How often should you weight your self?
Jonjon60
Posts: 17 Member
It seems like my weight sometimes can vary a couple pounds if Weigh myself every day
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Replies
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There is no right answer. It is a matter of personal preference, tolerance to weight fluctuations, and sometimes mental health.
My weight fluctuates up and down and so does just about everyone else's to some degree. Here is a good article to read:
https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
Many people here weigh daily but that would not make it right or wrong for you. When I started I could not handle the scale daily or even weekly. It took a lot of time but eventually I worked up to weekly then daily.
If the fluctuations bother you a trending app like Libra or Happy Scale might help.8 -
Yes I think so also, maybe sometimes its just the way your clothes fit that tells you...3
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A study presented at the American Heart Association's recent Scientific Sessions conference concluded that daily weigh-ins might be beneficial. Researchers tracked 1,042 adults over a year and found that people who weighed themselves once a week or less did not lose weight, while people who weighed themselves six or seven times a week averaged a 1.7 percent weight loss.
I used to weigh everyday but often found my entire daily attitude was linked around what the scale reported every day. I started to obsess and eat too little just so I could see a drop on the scale. So I just weigh in once a week now. Same day, same time (first thing after morning constitutional) to ease the pressure. Try daily. If it's too much try weekly until you find the pattern that works for you. Best of luck!7 -
I weigh myself the same time everyday. I also use a weight app (happy scale) to show my weight loss trend. This REALLY helps me to maintain a growth mindset regarding weight loss. Weight loss is truly not linear and has multiple variables that can cause weight loss to fluctuate. I found it keeps me accountable and I am able to respond fairly quickly if I gain weight. I also try to cross reference with my diet to determine what works best for me. I don't feel right if I don't weight myself!3
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Often on these boards it's not actually the frequency of weighing that is the problem - just unreasonable expectations and an emotional impact or response by some people to what others would just regard as data.
I weigh myself daily and completely expect my weight to show fluctuations. I'm down 3lbs since yesterday morning as I took a much needed break from cycling and the soreness in my legs has dissipated.
I might also show a gain of 4-5lbs the day after a salty and large Chinese meal.
Neither of those events for me causes celebration or frustration. My trend matters to me but not the individual data points.
The answer to the question "How often should you weight your self?" is whatever frequency suits you.10 -
I shoot for once a day in the morning after toilet in my underwear. Yes, it jumps around in the 1-2lbs range.1
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I weigh myself daily. I usually bounce around the same 5-7 pound range depending on circumstances. I use a weight trending app to filter out the "noise" and let me know if there is something I need to address.2
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I usually weigh myself every other day. First thing in the morning after going to the bathroom w/o clothes. I always record my Sunday weight.
My weight fluctuates based on how intense my workout was the evening prior and even what foods I have eaten. Usually varies by 1-1.2 lbs1 -
If you're looking to see trends and how your body's reacting to your eating and activity levels then I would weigh in every morning after going to the bathroom naked or with the same minimal underwear, etc. on.
I do this myself with a specific goal or with clients looking to lose or gain weight. We calculate the weekly averages instead of comparing anything day to day. There's too many fluctuations one day to the next to make a once a week weigh in very clear of what's going on (especially women).
Obviously, you don't need to weigh in, can weigh in at different frequencies or just use different metrics like measurements, pics, clothes fit, etc. if more loosely tracking progress or if someone gets very mentally fatigued with the scale. However, a consistent daily weigh in will paint a much clearer picture of things!
I tell clients, the day to day weights are just data. Don't put too much emphasis good or bad on them. We focus on the weekly averages to make adjustments, not any given day.2 -
When I was losing weight I really had to weigh daily. In the beginning I was trying to establish calorie goals and the measurements that mattered were my weight and my calories. When you have a lot of weight to lose, your daily weigh-ins are going to fluctuate by a lot more than one or two pounds,(mine could be up to six pounds daily) you are carrying a lot of water. So even though it bounced around quite a bit when I had a lot of extra weight to lose I had to bite the bullet and put on my big girl pants and step on that scale. It didn't bite.
Once I figured out my ACTUAL calorie needs (not the ones I got online) then I cut back my daily weigh-ins to once a week.
Then I broke my scale accidentally.
So the next 30 pounds I lost I did it entirely on calories. Pretty easy, BUT I had established my needs already.
So, I guess I did both.1 -
I have always weighed myself daily during wt loss b4 and maintenance now but I'm not bothered by the daily variations. Been doing this for over 5 yrs now
It's only the trend that matters. Use Libra or a similar wt trend app (even Excel will do it) that computes the moving average. Set it for 7 days and, if that still bothers you, set the ave for 14 or 30 days to see even less variation.1 -
I do it every day because I know I vary around my average weight. I just watch for new lows and new highs. I've done it since I started logging 7 years ago.0
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Maybe what we need is a scale that doesn't give a daily number, but instead gives friendly advice based on 1-2 week trends.2
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Everyday! I use a weight app (Happy Scale), which allows me to see my weight loss trend.0
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It seems like my weight sometimes can vary a couple pounds if Weigh myself every day
There is no frequency of weighing that does away with the variability. If you weigh yourself once a week/month/year you will still have some heavy weigh-ins and some light weigh-ins, you'll just have less data to work with in spotting trends.
I think it's smartest to be consistent (meaning weigh yourself on the same scale, at the same time of day, wearing the same amount of clothes, etc.) and weigh yourself as frequently as you can mentally handle (no more than once a day) while looking for longer term trends. If the daily fluctuations drive you nuts then go to weekly or whatever you can live with.2 -
While I generally focus on long-term trends, I have found daily weighing useful in learning what sorts of things cause those spikes in variability. For instance, a day of high sodium intake seems to have a greater effect on me than might be the case for others. This is useful both in that I know exactly what to expect, as well as realize that there are possible health implications for me in regards to sodium.0
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Long term results need to watch trends not a daily number. Weigh once a week, then compare end of month to see what the trend is doing.0
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Depends on the person. If you have an understanding that weight loss isn't linear and it doesn't affect you emotionally, then you likely can weigh everyday. If you're not good at handling it, then probably not.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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I weigh daily and write it on a calendar on the back of the bathroom door. It helps me sees patterns, like my weight is up because I haven't had a bowl movement in two or three days. That means that I need to eat more fiber. Also, wearing those stretchy leg hose has helped me to stop retaining water and my weight has stayed more consistent. I am 78 and retains salt. Sunday is always my lowest weight of the week.1
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I weigh myself once weekly but I have scale anxiety. When I first started, I did it daily; I know fluctuations are normal but I found myself scrutinizing and obsessing over every ounce. Once I transitioned to weekly, the fluctuations weren’t noticeable and my daily mood wasn’t hindered by it. The weight loss trend was still evident and my anxiety lessened. Different strokes for different folks.0
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I weight daily, and use Libra (an Android app) to keep a database and track the trend. I find daily weighing useful in not getting hung up on any particular figure. Outliers do happen on occasion - the key thing is the trend.
I've been in maintenance rather than cutting now for 10 months or so, but daily is still my strong preference.1 -
It will. Once a week, buck naked, at the same day and time.0
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Short answer is, it's depends on your emotional fortitude. If you read these posts, someone weighs on Monday and loses 1.5, weighs Tuesday and gains 1.0 and falls off the wagon because they "think" CICO doesn't work. The up and downs on the scale match the emotional up and downs....and that can get tiring and deflating.
I vote for weekly. Your body will weight will fluctuate daily, so once a week gives you a best average scenario.1 -
On this current weight loss/maintenance journey I've been on since 2014, whilst losing weight, I weighed every 1-2 months, and continued monthly for about 18 months after I reached maintenance. Then for the next couple of years, I weighed once a year in April. Then I decided I wasn't going to weigh myself at all (After being VERY hacked off that I'd put on ONE pound since the previous year's weigh in!), so I haven't weighed myself since April 2018. Everything still fits so I reckon I'm doing okay with maintenance! Obviously, different things work for different people. I've always had an unhealthy relationship with scales, and only wanted to see the scales going down or staying the same even. My way works for me although I know it's not for everyone. OP, I'm sure you will work out what works best for you.0
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@GBO323 😂 😂
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