When to step on that scale??

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rachellerma1992
rachellerma1992 Posts: 28 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay I have a honest question.....
When should I step on the scale? I don't want it to become unhealthy. I really want to do it like every day, but I know it's not healthy to become obsessive about it.

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,015 Member
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    What's wrong with every day?

    It's just a data point. As long as you don't get emotionally distraught over the normal 2-4 pounds of fluctuating numbers that have nothing to do with gaining actual weight...

    I weigh every day. A lot of people do. Do you have a history of eating disorders? An unhealthy relationship with food can lead to obsessive behaviors around your weight.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,015 Member
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    What's wrong with every day?

    It's just a data point. As long as you don't get emotionally distraught over the normal 2-4 pounds of fluctuating numbers that have nothing to do with gaining actual weight...

    I weigh every day. A lot of people do. Do you have a history of eating disorders? An unhealthy relationship with food can lead to obsessive behaviors or anxiety around your weight, but otherwise it's just a set of numbers.
  • critterbug15
    critterbug15 Posts: 55 Member
    edited May 2016
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    ^yea, as long as you can understand that it's not even the most accurate gauge of your progress in the short term (and weighing often can help you understand that), it's fine to weigh every day. Just weigh at the same time. e.g., In the morning after you go to the bathroom unclothed.

    There are legitimate arguments against weighing every day, but I find that it helps me understand how variables - other than fat tissue - affect my weight. I feel it gives me a better understanding of the overall progress.

    You know yourself, though. If it will lead to frustration and disappointment if you don't see the number you want to see - e.g., you fixate on it too much and it will make or break your day - weigh at a frequency that works for you... once a week, a month... whatever.

    For a better gauge of your fat loss, use a tape measure (in lieu of or in addition to the scale) and note the changes in the way your clothes fit.
  • TxTiffani
    TxTiffani Posts: 798 Member
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    I weigh everyday & use happy scale app to chart my loss, but I'm used to the fluctuations and see it as learning how different foods and amounts effect my weight:)
  • SarahPeters3
    SarahPeters3 Posts: 100 Member
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    If you really want to seen trends over time pick a day every week to measure but there's nothing wrong with doing it everyday
  • shed77f
    shed77f Posts: 41 Member
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    Like others have said it's fine to weigh daily if you want to. I'd definitely be consistent about time & clothing etc though & get an app which allows you to see the trends. For example in the last 7 days I've lost 1.8lbs and regained 0.4, if it was a different time of the month those figures might be reversed. I don't worry as I know my overall trend is down.

    For me it has stopped me panicking about fluctuations & having knee-jerk reactions to them. It's a personal thing though as some get discouraged by fluctuations. A lot of people just weigh once a week - again with consistency though, same day, time & same clothing etc.

    Maybe try daily for a few weeks & gauge your emotional response?
  • lml852014
    lml852014 Posts: 243 Member
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    tiffanifair wrote: »
    I weigh everyday & use happy scale app to chart my loss, but I'm used to the fluctuations and see it as learning how different foods and amounts effect my weight:)

    this is exactly what I was going to say :)
  • samwiserabbit
    samwiserabbit Posts: 153 Member
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    I know what you mean. I used to obsess over the scale and have tired lots of ways to be healthy about it.

    I settled on weighing once a day, first thing in the morning (after a pee), and using a trending software to smooth out short spikes and dips. If it helps I could show you my chart so you can see how comforting it could be to see the day's measurements go all over the place but the trend line basically going down little by little.

    If you weigh once a week or once a month you run the risk of catching yourself in peaks and valleys. Plus you'll obsess about it in between times.
  • samwiserabbit
    samwiserabbit Posts: 153 Member
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    I know what you mean. I used to obsess over the scale and have tired lots of ways to be healthy about it.

    I settled on weighing once a day, first thing in the morning (after a pee), and using a trending software to smooth out short spikes and dips. If it helps I could show you my chart so you can see how comforting it could be to see the day's measurements go all over the place but the trend line basically going down little by little.

    If you weigh once a week or once a month you run the risk of catching yourself in peaks and valleys. Plus you'll obsess about it in between times.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,993 Member
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    I weigh daily. I don't think it is unhealthy. I don't obsess about it and I never stress out about weigh in like a lot if weekly weighers do. I just log it on a trending app and look at the trend.
  • yogsvr4
    yogsvr4 Posts: 149 Member
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    I weigh myself every single day at the same time of the day.

    The morning, right after using the rest room is the probably the best time to make it happen (assuming a typical 9-5 job). Your body has had time to rest and process the food and water you had the previous day.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    Obsessive is characterized by many things including 1. weighing more frequently than once per day, 2. Thinking that something is wrong with the scale if it shows a gain. 3. Thinking that something is wrong with you if it shows a gain.

    A scale is just an information reporting tool. It creates a data point. If you log that information into MFP with the check-in tool, over time you create a chart of data showing a trend. You can see that with the reports. If the trend says that you lost 5 lb in a month, Yea! What if the chart shows that you gained 5 lb after a party and lost 10 lb in 2 weeks that you ate below 1200 calories? The chart is telling you two things here. First, don't party so hearty. Second, eat your planned calories for health and nutrition.

    Daily weighing can produce a fine-scale chart of information for your use and self-improvement. Weekly weighing produces a rougher-scale chart. Monthly weighing, rougher still. That's all.

  • DrifterBear
    DrifterBear Posts: 265 Member
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    We have a basic scale, but I also have a fitbit scale that syncs. I use the basic one everyday because I'm interested in how my water weight is fluctuating. I use the fitbit scale most Saturday mornings to log my official weight. You have to get comfortable with the idea that weight is relative. It's hard sometimes for me to see a higher number than I want, but I understand it's not 'real' weight. You know from tracking when you're doing things right. Just have faith it will eventually show up. And also understand certain workout routines can cause you to maintain or even gain in a positive way.
  • chickybuns
    chickybuns Posts: 1,037 Member
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    I do everyday in the morning. I sync this to fitbit and the fitbit app has the average weekly weight. I like that because I can see my average for the week and it's been about half a pound less every week...I'll take that because I eat too much sometimes.
  • LeahP527
    LeahP527 Posts: 17 Member
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    I do once a week, Friday mornings so it is before the weekend. I can't do everyday because I really don't like seeing the fluctuations and seeing it go up and I end up stressing over it.
  • sssgilbe
    sssgilbe Posts: 89 Member
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    samwiserabbit wrote: »
    I know what you mean. I used to obsess over the scale and have tired lots of ways to be healthy about it.

    I settled on weighing once a day, first thing in the morning (after a pee), and using a trending software to smooth out short spikes and dips. If it helps I could show you my chart so you can see how comforting it could be to see the day's measurements go all over the place but the trend line basically going down little by little.

    If you weigh once a week or once a month you run the risk of catching yourself in peaks and valleys. Plus you'll obsess about it in between times.

    Daily weighing and charting will help you discover your body's pattern. My weight jumps around 2-3 pounds with a whoosh every 10 days. When I weighed only once a week, I'd see random losses and gains, then stress myself out for the next seven days.

    Daily, weekly, monthly--you get to decide based on your body and your brain.

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