Weigh In Before or After Exercise?

shonasteele
shonasteele Posts: 473
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
So I weigh in every day (yay for the obsessive compulsives!) and log my average weight for the week at the end. There have been a couple of times that I've weighed before and again after exercising (yay again ocd!) and have dropped a half to a whole pound!!! So I'm taking a poll to see what you think - which weight should I record?

o before exercise - first thing in the morning as usual
o after exercise - I'm sure it's all sweat loss, but I still want credit for it!
o half way between - a nice (sane?) compromise?

Yes, I know I'm obsessing, but it seems like I'm almost lying if I'm getting credit for sweating?
Although that's what the bodybuilders do before competition, AND all that sweating is HARD WORK.
Stop me before I get dizzy chasing my tail!
I'm going to go with the majority vote so please let me know what you think is fair.

And have a positively scrumptious day everyone!

Replies

  • FatDadSlim
    FatDadSlim Posts: 497 Member
    Doesn't matter as long as you're consistent..
  • HoopFire5602
    HoopFire5602 Posts: 423 Member
    I always do it first thing in the morning, right after I get up and use the bathroom. I feel like it is cheating after working out, too.
  • dsak
    dsak Posts: 367 Member
    Before exercise.... first thing in the morning.

    If you weigh yourself after exercise and you are lighter, it's most likely due to your water loss from working out/sweating. You should then be drinking extra water to compensate for that loss!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,990 Member
    So I weigh in every day (yay for the obsessive compulsives!) and log my average weight for the week at the end. There have been a couple of times that I've weighed before and again after exercising (yay again ocd!) and have dropped a half to a whole pound!!! So I'm taking a poll to see what you think - which weight should I record?

    o before exercise - first thing in the morning as usual
    o after exercise - I'm sure it's all sweat loss, but I still want credit for it!
    o half way between - a nice (sane?) compromise?

    Yes, I know I'm obsessing, but it seems like I'm almost lying if I'm getting credit for sweating?
    Although that's what the bodybuilders do before competition, AND all that sweating is HARD WORK.
    Stop me before I get dizzy chasing my tail!
    I'm going to go with the majority vote so please let me know what you think is fair.

    And have a positively scrumptious day everyone!
    Personally if you're OCD about, then I doubt anything anyone says will change your habit. If you like doing it that way, then stick with it.
  • alyssamiller77
    alyssamiller77 Posts: 891 Member
    On my weigh in days, I weigh myself before and after my workout and then take the average of the two as my actual. I like to track how much weight I lose through sweat because it helps me gague how much water and electrolytes I need to take in to replace what I lost.
  • lauren0804
    lauren0804 Posts: 48
    I personally weigh myself in the mornings before I eat or drink anything. If I weigh myself after I exercise sometimes I'm swelled up because of being hot and not sure if that number would be accurate enough.
  • TMcBooty
    TMcBooty Posts: 780 Member
    You are hilarious!!! Had me laughing even. I have OCD with weighing too but never do I weigh after exercising, showering or at the end of the evening/before bed. After exercise you will generally gain it back once you drink some water.

    I'd stick with1st thing in the morning.. wake up, potty, weigh.. then maybe weigh again in 5 minutes. :P
  • ckspores
    ckspores Posts: 52
    I weigh in once a week first thing in the morning. I don't like weighing in after exercise because usually my weight just goes back to where it was once I replenish my fluids, so I find it pointless.
  • Mr_C
    Mr_C Posts: 16
    I would weigh before exercise, because if you know you are going to wiegh after, it will tempt you not to drink as much during the exercise, which will be bad for you in the long run.
  • RunnerGirlForJesus
    RunnerGirlForJesus Posts: 13
    For the absolute, most accurate, weight....weigh yourself before you excericse. After exercise will not be accurate because you can look 2-5 pounds from sweat and/or dehydration. Or, you could be retaining water from working your muscles hard. First thing in the morning, before a shower, after you have gone to the bathroom, is the most accurate. Keep in mind that salt intake, ovulation and your period, can also effect your weight 2-5 pounds.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    I use the after exercise weigh in. The key is to do the same thing so it's a consistent number. My body doesn't tend to "move things along" until I've been up for a little bit and at least had something to drink and that can cause HUGE fluctuations for me if you get my drift! While I sweat like crazy when I workout, I also drink tons of water so don't think the water weight is that significant. The key is doing the same thing. I also just pick one day for my official weigh in. I don't log every .2 lb change that happens during the week and don't average either.
  • RunnerGirlForJesus
    RunnerGirlForJesus Posts: 13
    it is "lose" not "look"
  • shoeshoebaby7
    shoeshoebaby7 Posts: 8
    I do it first thing in the morning too, but I think the important thing is that you're consistent. So if you want to weigh after exercise go for it, just make sure that's when you're weighing in every day.
  • TMcBooty
    TMcBooty Posts: 780 Member
    it is "lose" not "look"

    u could have edited ur post :)
  • lockef
    lockef Posts: 466
    Definately before. Your weight after a workout is changed depending on how much you sweat, and how much water you drank.
  • shonasteele
    shonasteele Posts: 473
    You are hilarious!!! Had me laughing even. I have OCD with weighing too but never do I weigh after exercising, showering or at the end of the evening/before bed. After exercise you will generally gain it back once you drink some water.

    I'd stick with1st thing in the morning.. wake up, potty, weigh.. then maybe weigh again in 5 minutes. :P

    LOL! You had me at "weigh again in 5 minutes" :flowerforyou:
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    To get a accurate feel for your weight you should weigh yourself once a week in the morning when you first wake up. For some people weighing themselves everyday works as a motivator...jump on the scale, record the weight, and move on with your day with out stressing about it. Cool, it works for them. But if you start weighing yourself once, twice a day and stressing about the number it's time to stop and hide the bathroom scale. Pick a day and time and stay consistent.

    I don't even own a scale, I probably weight myself at the gym once a month. Instead I try to focus more on being in tune with my body and honest with what I'm eating and how many calories am I burning when I'm exercising....what body part would I like to strengthen, what are my long term fitness goals. And a good rule of thumb...if the jeans are too tight......I'm eating too much. If my clothes feel comfortable or loose, I've lost.
  • fitby2012
    fitby2012 Posts: 167 Member
    Honey, do you. I have done everything from alternating the foot I use to step on the scale, breathing differently, and leaving the door open or closed (air weighs something you know) :laugh: . So I am sure we all have a little (a lot) of OCD in us.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    I don't have a scale at home, I used the official one at the gym that looks like the one at my doctor's office. I weigh after, only on Wednesday mornings because on Wednesdays I: wake up, potty, make coffee, run out the door to teach my pump class at 5:30 AM, don't have access to the building before my class starts at 5:30, put them through the ringer, weigh, shower, head off to work. I don't play games to try to trick the scale (the thought hadn't even occurred to me), I don't really drink anything during class (just the coffee I had on the way into the gym), and this time of day has the least amount of variables for me as I'm generally wearing the same type of outfit and the same exact shoes.
  • lmarshel
    lmarshel Posts: 674 Member
    I only record once a week and weigh first thing in the AM, before the workout. But I weigh every single day and have tried weighing before the workout and after. I exercise immediately after getting up before eating anything, and I always weigh more after the workout. But I think it's the water...I drink about 48 ounces while I'm working out.
  • deniseg31
    deniseg31 Posts: 667 Member
    I have OCD too! I weight in in the moring after using the potty. I weigh before I go to bed as well....that way if the number is lower (at night) from the previous night it usually means I will weigh less in the morning as well. LOL!!! I know, crazy!

    I only log the weight on MFP once or twice per week though. :)
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