How do you acuratly measure weight loss?

cmills11
cmills11 Posts: 8
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
I ask this question because one morning I will have lost 2 lbs and the next gained 3 lbs and then the next back down 2. I know weight can flux because of water stores and other things, so how do you measure success?

Replies

  • MissNombril
    MissNombril Posts: 12
    In the mirror, making photos and measures each month and in my clothes...
  • Rae9911
    Rae9911 Posts: 200 Member
    I only weigh myself on a Friday morning before I have eaten or drank anything and I use the Wii Fit to weigh as I don't have any bathroom scales. Then if it says that I have lost a pound I log the lost pound if it's a gain I log the gain. Therefore what ever the Wii says on the Friday is my success or downfall.

    On the last day of the month I take all of my measurements and keep a log of them as well so if I have not lost a lot of weight in the month I may have lost something inches wise so I take the lost inches as my success.
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
    In the mirror, making photos and measures each month and in my clothes...

    This is the best way. Your ultimate goal is looks, not weight. Unless of course you're trying to reach a certain fighting weight. Or like me, you have a seperate challenge that is based on your weight.
  • sarahliftsUP
    sarahliftsUP Posts: 752 Member
    I weigh myself daily as well, but only record it once. So you can continue to weigh yourself everyday, but pick a day of the week to have your weigh ins. I have chose Monday, so whatever I weigh on Monday is my weight for that week until I weigh in again.
  • SweetPandora
    SweetPandora Posts: 660 Member
    In the mirror, making photos and measures each month and in my clothes...

    I'm working on wrapping my head around this instead of letting the scale dictate my mood for the day.

    My weight constantly fluctuates and it gets me down and in the past has lead to binges.

    I am noticing definition and feel a little leaner even though my scale hasn't budged.

    Karen
  • aliwitt82
    aliwitt82 Posts: 41
    I always weigh in the same day. I always way in the same way too. I eat breakfast, workout, make sure I don't have to use the bathroom and weigh in before I drink water. That way there is a better chance it is more accurate. I have also started measuring myself every week too!
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
    In the mirror, making photos and measures each month and in my clothes...

    I'm working on wrapping my head around this instead of letting the scale dictate my mood for the day.

    My weight constantly fluctuates and it gets me down and in the past has lead to binges.

    I am noticing definition and feel a little leaner even though my scale hasn't budged.

    Karen

    Get rid of the scale. It's relatively useless. Use this site to keep track of food and working out. You won't need a scale to tell you if you've done something wrong.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    I ask this question because one morning I will have lost 2 lbs and the next gained 3 lbs and then the next back down 2. I know weight can flux because of water stores and other things, so how do you measure success?

    Try to weigh in only once a week (or make the once a week one count if you must weight in daily) always at the same time, naked, after using the bathroom but before eating anything.

    There will always be some inaccuracies, like if you eat food with a lot of sodium the day before a weigh in it could affect the number. But eventually it will even out and the losses will stick.

    You should also take your measurements about once a month to track non-scale success (gaining muscle will slim you down but you might still weigh the same) and I highly recommend taking pictures at every 10 pounds....it's really amazing to look at each group of picutres to see progress, since often its hard to see on a daily basis.
  • Hernandezedw
    Hernandezedw Posts: 284
    I always weigh in the same day. I always way in the same way too. I eat breakfast, workout, make sure I don't have to use the bathroom and weigh in before I drink water. That way there is a better chance it is more accurate. I have also started measuring myself every week too!

    That last sentence can save some heartache.
  • jennahiggins
    jennahiggins Posts: 56 Member
    I weigh and measure every Monday and Friday in the mornings after I use the bathroom and shower, but before breakfast. Usually about 6am.

    I used to weigh/measure only once and that was on Monday's. I figured out very quickly that if I do it on Friday's too I watch more what I eat on the weekends. Also with measuring, I can tell if I gained an inch of fat, or if it's water.
  • amymeenieminymo
    amymeenieminymo Posts: 2,394 Member
    I always weigh in the same day. I always way in the same way too. I eat breakfast, workout, make sure I don't have to use the bathroom and weigh in before I drink water. That way there is a better chance it is more accurate. I have also started measuring myself every week too!

    You weigh in after eating breakfast and working out? I guess as long as your consistent, but I think you would get way more accurate results if you weighed in after using the bathroom but before eating, drinking, or working out.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    I ask this question because one morning I will have lost 2 lbs and the next gained 3 lbs and then the next back down 2. I know weight can flux because of water stores and other things, so how do you measure success?

    I think you are asking how can you tell when you've gained or lost something other than water. Daily fluctuations tend to reflect changes in the amount of water in your body from one day to the next and yes, that will vary by several pounds.

    Most people want to lose fat, not lean body mass, and that is unfortunately impossible to tell from the scale as the scale only reflects weight and not what comprises that weight. Body fat testing is helpful, but it's very difficult to get accurate readings for that outside of a lab.

    Taking pictures and measuring yourself periodically can be great tools for gauging your progress. So can noticing how your clothes fit. There's a place for weigh-ins, but weigh-ins are really only useful over time to measure trends.
  • aliwitt82
    aliwitt82 Posts: 41
    I always weigh in the same day. I always way in the same way too. I eat breakfast, workout, make sure I don't have to use the bathroom and weigh in before I drink water. That way there is a better chance it is more accurate. I have also started measuring myself every week too!

    You weigh in after eating breakfast and working out? I guess as long as your consistent, but I think you would get way more accurate results if you weighed in after using the bathroom but before eating, drinking, or working out.

    I usually eat 2 hours before I weigh in. I started that routine when my daughter was in school and it worked for me.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    I only weigh myself on a Friday morning before I have eaten or drank anything and I use the Wii Fit to weigh as I don't have any bathroom scales. Then if it says that I have lost a pound I log the lost pound if it's a gain I log the gain. Therefore what ever the Wii says on the Friday is my success or downfall.

    On the last day of the month I take all of my measurements and keep a log of them as well so if I have not lost a lot of weight in the month I may have lost something inches wise so I take the lost inches as my success.

    ^^^^ this
  • gothicprophet
    gothicprophet Posts: 189
    I always weigh in the same day. I always way in the same way too. I eat breakfast, workout, make sure I don't have to use the bathroom and weigh in before I drink water. That way there is a better chance it is more accurate. I have also started measuring myself every week too!

    Unless you're eating the same thing for breakfast every time you weigh in, the weight of your meal could actually be impacting the number on the scale.

    Personally, I weigh in 3 times a week and then log the average between them, I do the same for % Body Fat and BMI changes. I haven't done measurements yet, but I probably should... And here's my process: I wake up on weigh-in mornings, go to the bathroom and do what needs to be done, and then I step on the scale au natural and it flashes the numbers at me. It also tells me my current hydration level and bone mass, kinda neat features.

    Oh, and I also check my weight near daily on the Wii Fit just because I like to do it's daily body test. :D
  • aliwitt82
    aliwitt82 Posts: 41
    I actually am eating the same thing for breakfast.
  • cmills11
    cmills11 Posts: 8
    Wow thank you everyone for all the good advise. I like the idea of weighing myself once a week and also taking my measurements. I will keep up the exercise because it is really what makes the difference in your health.

    Cheers,
    Cmills
  • RokMomma79
    RokMomma79 Posts: 21 Member
    I hop on the scale once a week, usually Saturday first thing out of bed in my birthday suit. However, I really go by my clothes and how they fit. For me that's the reals test, the scale can mess with my head, but my clothes don't. I can fit into something or I cant, its simple and end of the day, I don't care so much about the number, I care about how I feel and look and the scale can never give me that.
  • FitandTrim1
    FitandTrim1 Posts: 2
    try textWeight.com it actually prompts you to weigh yourself regularly and helps you to track your weight trends in an incredibly simple way--
  • Brandicaloriecountess
    Brandicaloriecountess Posts: 2,126 Member
    I ask this question because one morning I will have lost 2 lbs and the next gained 3 lbs and then the next back down 2. I know weight can flux because of water stores and other things, so how do you measure success?

    This is why I only weigh myself once a week!

    Eta: As time goes on it is getting to be more about how I feel and less about the scale. I used to obsess about my loss, and have to force myself not to weight more often. I see the changes, so do all of my friends and family and I am a lot more active, etc. so for me the actual number on the scale is more about knowing I am on track, than being the success.
  • FitandTrim1
    FitandTrim1 Posts: 2
    Published studies have demonstrated those who weighed themselves more often lost more weight and prevented more weight gain than those who weighed themselves less frequently.
    .Linde JA, et al. Self-weighing in weight gain prevention and weight loss trials. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 30(3), 2005.

    Weigh yourself regularly but look for changes over a week or more to see the trend-which is most important --

    I use textWeight (www.textWeight.com) to remind me to weigh myself each morining and track my results via text messaging-- i only look at my chart weekly at most to see my trends---check it out it!
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