Most Accurate Time to Weigh Yourself?

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wontwentyfive
wontwentyfive Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I noticed when I weigh myself first thing in the morning is always 3-4lbs lighter than mid day or at night. Should I track the lightest weight scaled in the day or the heaviest?

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  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
    edited August 2018
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    You should try to keep the circumstances as comparable as possible. For most people this means first thing in the morning, after voiding and before food or drink, in similar (or no ;) ) clothing, on the same scale.
  • DoubleUbea
    DoubleUbea Posts: 1,115 Member
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    A lot of users weigh themselves first thing in the morning, the important thing is to be consistent.
  • stfpa
    stfpa Posts: 62 Member
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    I weigh myself in the morning after using the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything. Mostly because I like to see the lowest number possible on the scale haha
  • hipari
    hipari Posts: 1,367 Member
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    Of course your weight is lowest first thing in the morning (or after you use the bathroom). You know how grocery bags are heavy? The weight of the groceries doesn't magically evaporate once you swallow them. A 200g burger patty will increase your weight by 200g if you step on the scale immediately after eating it. Weighing in the first thing in the morning, after using the bathroom and before eating or drinking, eliminates variance from heaviness of a particular meal.
  • Pardyqueenxoxo
    Pardyqueenxoxo Posts: 218 Member
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    I weigh myself at 6am before my morning swim and i'm doing 4-5days between weigh-ins
  • Maxematics
    Maxematics Posts: 2,287 Member
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    wontwentyfive wrote: »
    I noticed when I weigh myself first thing in the morning is always 3-4lbs lighter than mid day or at night. Should I track the lightest weight scaled in the day or the heaviest?

    Of course your weight will most likely be at its lowest in the morning. You eat and drink throughout the day; where do you think that stuff goes? That being said, unless you eat and drink the same amounts of everything every single day, it's best to weigh yourself first thing in the morning to get the best idea of your progress.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    any time is accurate as long as youre consistent with the time.

    most people, myself included, weigh first thing in the morning after using the bathroom.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Your weight is a range, and you weigh exactly what the scales tell you at any time - so no time gives a more accurate reading. What ou want, is the most consistent and comparable data, and you get that when your system is as empty as it gets per 24 hour cycle. That is usually first thing in the morning, after toilet, before breakfast.
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
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    Keep it consistent. Weigh at the same time, which for me is first thing in the morning, right after using the bathroom.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
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    wontwentyfive wrote: »
    I noticed when I weigh myself first thing in the morning is always 3-4lbs lighter than mid day or at night. Should I track the lightest weight scaled in the day or the heaviest?

    When I was losing and sure I was in a deficit every day, I only recorded the lowest weight I saw. I knew I was in a downward trend and saw no point in being worried about the meaningless variances up to higher weights. If you aren't absolutely sure you are in a deficit and you don't keep seeing a lower number every few days then you might want to consider a weight tracking app.

    In maintenance, I am more concerned with spikes up and try to keep them from going above the top end of my range. I am less concerned about low spikes going below the bottom of my range as long as I am getting some weigh ins that are above minimum. That is something of a head game I play with myself. I don't want to rationalize my weight ever going above the top of my range; it's a slippery slope.
  • shaf238
    shaf238 Posts: 4,021 Member
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    For consistency, I always weigh myself at the same time each week.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    There is no good reason to go with a later in the day heavier weight amount. The weight of the fluids you drink and food you eat will likely vary from day to day and that is all you are seeing in the heavier amounts.

    I am not sure what you learn weighing multiple times a day. Is it really interesting to know how much you weigh plus the new food and liquid in your system? To me that is like weighing before and after you put on clothes to see how much they weigh.

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