being consistent. Pick a time and stick to it!

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