How often should we weigh ourselves? How do you stay away from your scale?

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KetoWithMrsPenn
KetoWithMrsPenn Posts: 17 Member
edited November 2017 in Fitness and Exercise
I have the tendency to climb on the scale every morning, which i don't believe its a good practice. The worst part about this is the fact that, on Tuesday your few pounds down and on Wednesday your like 4lbs heavier. What the heck did i do different? #Asking4afriend lol
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Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    KetoWithMrsPenn wrote: »
    I have the tendency to climb on the scale every morning, which i don't believe its a good practice. The worst part about this is the fact that, on Tuesday your few pounds down and on Wednesday your like 4lbs heavier. What the heck did i do different? #Asking4afriend lol

    Weighing in everyday isn't an issue...but you need to understand that your weight naturally fluctuates...body weight isn't a static number. You are comprised of anywhere from 50-65% water...that will always fluctuate on it's own and can be exacerbated by things like more/less sodium, higher carb day, hormones (particularly TOM), etc. You also will always have variable degrees of waste in your system.

    If normal weight fluctuations bother you, you shouldn't weigh in daily...if they don't and you understand them, then it's no big deal. You should be looking at long term trends anyway, not weigh in to weigh in numbers.
  • rebben23
    rebben23 Posts: 24 Member
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    I usually step on the scale during the week and avoid during weekends. My Fitbit automatically averages my weight each week so I can see the progress despite the day-to-day fluctuations-- this average is the number I care the most about and what I would recommend doing if you want to step on it every morning!
  • brittneyalley
    brittneyalley Posts: 274 Member
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    I weigh everyday. My weight doesn’t fluctuate much, but if it does I don’t worry since I log everything I know what my progress should be.
  • ijsantos2005
    ijsantos2005 Posts: 306 Member
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    I weigh in every day. I think it’s fun.
  • steveko89
    steveko89 Posts: 2,216 Member
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    I weight myself everyday too, for purposes of calculating my TDEE and tracking my weight trends. Just data-collection to me. Honestly, I would roll my eyes a little if I saw someone encourage another poster with a "weight loss isn't linear!" sentiment until I started weighing daily and saw just how much I would fluctuate day-to-day (on consecutive days in August I saw an increase of 5.8 lbs, and a drop of 8.8 lbs).

    I spun my wheels trying to cut fat weighing weekly and eating back everything suggested for a 1.5lb/week deficit and calculated calorie burn from my Polar Heart Rate monitor January-July of this year, starting using a spreadsheet to calculate my actual TDEE (linked below) and have averaged a little less than 0.5 lbs/week loss at a ~5% deficit since the end of July. I've come to like the daily data points over weekly for trend analysis and feedback adjustment.

    TDEE spreadsheet under "Step 1" https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/wiki/getting_started
  • MsHarryWinston
    MsHarryWinston Posts: 1,027 Member
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    I way everyday, multiple times a day, but it’s more for mentally tracking trends. I only record overall losses. I’m very sensitive to sodium so I like to see how varying amounts in my diet effect my water retention. Or get an idea of how much water weight I retain for recovery on cardio days vs lifting days. Or TOM etc.

    Quick glance mental log for me to keep in mind on my journey as a way of better understanding my body. The more you know, the less you have to fear.

    This morning I was carrying 6 extra pounds after the weekend, but I know I didn’t “gain” the weight, so I don’t care. I know exactly why the scale is showing me what it is and it feels good to be able to see it and go, “meh, that’s about right for what happened.”
  • 7lenny7
    7lenny7 Posts: 3,493 Member
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    You make it sounds like frequent trips to the scale is inherently a bad thing.

    You should weigh yourself as often as you wish as long as you don't obsess about it. I weigh myself most every morning and often before and after runs (to see how much I'm sweating).

    I'm up 4 pounds today after a great, carb-filled weekend, but I know I'll be back down in a day or two after burning up the carbs and getting rid of the associated water weight. Weighing myself every day is what gives me the knowledge to know that's what will happen.
  • DamienAngelica
    DamienAngelica Posts: 281 Member
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    I weigh myself every morning. I don't mind the fluctuations; I'm focused on the overall trend. I'm eight or nine pounds from my goal weight and I know I'll need those daily weigh-ins to keep on track with maintenance.
  • malinoj
    malinoj Posts: 2 Member
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    I weigh myself daily and collect the data using the "Happy Scale" app. It does a great job of seeing through the daily dips and hills to find your overall trend. I find I don't stress out about the days I gain, since I see it come off a day or two later.
  • clicketykeys
    clicketykeys Posts: 6,568 Member
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    I have a chart on a clipboard in the bathroom right by the scale. I write down my weight every morning, but I generally know what to expect. If the weight is moving the wrong direction, I might be a little more careful with snacks, but it's not until three or four days in a row that I actually get the slightest bit concerned.

    It helps if you can be consistent with your weigh-ins; before or after eating makes a big difference, for example.
  • ZedTop
    ZedTop Posts: 58 Member
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  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
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    I used to weigh myself once a week. Now I'm in maintenance I measure instead, if the numbers on the tape measure creep up then I weigh myself to double check, then cut my calories until I'm back to where I should be.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
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    Thre is no should in the need for weighing, It is a personal preferance and a case what works for you in the most positive way.
    Personally I did not weigh for most of my journey (hence I have no idea how much I have lost) When I started feeling that I was getting to a point of lokking more like the me I wanted to be I started, monthly only. It suffieced. I am now in maintenace and for now I am onto weekly to learn what my weekly fluctuations are.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    i go in stages.

    sometimes once a week (fridays). sometimes every day. i only pay attention to it on friday mornings though, since thats my 'official' weigh and log time.

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
    edited November 2017
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Weighing daily isn't bad - attaching false importance or significance to a single data point is.

    Q/ "How often should we weigh ourselves?"
    A/ That's personal, I like to see my trend and regard it as data so weigh daily. I also don't like the inaccuracy of weekly weighing as more data points makes a trend clearer.

    Q/ "How do you stay away from your scale?"
    A/ I don't. It's a dumb device that simply gives me basic data on my weight at a single point in time - it is a tool and a useful one. It doesn't have the power to make or break my day.

    Day to day fluctuations are mostly related to water and the amount of food in your GI tract - not fat.

    Look back in your diary and you might spot what triggered the changes, not that it's really important as your body will sort it out for you.

    You[r] weight fluctuates and it will continue to fluctuate when you get to goal weight. It's normal.

    If you can't cope with that while losing weight then it will stress you even more at maintenance - it's why people set a maintenance range rather than a single number.

    ^This is the best summary of the myriad responses to the countless threads started on this topic that I've read.

    It should be made a sticky so no one needs to start another such thread, even though people probably still would but then they could be simply referred to the sticky for a thread ending response.
  • juliewatkin
    juliewatkin Posts: 764 Member
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    I weigh a couple of times a day and track my weight daily on a spreadsheet. It allows me to track fluctuations and not get too over wrought about them. My weight can vary 4-5 lbs over the course of a week from water retention. Weighing daily allows me to see that. If you attach too much significance, it may not be good for you. For me it allows me to see that the delicious burrito I ate last night clearly had a ton of sodium in it; nothing more emotional than that.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
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    Once a day when I wake. More data is better data but I don't focus on the day I look for the trend.
  • BcMuscles
    BcMuscles Posts: 109 Member
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    I weigh myself once a week

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