Best Time to Weigh Yourself?

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KTaurusW0516
KTaurusW0516 Posts: 126 Member
in Getting Started
I try to weigh myself every morning. However, that can be hard when my hours go from early in the morning to a night shift on the weekends.
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  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,136 Member
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    Missing one weigh in every now and again when you switch shifts isn't going to have any impact. I wouldn't worry about it, your weight is only one indicator of progress and with the fluctuations on a day-to-day basis one weigh in isn't going to tell you more than the other 6 in the week if you're a daily weigher usually.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
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    I weigh myself on Mondays, which makes me watch what I am eating over the weekend.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,409 Member
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    neugebauer52 wrote: »
    I weigh myself on Mondays, which makes me watch what I am eating over the weekend.

    I would say every day after getting up and getting to the bathroom. There might still be some variation if you work shifts, but if you want to weigh every day then you can get some nice long-term trends with an app such as happy scale for example.
  • IsETHome
    IsETHome Posts: 386 Member
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    I do it am and pm. I accept a range of high and the possibility of low. It helps me stay accountable. I only record the low (usually am) after it sticks for 3 days....but I'm probably the exception. However I have lost 20 lbs in two months, so it's working.
  • Katttie89
    Katttie89 Posts: 119 Member
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    The best time to weigh yourself is on a morning after you've been to the toilet and obviously not fully dressed :smile:
  • asochable
    asochable Posts: 43 Member
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    I agree about weighing first thing in the morning. I also agree about expecting fluctuations. Don’t be discouraged if you feel you ate your best the last two days and see your weight go up. Weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint. I look for an overall downward trend over the month.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
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    Consistency is more important than time of the day since your weight fluctuates. Weigh with the same scale, same clothes, same food intake, same time, etc.... You're looking for a trend, not an exact number.
  • oneillm45
    oneillm45 Posts: 44 Member
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    Dilvish wrote: »
    it is highly recommended that you do not weigh yourself daily. Once a week is enough. the reason daily weighing is not recommended is like blood pressure, your weight can fluctuate quite a bit during the day due to water retention (both men and women).

    It's fine to weigh yourself every day once you're aware that weight can fluctuate.

    My weight loss pattern is a sudden drop of a lb or two, then the next day I'll go to somewhere between the two weights and it will take two or three days to get back to the previous 'low'. I'll either continue to lose or maintain for another day or two, before another sudden drop and then the cycle starts again. It's both fascinating and reassuring to see the pattern. Once the overall trend is down, I don't mind about the daily fluctuations.
  • wendsg
    wendsg Posts: 668 Member
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    I will reiterate what oneillm45 said. It's FINE to weigh yourself daily, as long as you understand that weight fluctuates. I personally adore data points, and like to look at a whole picture.

    Besides, I've known plenty of people who get discouraged doing the 'weigh in only once a week' thing if they see two or three weeks of no loss, whereas if they weighed throughout the week they might notice that 'hey, I lost weight here, maybe I /shouldn't/ eat that pack of oreos to keep this going.'

    Personally, I chose a time where I can be consistent. Right before I get into the shower, because goodness knows I wake up at the same time nearly every day for work purposes. Blah. But it removes variables from my data mining. :)

    But hey, whatever floats your boat! What works for me might work for you. Or it might not. :P
  • maureenkhilde
    maureenkhilde Posts: 850 Member
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    You can read 10 Articles on the web about this. Chances are 5 will say weighing every day is a dumb idea. 5 Will say it is a great idea.
    The two prevailing thoughts are for the dumb idea, is that due to weight flucations, some people will see it go up, when they were sure it would go down and give up.
    Also that Fat Loss and Weight Loss are Not the same thing. But many people believe they are.

    Now for the reasons it is a Good idea, many people track on other apps

    By weighing every day, at same time, dressed the same weigh. You know from day to day how it is going.

    For some people, that tells them immediately if they need to make a change. And they feel only weighing once a week is not often enough.
      I personally weigh myself 3 times per week in the mornings. I stopped doing daily as I was getting kind of obessed about it. I think this is totally a personal option, no right or wrong answer.
  • AprilMLowe
    AprilMLowe Posts: 447 Member
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    I weigh in everyday and progress my weight at the same time everyday after going to the toilet. I log my weight in on my phone app here under progress and post a picture to it. I love seeing the trends and changes. I also measure my self every 3 months. I know when i retain salt and water and my muscle weight going up and down and adjust my food macros accordingly!
  • kami3006
    kami3006 Posts: 4,978 Member
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    Dilvish wrote: »
    it is highly recommended that you do not weigh yourself daily. Once a week is enough. the reason daily weighing is not recommended is like blood pressure, your weight can fluctuate quite a bit during the day due to water retention (both men and women).
    The best gauge of course, is a measuring tape. Most people don't use that method so the weigh in should be mid week, first thing in the morning after a "toilet" pause and before breakfast on the same scale / same room for consistency.

    Studies have consistently shown that people who weigh themselves daily tend to lose more weight and keep it off.

  • lalalacroix
    lalalacroix Posts: 834 Member
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    Weighing myself daily really helps me stay on track. I wake up, go to the bathroom, strip down and stand on the scale. I take that number and plug it into the Libra app.

    This bit of routine reminds me that I am health focused and losing weight (Libra gives a weight trend so even if the scale is up due to a fluctuations, I can still see the that my weight is decreasing.) I'm reminded that I'm doing something important for myself and that I track calories for a very good reason. And then I'm less likely to not track calories. It's just part of my overall health plan.
  • mgookin
    mgookin Posts: 92 Member
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    I weigh myself daily in the morning. I like learning about my body. I am aware of fluctuations.

    I only update MFP though on Monday.
  • rfajitas12345
    rfajitas12345 Posts: 27 Member
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    Weight loss and fat loss are not the same thing.

    Best advice I ever got that's helped me make the most progress this past year: Go by how your clothes fit you. How many belt notches you've had to move over. Use measuring tape and keep track that way instead. And take pictures, pictures, and more pictures.

    Seeing the numbers on the scale can be really demotivating.
  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
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    You should weigh yourself whenever you want. If you want to track and watch the individual data points, then do it every day. If the fluctuations mess with your mind and will power, take time in between.

    As far as time of the day, for me, I don't care. For me, there is no such thing as a best time because there are too many variables. I look at the 4-week trend, where the window is large enough to recognize fat loss or gain. 1/2 pound here or there depending on empty digestive track or bladder is not as significant as the several pounds of extra water I may or may not be carrying that day.

    TL/DR; whenever you feel like it.
  • kabrina30
    kabrina30 Posts: 94 Member
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    I also work varying shifts throughout the week so I get wheee you’re coming from!

    I always weigh after I wake up from my longest sleep .... regardless if that’s 7am or 7pm ... just whenever I’ve been asleep for a good while and therefore haven’t eaten or drank in a bit. Ideally I wait until I’ve used the restroom but before I eat or drink anything. But as you know, with a wonky schedule sometimes that isn’t possible as your bathroom habits can get wonky as well. I do weigh daily and log into Happy Scale to track trends but count my Saturday morning weigh in as “official” and log only it here at MFP.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    Scientifically speaking the best time for consistency is to follow your longest sleep cycle after voiding.

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