To weigh or not to weigh

laurakayks
laurakayks Posts: 5 Member
edited December 2014 in Getting Started
Do you weigh, and if so how often? I am trying to lose 50 pounds without weighing *regularly*, though I am planning to have a co-worker take my measurements as an alternate way to stay accountable,
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Replies

  • Linovitz
    Linovitz Posts: 79 Member
    Why wouldn't you weigh? How will you know you lost 50 pounds if you don't weigh yourself? I weigh almost everyday but only long in MFP on the 10th, 20th and 30th of each month. Nothing scientific about that. Just random.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    I weigh every two weeks. I started daily. It did help in the beginning to see that there was or was not any progress, but then there were weight fluctuations. It drove me nuts.

    Then I went weekly. So I weight once a week to see that I am in check with my goal. Make a change if necessary.

    Second week I measure and log it all!

    I readjust or change my plan if needed.
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    If you aren't weighing yourself, then at least do not set your goal on losing a specific amount of weight. Having a goal that you will never achieve (well, at least will never know if you have achieved or not) is a sure way to lose motivation.
  • beamer0821
    beamer0821 Posts: 488 Member
    i weigh every week.

    i find it helpful to check in once in awhile
  • Mrs_Brigham
    Mrs_Brigham Posts: 13 Member
    Hi!
    I weigh daily. If I don't weigh, I don't feel accountable to myself, and more eating while ignoring the consequences is not what I need right now. When I first started weighing, I only did it weekly, and if I didn't see a loss, I would get really upset, and I would fall off my eating plan for a week (or two).
    So for me, weighing daily has made me more understanding of the natural fluctuations of my weight, and this has made me happier overall. Your results may vary, so do what works for you. :)
    Jess
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    edited December 2014
    I'm with you. I hate the scale. Here's how you can do it.
    Figure out what clothing size you are now, and what size you would be fifty pounds down:


    http://mybandita.blogspot.ca/2009/08/weightheightclothing-size.html

    Here's a chart that gives corresponding bust, waist, and hip measurements.
    http://www.womenssizechart.com/

    Be warned however that inches go down slower than the scale. You may not see movement for a while.

    That all being said I am on a six week project myself to weigh daily just to understand my own fluctuations.
  • Vistarr1
    Vistarr1 Posts: 15 Member
    Every day for me. I have to know and it helps to keep me on track. But.... I realize our weight does fluctuate so I don't let it stress me if it goes for no reason. I know it's coming back down again and usually more comes with it. I don't let the scale indicate if it's a good day or bad.
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    whilst weighing daily would give you very varying results you do need some form of marker so that you can see if what you are doing is right for you and is working. If it isn't then you can review and change things! Fortnightly would be far enough apart to not make it obsessive but close enough to measure if something is or isn't working and make changes it needed.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    Weigh daily. Log daily. Measurements every Sunday.
  • shadowloss
    shadowloss Posts: 293 Member
    I weigh daily because it keeps me accountable daily and it helps me track the changes in my eating and how they affect my weight.

    If you weigh daily you have to know that there will be ups and downs on the scale regardless of how hard you work or fall off plan. I've noticed that the scale usually takes about 2-3 days to catch up to my effort. For me, when I see the number go up, I know I have to work harder, so it's my motivation.

    Everyone is different. Find something that works for you, whether it is the scale, measurements, clothes, pictures. The one guarantee is if you don't monitor it somehow, you WILL NOT be successful 99.9% of the time. (No that is not scientific fact, but neither will your success unless you can measure it).

    Find what works and put it into action NOW. Good Luck
  • FitFitzy331
    FitFitzy331 Posts: 308 Member
    zipa78 wrote: »
    If you aren't weighing yourself, then at least do not set your goal on losing a specific amount of weight. Having a goal that you will never achieve (well, at least will never know if you have achieved or not) is a sure way to lose motivation.

    Agreed. Select measurement goals, clothing size goals, etc... if you aren't planning to weigh yourself. Personally, I weigh myself daily just to see the fluctuations from daily dietary changes. It doesn't disappoint me to see I "gained" 3lbs in a day because I know its water weight. Other people can't handle seeing those numbers vary so much.
  • michsax14
    michsax14 Posts: 22 Member
    I've had problems where I weighed in everyday, and I found the scale would dictate my mood and eating for that day, so now I try to do it every week to two weeks. If you don't want to weigh in often maybe do it once a month or so?
  • I'm nervous about weighing and even my start weight may not be accurate as I'm taking it off a doctors visit from a month ago. I just know that when I weigh myself all I think about are the numbers instead of how I look and feel and it gets me down. I'd rather just look at myself and if I feel like I've lost weight I'll weigh myself for (hopefully) a pleasant "Suprise". When I dieted on here in the past I did weekly weigh ins and it made me very hard to live with.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I weigh every single day because that's what works for me
  • JayRuby84
    JayRuby84 Posts: 557 Member
    I don't have a scale any more so I weigh in, do measurements at the gym once per month. I take progress pics and can see a big difference. Good luck with whatever you choose that works best for you!
  • For me personally, weighing myself every day sets me up for failure. Sure I could lose 10 lbs and see it reflected on the scare, but then I'd treat myself, again and again and before you know it, that diet you were on just went out the window.

    Another con of weighing yourself every single day is that you become obsessed with the number and not with the way you feel and look. Personally, I would measure your success by the way you feel (you can take measurements too), example: energy levels, mood, etc. The scale is important yes, but not if you're trying to get some where in the beginning - truthfully, the scale can hinder your progress hugely because in your mind, you have an expectation based on how hard you've been working and if that number on the scale does not reflect that expectation, you will feel as if you've failed and may give up. I've given up many times based on what was revealed to me on the scale.

    So my advice, work hard for 2 or 3 months (don't stop though, keep going!) and then weigh yourself. By the 2nd or 3rd month you would have made huge strides in your progress and this healthy lifestyle you created will be something that your committed too and not something you would throw away if the scale doesn't reflect a certain number. Besides, fitness and health take time and it's a path that never ends. Plus - the transformation after this period of time will be so much more than a couple of pounds (if you're consistent) that it will completely shock you and send you on a mission to keep pushing!

    I hope this helped! So basically, don't weigh yourself everyday - it's just a number, go with how you feel, how your clothes fit.

    Good luck!
  • sweetdixie92
    sweetdixie92 Posts: 655 Member
    I rarely weigh myself. I can just TELL when I'm packing on too much - clothing getting too tight, feeling like a pile of crap, not liking what I see in the mirror. That's what I go by.
  • NoelFigart1
    NoelFigart1 Posts: 1,276 Member
    I weigh every day, but since daily weight fluctuates all over the place, I have this equation to smooth out the variables to give me a steady curve (up, down or straight). This keeps me on track well, without me freaking out about daily changes.
  • slb1107
    slb1107 Posts: 4 Member
    My friend made a resolution to not weigh herself. Still hasn't all year long. I'd go crazy. I have to be able to see progress. Or if no progress means I need to work harder.
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    I weigh every morning. It's just data collection. Weighing this frequently takes the emotion out of it because one single weigh in means little in the long run. I would be much more emotional weighing weekly or monthly because that weigh in means more.
  • mebepiglet123
    mebepiglet123 Posts: 327 Member
    I weigh every day, but since daily weight fluctuates all over the place, I have this equation to smooth out the variables to give me a steady curve (up, down or straight). This keeps me on track well, without me freaking out about daily changes.
    I also do this...sodium will pack on a kilo overnight.

  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    I only do it once a month. weightloss for me is very slow so i wouldnt see any changes really doing it once a week or daily. but over the course of the month i lose a couple, and im good with that. Also my weight has always been higher than what I look like. right now i weigh 195 but dont look that heavy. i am solidly built and do weight lifting. its not like someone is going to go around picking ou up and saying "omg your so heavy!" its how the percieve you to look.
  • I weigh every few days to ensure that what I am doing is working. That way if I need to adjust intake or exercise I can. However, that being said, I rarely weigh myself the week that Flo visits as she can make me fluctuate up to 6 lbs a day. Just remain positive and do whatever makes you most comfortable. :)
  • Tabbitha1968
    Tabbitha1968 Posts: 41 Member
    I weigh everyday, I started doing this because I needed to get rid of my fear of the scale that kept me unconscious about my weight. I use it to keep me consciously aware of where I am, and keep me focused. It has helped me see that there are patterns to my weight loss that were impossible to see if I only weighed in once a week. (i.e. patterns of water retention released over a 10 day period) I've learned not to get emotional about the fluctuations, I can pinpoint what the issue is and move on. It still bums me when I've gone weeks within the same range, but at least I know i'm not gaining.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited December 2014
    laurakayks wrote: »
    Do you weigh, and if so how often? I am trying to lose 50 pounds without weighing *regularly*, though I am planning to have a co-worker take my measurements as an alternate way to stay accountable,

    If the objective is weight loss, then why on earth would you deny yourself the opportunity to be given that information? Sheer craziness. I can see if you wnat to do it less frequently, but to try not to seems a very strange way of going about things.

    If you want different measurements, then just use that. Good luck.

    It really is just data.
  • Sylvarose
    Sylvarose Posts: 70 Member
    I have a history of getting obsessive about the scales and that usually leads to sabotage so I only weigh in my Doctor's office (right now I'm on a every three month schedule) and my therapist's office (right now a weekly schedule). I'd like to get to a point where I do it on a bi-weekly schedule. I'm with some of the others though, I think using how your clothes fit can be a much more satisfying measure to judge how much weight you've lost.
  • nvpixie
    nvpixie Posts: 483 Member
    I weigh daily. It keeps me in check. This works for me because I don't freak out when I'm up a pound or two, but if I'm consistently inching upward on the scale, I know I need to watch my calories closer for awhile. I'm in maintenance right now and have quit logging my food for now.
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  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    Everyone has to find the way that suits them, but it really is only data and its not the scales at issue, just how people interpret it. I find them informative, reassuring and motivational, but then I like data.
  • blktngldhrt
    blktngldhrt Posts: 1,053 Member
    I weigh weekly. If go two weeks without any progress I tweak my routine.