Weighing yourself while out of town

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jonalicia2503
jonalicia2503 Posts: 23 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I weigh myself every day but I’m going on a business trip next week and not sure how I’m going to weight myself. Has anyone ever considered bringing a scale while traveling? I’m not sure if the fitness center has a scale there. I just hate not being able to weigh myself and possibly having a big difference when I get back.

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  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Your scale probably won't appreciate the trip very much. You could well throw off the calibration by dragging it around and shaking it about if you don't pack it properly.

    Have you called the hotel to ask if they have a scale in the fitness center? Are the numbers going to be useful to you if the calibration is different than your home scale?
  • KNoceros
    KNoceros Posts: 324 Member
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    No two scales will read the same and your own scale may read differently in two different places - even a few inches away from where it normally sits.
    For this reason, it's likely that your best beat is not to worry too much about weighing when you're away. The number you get won't really "mean" anything.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,868 Member
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    How long is the trip?

    I weigh myself every day, but I go away for a few days each month, and don't bother weighing myself on those days. It's not going to be the end of the world.
  • Meelisv
    Meelisv Posts: 235 Member
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    I weigh myself usually every day too, to keep myself accountable, but for those times that I go on a trip for a week or two, I just skip it. Why bother, weight is just a proxy indicator after all.
  • Decapins
    Decapins Posts: 49 Member
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    a tape measure is easier to transport! Consider switching to taking your measurements instead.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    I'm a daily weigher too, if we're away I just don't weigh, no biggie.
  • rockymir
    rockymir Posts: 498 Member
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    Don't travel with your scale! Scales can be damaged very easily so avoid anything that can bump, hit, move them. The less you move them around the better.
    I have the same problem, while I don't weight every day my weight-in day randomly falls at times when I'm away. Eh...no, there's not much to do. You should always weight on the same scale (different scale, different error range, different weight, panic) but you cannot take it with you, so just skip it. You can plan to weight as soon as you get back home, which should keep you accountable.
  • crabbybrianna
    crabbybrianna Posts: 344 Member
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    If it’s only a few days I wouldn’t bring it. 2 years ago I went away for 2 weeks and didn’t bring my scale and I wished I had, so last year I brought it with me and I’m glad I did.
  • jessicapk
    jessicapk Posts: 574 Member
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    Probably not a long enough trip to worry about. I weigh daily but don't carry my scale or use another if I'm out of town but I'm usually not gone much longer than a weekend anyway. Sucks, too, because my later wake ups on weekends are usually my lower weigh in's:smile:
  • maybe1pe
    maybe1pe Posts: 529 Member
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    I weight everyday but I don't bring a scale with me. However, I go to Florida for a month or more every year and stay with a friend. While I'm there I will sometimes (once a week) use her scale just to make sure I'm not getting too high (and by too high I mean like 10+ lbs up) However, I don't record that data. It's more for a mental check on myself to cut back on eating out/drinking if I'm getting out of control. Also only do it because I'm gone for a month+.

    For shorter trips 1-2 weeks. I don't bother.
  • jonalicia2503
    jonalicia2503 Posts: 23 Member
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    Thank you everyone. I need to stop worrying about my weight and not worry about the scale
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
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    If you're flying, you're likely going to have water retention from that. And I wouldn't be surprised if you're eating higher sodium foods. So there's more water.

    Even if you did get a travel scale, it's not like you're going to see anything resembling an accurate number.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited February 2018
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    I'm going on vacation next week and there is NO WAY I would want to weigh-in. Flying makes me retain water, up to 8 pounds! Eating out makes me retain water, extra sodium/carbs. Different scales would equal a different number. Nope, it would be too artificially inflated. I'll wait til I get back home, and back to normal eating for 3-4 days before I'll get back on my scale.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    Leave the scale at home. Don't hop on another scale and compare it to your home scale readings as all scales are different.
    You are probably going to retain water anyway so don't got alarmed if the scale reading is up when you get back.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,728 Member
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    For anything less than 15 days, Don't worry about it.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,868 Member
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    collectingblues wrote: »
    If you're flying, you're likely going to have water retention from that. And I wouldn't be surprised if you're eating higher sodium foods. So there's more water.

    Even if you did get a travel scale, it's not like you're going to see anything resembling an accurate number.

    Yes, exactly!

    There are many things which can cause weight gain (water weight).

    Just recently I got back from a 9-day trip. During that time we cycled a lot ... much more than usual ... 528 km in a week. We also ate a lot of restaurant food. And the temperature was much hotter than I'm used to. In addition we flew to and from the location.

    I stepped on the scale when I got home, and I had gained 1 kg. But 3 days later, and I've lost almost all of that again.

    As it happens it was the 'perfect storm' of water weight gain. The following things can cause water weight gain, and this is not a complete list ...

    -- air travel
    -- extra exercise or different exercise than what we're used to
    -- heat
    -- sunburn (we didn't burn, but I did tan quite a bit)
    -- higher sodium food than we're used to

    So, I'd rather not weigh myself on a trip. It will very likely show my weight as higher than it was ... I know that and don't need a scale to tell me.

    Instead, I do try to keep things reasonably under control (don't go crazy with the eating), I try to get some exercise, and I figure I'll deal with it when I return. :)

  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
    edited March 2018
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    I've taken my bathroon scale with me when traveling by car, where it's easy to pack and access, but wouldn't do it while traveling by plane, train or bus.

    However, if I was going to stay in one location for an extended period of time (2-3 wks at least), I'd consider buying one locally and then just leaving it there when I return home.
  • ConnieT1030
    ConnieT1030 Posts: 894 Member
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    jonalicia2503 wrote: »
    I just hate not being able to weigh myself and possibly having a big difference when I get back.

    Remember it's not the scale that's causing your weight loss. That would be your consistent calorie deficit. If you wish to continue at the same rate, keep doing the same things you were, or at least try to keep within reason (since you probably cant weigh your food, for the same reasons given for your bathroom scale).
    As long as you dont go hog wild, you probably wont find a huge difference when you get back that isn't attributable to water weight, and in any case, going to maintenance for a short time will only help, and not hurt if you have been at a deficit for an extended time, and that's what I would actually recommend- aiming for maintenance during your trip.

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