How often should you weigh yourself a week?

newstart1988
newstart1988 Posts: 154 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
How often should you weigh yourself a week? My weight fluctuates when I weigh myself everyday and it kind of gets me down. Trying to figure out how many times a week I should.

Replies

  • kcn2bluesky
    kcn2bluesky Posts: 187 Member
    edited June 2017
    I don't think there is any "should" regarding the number of times to weigh yourself each week. You have to do what works for you, and if seeing normal daily weight fluctuations drags you down mentally, then change to every week or every few weeks. Although even weighing every few weeks, you still could randomly fall on a day where your weight is high for whatever reason.

    Overall trending of your weight is what you want to watch. I use Trendweight, which is freely available and links automatically to FitBit (if you use that app). Trendweight, Happy Scale, etc...these apps enable you to see the big picture of what your weight is doing so that you don't get lost in the minutia of normal weight fluctuations.

    Hope that helps!
    Karen
  • crb426
    crb426 Posts: 661 Member
    As often as makes you comfortable.
  • Luna3386
    Luna3386 Posts: 888 Member
    I weigh daily and use a trend app. Libra for Android. Happy scale for apple.
  • Poisonedpawn78
    Poisonedpawn78 Posts: 1,145 Member
    I weigh myself several times a day. Partly so i can see the changes as I do things to understand how my body reacts and partly so i can make sure i never build up that fear of the scale.

  • LisaMoxon155
    LisaMoxon155 Posts: 264 Member
    I weigh myself sunday morning after going to the toilet. Naked.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Weigh yourself as often as you need to get the data that you use. I weigh once per week just to make sure I catch myself if I start gaining weight. What I liked to do when I was losing weight was to have a weigh-in at the end of the week but I would step on the scale mid-week to see if I needed to make adjustments to make sure the scale continued to drop that week.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Whatever works for you. I found it helpful to understand the fluctuations and get over being emotionally bothered by them, as that had been an excuse for me to avoid the scale in the past, which made weight gain easier. For a while that meant weighing most days, and at minimum once a week. I think daily was easier, as once a week meant that I'd be more likely to be bothered by the result vs. knowing a fluctuation was water or the like.

    IF you are finding that a daily fluctuation of a few lbs is really bothersome, that might be worth working on and getting over. But it's individual, so do what works for you.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,307 Member
    Weekly is enough for me.

    But no 'should' about it - whatever works for you.

    If you do it daily though, understand there will be fluctuations.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    I should weigh myself each day, that works out to 7 each week. I've learned to mostly expect the direction it's going to move so it doesn't depress me to see a number on a scale.
  • izzybelle2013
    izzybelle2013 Posts: 147 Member
    I weigh myself daily. That seems to work for me, and of course - naked, after going to the bathroom, ha ha.
  • clairbrown6
    clairbrown6 Posts: 9 Member
    Every Sunday! First thing in the morning. I used to do it everyday but my weight can fluctuate daily and then I never really appreciated what I'd lost on Sundays weigh in cause I'd already seen them numbers in the week.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    I weigh daily, but the only time that counts for logging is Sunday AM, first thing, after using the bathroom. I've always weighed in my clothes (in this case, cotton nightgown and undies), so I may as well keep doing it, since if that's an extra half-pound or whatever, it's been there all along. (Probably a holdover from my WW days, when you weighed in at meetings and stripping down completely was kind of not done...)
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    I weigh daily, but for some it's too much. For some people even doing it weekly is too much and they prefer biweekly/monthly. It's up to you, as no matter how often you do it it's about the overall trend.
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    I weigh daily and often twice daily. Only log my 8am weight though - after bathroom break, before breakfast, in the same level of dress (naked) and MFP gets updated only when I lose. I have a different app for daily fluctuations.

    Fluctuations don't bother me at all because I like to see the impact my water and food consumption and activity level has on my body and it shows in the difference between morning and bedtime weight or bedtime and following morning weight. It's minutiae but I am intrigued by it. I like to guess what my weight will be after I do ____ activity or eat ____ food. It's just cool info for me to see about my body.

    There is no rule for this question. It is what you are most comfy with. If you are happiest with once weekly, do that. Once monthly, great. If you can do it every day then do that.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    At least 7 times a week, first thing in the morning plus I also weigh before/after a long, hard or hot cycle ride so I can estimate how much I have to re-hydrate.

    To me it's just data. More data points the better to understand the trend. Fluctuations are to be understood rather than seek to over-control.
  • RubyLou25
    RubyLou25 Posts: 212 Member
    Another vote for daily using a trend app.

    I also like to weigh through the day for curiosity.
    Like yesterday, I had a crazy busy day and ate about 1/2 my calories before bed.
  • tlee278
    tlee278 Posts: 35 Member
    I try to weigh myself once a week. If I were to weigh myself daily, I would go "boinkers" with the weight fluctuations.
    I'm happy if my clothes are getting looser.
  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
    If I only weighed once a week and hit a high day, it would break my heart...i prefer to see all the fluctuations and pay attention to the direction of the trend
  • KarySalsera2523
    KarySalsera2523 Posts: 16 Member
    I will do it every 5 weeks don't want to be concerned about the scale. Prefer to focus on workout and food. Good Luck
  • xchocolategirl
    xchocolategirl Posts: 186 Member
    I weigh myself every single morning it's the way for me to see how what I'm eating and how it effects my weight.
  • robertw486
    robertw486 Posts: 2,401 Member
    I now only weight myself once a month or so.... even then maybe. For me I generally know if my weight is steady by the fit of my clothes. Others might feel more confident weighing more often. Do what works for you... and the below link is great for understanding HOW to use that weight (or not weighing) and not over think the process.

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10196160/scale-stress-syndrome/p1

    @ninerbuff covers the important parts of what to do with that data you get when you weigh.

    I've now recorded swings of almost 10 pounds in a single day. I used to weigh myself much more often for a period of time, just to get used to those swings over a day or a couple days.
  • GoldenEye_
    GoldenEye_ Posts: 330 Member
    I weigh myself about once a week. Not on a set day, but whenever I feel curious. It's always right after waking up though. I do log it and so far it has mostly been according to a trend of week 1: 2 pounds of weight loss, next week nothing or a little, week after that another 2 pounds, week 4 nothing and repeat. I guess my body isn't as prone to high fluctuations as some others.

    You really have to just learn what works for you though. As you can see there's a lot of difference in what motivates people.
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