Is daily weighing obsessive?

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Replies

  • Lizzy_Sunflower
    Lizzy_Sunflower Posts: 1,510 Member
    By weighing daily, I think I'm learning more about how my body responds to what I eat, how exercise really does make such a huge difference, and how sometimes my body seems to do whacky things that I'm not expecting and can't explain:smile: . I find it all fascinating and whether I gain a little, stay the same or lose a little, I still end up feeling motivated to keep doing my best. But the biggest motivator is when I've had a bad day and I see immediately (usually the next morning) how my bad decisions have real consequences and it really encourages me to get back on task and not let my guard down too much.

    Exactly... Its all in how you look at the scale. It is a tool and the number found there is not good or bad.... it just Is.
    Seeing how your daily choices affect that number is the key.

    I learned that in a study I am involved in... more notes here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/what-i-ve-learned-so-far-86049
    :drinker:

    Best to you!
  • MyNameIsNotBob
    MyNameIsNotBob Posts: 565 Member

    If I'm honest I sometimes weigh before bed AND as soon as I get up! It's amazing the difference overnight!! haha

    Haha, me, too! I've lost 4 lbs. since last night! ;)

    So, my answer is, no it's not obsessive. Unless you're looking for daily results, which you won't see and getting frustrated.
  • jodimitchell
    jodimitchell Posts: 86 Member
    i'm a morning and night weigher... i think its great! The 2 lbs that i may fluctuate never bother me and the days that i get on and its suddenly 0.7 lbs lighter I LOVE it!!

    To each their own!
  • cath1024
    cath1024 Posts: 79 Member
    I am guilty ... i weigh myself like 3 times in the morning when i get up just to be sure the number i see is what it is and then i find myself weighing again in the afternoon and then again before bed :blushing:

    I am trying to change this but its so hard - can be exciting to see the numbers drop daily but can also be depressing when i see the number raise.

    I only log once a week though.
  • cowlover22
    cowlover22 Posts: 309 Member
    personally when I was weighing myself after ANYTHING I put into my mouth.that was obsessive...as long as it doesnt affect your whole day(mood) then go for it..It can give you a better understanding of your body to. For example if you have more sodium one day you might see the effects the next day...but hey congrat on losing!
  • kpadilla411
    kpadilla411 Posts: 36
    I personally think, it should depend on the person. I weight myself everyday or sometimes every other day, but I see it as a motivation. As a reminder not to binge I I want the number to go down or stay the same. Even if the number doesn't move, just think it's better to stay the same then to go up.
    It becomes obsessive if you weigh yourself several times a day. But it all depends on the mentally you look at it. Since you see it as a motivation to lose weigh then it's not an obsession.
  • suzooz
    suzooz Posts: 720 Member
    As long as weighing in daily motivates you, go for it! If it becomes an issue, then take a break for a while.

    I am a multi-x-day weigher. I want to know what that weight fluctuation is, even if I only record once per week. Last week on my weekly weigh-in, I only lost 1/2 pound. If I had only weighed in once that week, I would have been depressed. But I knew that my body was tending to gain that week (whether it was water or muscle). So I was actually pretty happy about the 1/2 pound loss.

    The scale can be a pretty fickle tool -- sometimes the scale goes up or down without reason. (I don't think I gained 4 pounds one day by eating a single donut!) Just be aware of this and your emotions, and you'll be fine.
  • samcee
    samcee Posts: 307
    I weighed myself every morning of last year but since losing weight I've weighed myself every other day instead. I avoid the scale during my time of month too. Nowadays I can guess whether I've lost or gained depending on how I feel when I wake up. I think you get use to it and I'm normally right. I think it's good to be conscious of it so you don't let yourself go.
  • flyingspatulas
    flyingspatulas Posts: 97 Member
    I weigh myself every day so I can track the fluctuations and find trends with what foods I eat, etc. I find it helps me stay motivated, but I know for some people it can be depressing!
  • dustyhockeymom
    dustyhockeymom Posts: 537 Member
    I weigh daily because it is motivating to me. Somedays there aren't losses and somedays it's more than the day before, but that is normal so it doesn't stress me out. I have learned that my body tends to drop 2 pounds then go up a little bit and then drop two more, so it is like 2 steps forward and one back, but it is consisently going in the right direction so that is all I care about. On the days were there is no loss or a small gain from the day before, I am more motivated to follow my plan and excercise so that is why I weigh daily. I think it is about knowing yourself. If it is motivating for you, like me, then it works. If it is frustrating than once a week would work better for you. I have always heard that you shouldn't weigh more than once a week, but that doesn't work for my motivation. I trust myself to do what is best for me and you should too.
  • godblessourhome
    godblessourhome Posts: 3,892 Member
    I weigh daily, but I only log it weekly! I think as long as you're aware of the potential to fluctuate and it doesn't discourage you there's no harm in it!!

    If I'm honest I sometimes weigh before bed AND as soon as I get up! It's amazing the difference overnight!! haha

    same here. i don't find it obsessive at all. the number on the scale doesn't affect my mood; it is a habit more than anything else. but i am fairly science/mathmatically-minded.
  • luvmykid28
    luvmykid28 Posts: 185 Member
    By weighing daily, I think I'm learning more about how my body responds to what I eat, how exercise really does make such a huge difference, and how sometimes my body seems to do whacky things that I'm not expecting and can't explain:smile: . I find it all fascinating and whether I gain a little, stay the same or lose a little, I still end up feeling motivated to keep doing my best. But the biggest motivator is when I've had a bad day and I see immediately (usually the next morning) how my bad decisions have real consequences and it really encourages me to get back on task and not let my guard down too much.

    Exactly... Its all in how you look at the scale. It is a tool and the number found there is not good or bad.... it just Is.
    Seeing how your daily choices affect that number is the key.

    I learned that in a study I am involved in... more notes here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Lizzy_Sunflower/view/what-i-ve-learned-so-far-86049
    :drinker:

    Best to you!

    I weigh daily too. It helps motivate me and keeps me on track. I am new at this and I like to see how different foods work for me. As long as it's working for me, I will do it. When I start to stress over it, I will stop and find a different motivation.
  • bethany41h
    bethany41h Posts: 218
    I sometimes get obsessive about it. I suppose it's different for everyone and different strokes for different folks. But the fluctuations would get me down until I finally realized that they often meant very little and they were simply just making me crazy. Now I try to do only once a week because the fluctuations would really get me down. Do what works for you! :)
  • ablueskier
    ablueskier Posts: 104
    While most dietitians typically recommend once a week weigh ins, there was a report in the news last month that some personality types can be benefitted by daily weigh ins. It doesn't increase weight loss but it avoids backsliding and more importantly for some people in the maintenance phase it helps them hold their weight. I found I put on a good amount of weight in the last two weeks when the scale was moved from e bathroom floor to the linen cabinet. Needless to say, I find daily weight checks keep me accountable. I am not the kind to get upset if there is a slight yo yo in my weight because I find my body is usually within a pound of itself over the course of the week.
  • chantihayes
    chantihayes Posts: 76
    yes it is, but i do it.. usually twice or more a day..
  • foodforfuel
    foodforfuel Posts: 569 Member
    I weigh once before bed, and first thing in the a.m. It helps me keep things in check, as far as not too low on the highs, and not too high on the lows (emotionally). I keep a running chart of these numbers. That way, I can look back and see all the fluctuations. It reminds me that even though I had a low weigh in for my official (Tuesday) weigh in, I can't go all crazy with the food. It helps keep me focused on my ultimate goal, and helps with the determination to keep on keeping on. I don't consider it obsessive. It just helps me keep it real.
  • katlynx6
    katlynx6 Posts: 68
    I think that it only becomes obsessive if you allow yourself to be consumed by the number. I weigh myself every day, but if i'm up a little or down a little I don't get too invested in it. The whole "your weight can fluctuate alot" is actually why I weigh myself every day and not once a week: if I only weighed in once a week and that happened to be a day I was holding a couple extra pounds, I would be upset after dieting all week. Whereas if I weigh every day I can keep an eye on my weight and get a better average. However if you find your numbers are ruling your moods, or you can't brush it off and move on, then I'd cut back on the weighing.
  • goaskdad
    goaskdad Posts: 11
    Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I think I had anticipated most of the comments against daily weighing, but there were some comments in favor of daily weighing that I hadn't.

    I also found an MFP post about a study on daily weighing - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/135682-weighing-daily-is-ok-for-some which validates my personal feeling that daily weighing can actually be a very positive thing. That said, I'm not suggesting that daily weighing is for everyone, since I know many people get discouraged by daily fluctuations in weight.

    As for my original question (Is daily weighing obsessive?), a friend of mine might have proved himself insightful when he said "Do you really think people who record everything they eat - every meal, every snack, and every glass of water they drink, EVERY SINGLE DAY - are in any position to say weighing yourself daily is obsessive!?" :laugh:

    The bottom line for me personally is that daily weighing has helped motivate me, where weekly weighing hasn't, and most importantly it's been proving itself to me in actual results. So I'm still going to weigh every morning, like I've been doing. :wink:

    But yes, I've decided that daily weighing is most-definitely obsessive ... maybe. :smile:

    Thanks everyone!
  • abyssfully
    abyssfully Posts: 410 Member
    I say that if it motivates you then go for it. Why not? To each his/her own.

    As for me, I prefer to weigh-in once a week. I think I would be the type of person to obsess over it if I weighed in every day.
  • Elle129
    Elle129 Posts: 30 Member
    I force myself to not weigh myself more than twice a week. I usually weigh in sunday and wednesday. Weight flucuates so often
  • TAWoody
    TAWoody Posts: 261 Member
    I do daily weigh ins right now just to reinforce what happened the day before. If I worked out and ate properly then I see a slow trickle down. If I eat a little more than I'm supposed to I can see it go up a little. It just helps remind and motivate me to keep on the program. Eventually when we all get to our goal weight we won't really see any difference from day to day and that's when I'll just weigh in weekly to make sure I'm around my goal.
  • cng1117
    cng1117 Posts: 225 Member
    i've weighed myself everyday twice a day for the last 15 years. I have to admit, it's alot more fun now though that the numbers are going backwards instead of forward.
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