Weighing every day

Options
srosenthal1225
srosenthal1225 Posts: 44 Member
edited February 2017 in Getting Started
OK , I have been weighing everyday. I have lost 25 on my road to losing 100. The fluctuations are really getting to me. Up a pound one day, down a pound the next day, even in the morning the stupid scale will give me a different weight if I step on more than once..What to do what to do...Any advice? I am feeling great, better than ever, happy healthier , but this up down crap is draining
«1

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    Options
    srosenthal1225 wrote: »
    OK , I have been weighing everyday. I have lost 25 on my road to losing 100. The fluctuations are really getting to me. Up a pound one day, down a pound the next day, even in the morning the stupid scale will give me a different weight if I step on more than once..What to do what to do...Any advice? I am feeling great, better than ever, happy healthier , but this up down crap is draining

    Take an average of your weekly weigh ins and only compare the week to week average weight. This will smooth out the day to day stuff and generally give you a more accurate picture of your weight trend.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    Options
    I weigh every day. Yes somedays it feels as if nothing is happening...or worse the scale goes up. However...

    Sunday weigh ins for me are the ones that I go by. I use that number to see what I have lost for the week. Strange thing...sometimes during the week it feels as if I am not losing at all only to end up on Sunday with 1 - 2 lb loss.

    This works for me...but I am a numbers person and I love charts!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,949 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    The method that @SideSteel mentioned can be good. Or you can just record a specific day of the week even though you are weighing everyday.

    I use this site to make a new graph that does the averaging method which SideSteel mentioned: http://www.weightgrapher.com/
    There are similar apps for your phone too (iOS or Android).

    In the end though, if weighing everyday is messing with your happiness/mentality... just weigh once a week. I like Wednesdays for weigh ins since the weekend water weight that I typically gain drops off by then so I feel it's representative. Plus February starts on a Wednesday lol.
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    Sidesteel's point is a good one.

    There are also apps you can DL that will track your weight and show you trends, rather than the actual day-to-day numbers. I'm a big fan of this as it smooths out the peaks and valleys for a much more consistent progress bar.

    I also keep an excel file as a calorie and weight log. I track my daily intake, my daily exercise burn, and my daily weight. I then have it calculate my 7-day averages for each of those. Those averages are usually a better indicator of how I'm doing than any single day.

    On a side note, fluctuations are normal and to be expected. Emotionally, yes, they suck. But if you work on accepting it as part of the bigger picture, you'll be happier in the long run. #easiersaidthandone
  • guacamole17
    guacamole17 Posts: 109 Member
    Options
    I like numbers, so I weigh everyday and input that into excel (old fashioned I guess) and have a chart set up with a trend line. I can see that I weigh less mid-week than weekends, so its cool to see how my own personal trends work. I also have an average weight set up, so I can see that go down over time.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
    Options
    If it distresses you to see the fluctuations then maybe you're not meant to be an every day weigher. Weigh less often.
  • vsevertson
    vsevertson Posts: 4 Member
    Options
    You mentioned that occasionally you weigh yourself, get off the scale and weigh again. You said that you get two different weights. You might want to reset your scale or change your battery if you have a digital scale. Or if your scale is older you may need just get a new scale.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    Options
    I weigh daily and track it in a spreadsheet. I'm down 1.3 today, but will not be surprised to be up tomorrow or Friday. But the graph keeps moving down.
  • dmwh142
    dmwh142 Posts: 72 Member
    Options
    I just weigh once a week. It makes the results so much more remarkable. Since you have lost 25 lbs so far you know what works. If I were you I would do what works and just weight once a week.
  • kabrock74
    kabrock74 Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    I only record weight on Sunday and Wednesday mornings. I sometimes find myself checking it other days, but I only record those two. Find something that works for you and stay consistent with it.

    I almost like getting the little increases every now and then because it makes me think about what I've done the last few days and how to do better moving forward.
  • eagle37
    eagle37 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    So I think that if you weigh everyday, it turns into a very traumatic situation because you don't see specific changes in your weight from day to day. In my case I decided to wait and check the scale every month, it keeps me more motive to see big differences at the end of 4 or 5 weeks. :)
  • JohnnytheGeek
    JohnnytheGeek Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    Try trendweight.com. You can set it up to link to your MFP account and gives a weighted rolling average to smooth out the fluctuations.
  • Stella3838
    Stella3838 Posts: 439 Member
    Options
    I use the Happy Scale app to monitor my trends. Very easy to use.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    Options
    srosenthal1225 wrote: »
    OK , I have been weighing everyday. I have lost 25 on my road to losing 100. The fluctuations are really getting to me. Up a pound one day, down a pound the next day, even in the morning the stupid scale will give me a different weight if I step on more than once..What to do what to do...Any advice? I am feeling great, better than ever, happy healthier , but this up down crap is draining

    If you're getting frustrated by the fluctuations, simply quit weighing yourself so often. Or use one of the apps mentioned above. If you graphed your daily weight over six months, you'd see all kinds of ups and downs. The only reason it's draining is that you're letting it bother you.

    If your scale gives you a different weight when you step on it more than once, get one that's more consistent and make sure you are using it on a hard surface. I switched to the EatSmart Precision Digital Bathroom Scale and it's very consistent (available on Amazon).
  • marrrisa
    marrrisa Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    What I've heard from fitness professionals, and something I also believe in - DON'T WEIGH YOURSELF EVERYDAY. Weigh yourself once a week on the same day, at the same time, wearing the same clothes. Best in the mornings when you haven't eaten.

    Your weight can fluctuate like 2-7 pounds during the day because of food, bloating, water weight, whether you've used the restroom or not, etc. You'll just drive yourself crazy watching it change every day, even if it doesn't even mean anything.

    I mean, its up to you, but I pretty much threw out the scale. I only weigh myself maybe once a month now. I don't even really think about it or care too much what it says anymore. As long as I know I've been doing a good job, and feel the difference then I'm good! The number on the scale doesn't show everything that's going on inside your body when you're making healthy choices.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
    Options
    Breath. You're doing great, keep it up!

    Like all progressive analysis, watch the human not the dog. Ie: long term trends, not short term fluctuations. If you've lost 25lbs your trend is a los trend, if that is what you want, keep going until the Long term trend of no longer what you want.

  • gdsmit1
    gdsmit1 Posts: 137 Member
    Options
    As others said, there will be day to day fluctuations. If that's really bothering you, I'd stop weighing every day.

    I step on the scale every week day when I'm getting ready for work. I don't weigh myself on days off work, unless I'm off on a Monday. I only log Monday morning's weight.
  • emhorn625
    emhorn625 Posts: 35 Member
    Options
    I weigh myself on Fridays and Mondays. Keeps me on track over the weekend!
  • srosenthal1225
    srosenthal1225 Posts: 44 Member
    Options
    thank you all...I appreciate it, I am a teacher and my co teacher told me the same thing today, once a week...So once a week it is, thanks!
  • BiggDaddy58
    BiggDaddy58 Posts: 406 Member
    Options
    I weigh everyday. It's a good way to understand your body and how it works, plus how it fluctuates, depending on your diet and exercise. You can learn a lot from weighing daily.

    One thing you learn, is your weight will change daily..up..down..doesn't matter if you step on the scale and look , or you don't.

    My official weigh-in day is Monday a.m.

    My advice..either accept the daily flucuations and learn from them....

    or stop weighing yourself daily. I know..really insightful..right? LOL

Categories