How often should I weigh?

xxzoiiexx
xxzoiiexx Posts: 51 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have gone from 221lbs to 205lbs in a matter of 10 days, weighing every other day. Is it best to weigh daily or not?

Replies

  • Najacita
    Najacita Posts: 24 Member
    That is a significant weight loss in a short time! Congrats! I suggest weighing in once a week because your loss will slow down in the coming weeks and it may frustrate you to see the difference in the rate of loss.

    Keep it up with the logging and exercising and you will see your goal!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Daily is fine as long as you understand and expect that there WILL be fluctuations upwards at times. If you choose to go that route, download a weight tracker (Happy Scale for iOS or Libra for Android) to log with, which will let you see past the fluctuations and view your overall trend.
  • JMcGee2018
    JMcGee2018 Posts: 275 Member
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    It is absolutely not best to weigh daily. Your weight will fluctuate too much from day to day because of water retention. Even weekly will not always give you the news you really want to see but it is better than daily.

    It is not best for some people to weigh daily, but it is not "absolutely not best to weigh daily". I have weighed daily since 2015 and lost 78 pounds and am now in maintenance. For many people weighing daily helps you to understand the typical water weight fluctuations that we all have. I know people who dread weigh in day. I never dread it. I usually know if my weight will be up or down because I understand that fluctuations that are typical for me because of hormones, working out or having a higher sodium meal than usual. If the daily fluctuations mess with your head then don't weigh daily. But for many people weighing daily and using weight trend app like Libra (android) or Happy Scale (IOS) can be very helpful. You will see if your trend is doing what you want and the every day ups and downs won't bother you.

    I second using Libra or Happy Scale. Weighing only once a week or month runs the risk of just happening to weigh yourself on a particularly high da, which might make you think that you have plateaued or are trending up, whereas a daily weigh-in with a trending line lets you look at the big picture on a daily/weekly basis with those highs and lows smoothed out.

    If you are someone who deals with scale obsession, this might not be the best method for you, but for me I love tracking those data points and seeing how I'm doing in real time, rather than wondering for weeks or months.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    edited April 2018
    NovusDies wrote: »
    It is absolutely not best to weigh daily. Your weight will fluctuate too much from day to day because of water retention. Even weekly will not always give you the news you really want to see but it is better than daily.

    That's an awfully dogmatic, absolutist statement. An insightful look into both sides of that coin: https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-bmi-and-weighing-frequency.html/
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    i weigh every day. keeps me honest.
    but i pay attention to the trend, not the data points
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    It is absolutely not best to weigh daily. Your weight will fluctuate too much from day to day because of water retention. Even weekly will not always give you the news you really want to see but it is better than daily.

    That's an awfully dogmatic, absolutist statement. An insightful look into both sides of that coin: https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-bmi-and-weighing-frequency.html/

    totally agree, weigh-in frequency is purely personal preference. Toleration for volatility in weight measurements is a key factor--if you freakout about water weight gain then less is better. I do it daily to keep my focus.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    As often as you want without causing yourself undue stress. I weigh a couple of times a month, with one official weigh-in at the same point in my monthly cycle. That works for me but it would drive others batty. Some people can weigh in daily and have no problems with the daily fluctuations. Others prefer weekly or monthly because the fluctuations bother them. It's all about what works for you.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    mulecanter wrote: »
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    It is absolutely not best to weigh daily. Your weight will fluctuate too much from day to day because of water retention. Even weekly will not always give you the news you really want to see but it is better than daily.

    That's an awfully dogmatic, absolutist statement. An insightful look into both sides of that coin: https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-bmi-and-weighing-frequency.html/

    totally agree, weigh-in frequency is purely personal preference. Toleration for volatility in weight measurements is a key factor--if you freakout about water weight gain then less is better. I do it daily to keep my focus.

    I weigh daily also - both for focus, and for the fact that more data points is better, IMO. I also use a weight trending app to monitor the overall trend, which smooths out the (perfectly normal) daily fluctuations and gives you a better view of the "big picture".

    I find it interesting to see what effect hydration, sodium intake, DOMS, etc. has on my daily weight. Understanding it is the key to not freaking out over it.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    MzManiak wrote: »
    I think it is absolutely beneficial to weigh daily. The scale is a tool and can give you so much information that can only make weight loss easier for you. If you have an unhealthy relationship with the scale, that's a mindset shift that needs to happen because there is no reason to fear a number. Knowing which foods make you bloated, how your weight is affected by your cycle, and seeing the non-linear weight loss is definitely helpful. The scale is the quickest way to determine whether something is working for you. No, it's not end-all, be-all, but going by how your clothes fit takes much longer to see results. You track your food every day, why not your weight? :flowerforyou: Congrats on the weight loss so far!

    I'm sure that this helps many people, but I don't think it's required that people force it if they find the fluctuations affect them.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    It is not best for some people to weigh daily, but it is not "absolutely not best to weigh daily". I have weighed daily since 2015 and lost 78 pounds and am now in maintenance. For many people weighing daily helps you to understand the typical water weight fluctuations that we all have. I know people who dread weigh in day. I never dread it. I usually know if my weight will be up or down because I understand that fluctuations that are typical for me because of hormones, working out or having a higher sodium meal than usual. If the daily fluctuations mess with your head then don't weigh daily. But for many people weighing daily and using weight trend app like Libra (android) or Happy Scale (IOS) can be very helpful. You will see if your trend is doing what you want and the every day ups and downs won't bother you.

    I was not wording things great this morning. It is not the best for everyone. You are right. However, in looking at your above post I don't really understand what understanding water fluctuations actually does for you. If you are into tracking that data that is fine but what does the average dieter need it for? I have seen thread after thread here from people who do not understand the scale. How many more quit without learning because of frustration? I am guilty of it. If I had understand that as a teen it might have changed things. Instead diet after diet I would watch that scale stay the same or go up day after day until I believed a myth that I was just meant to be big. Of course that was when the internet was a collection of encyclopedias on a shelf.

    What can you learn from daily weigh-ins about what is working or not that you can't learn from weekly?

    This is not a debate. I really just want to get perspective and information before I use my own bias towards the next person that comes along.

    I don't have a set weighing schedule. I know I have to check it enough to adjust my numbers. I don't even try to think about how much I have lost but focus on how I feel better and certain things are getting easier. My goal weight is when I am happy with where I am. When I get there then I will do weekly weigh-ins. Of course, I would not recommend anyone else taking such a laissez-faire attitude. Probably most people should at least weigh monthly if not weekly.
  • aliblain
    aliblain Posts: 175 Member
    I like to weigh daily and track it on happy scale app which evens out fluctuations and gives you overall trends and predictions for when you will reach your goal.
  • aliblain
    aliblain Posts: 175 Member
    edited April 2018
    NovusDies wrote: »
    kgirlhart wrote: »
    It is not best for some people to weigh daily, but it is not "absolutely not best to weigh daily". I have weighed daily since 2015 and lost 78 pounds and am now in maintenance. For many people weighing daily helps you to understand the typical water weight fluctuations that we all have. I know people who dread weigh in day. I never dread it. I usually know if my weight will be up or down because I understand that fluctuations that are typical for me because of hormones, working out or having a higher sodium meal than usual. If the daily fluctuations mess with your head then don't weigh daily. But for many people weighing daily and using weight trend app like Libra (android) or Happy Scale (IOS) can be very helpful. You will see if your trend is doing what you want and the every day ups and downs won't bother you.



    What can you learn from daily weigh-ins about what is working or not that you can't learn from weekly?

    This is not a debate. I really just want to get perspective and information before I use my own bias towards the next person that comes along.

    I guess the issue is that weight can fluctuate by pounds with fluid retention etc. so if you just happen to weigh yourself after a high sodium day one week and you see no progress or even an increase in weight on the scale and then wait another week to weigh yourself, you could become disheartened in the meantime. If you weighed everyday you would have seen that it was just a blip.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    aliblain wrote: »
    I like to weigh daily and track it on happy scale app which evens out fluctuations and gives you overall trends and predictions for when you will reach your goal.

    This is probably the best approach.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    aliblain wrote: »

    I guess the issue is that weight can fluctuate by pounds with fluid retention etc. so if you just happen to weigh yourself after a high sodium day one week and you see no progress or even an increase in weight on the scale and then wait another week to weigh yourself, you could become disheartened in the meantime. If you weighed everyday you would have seen that it was just a blip.

    Why didn't I recognize it as a blip when I became disheartened with daily weigh-ins? I assumed I was still eating too much and/or not exercising enough.

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