how often should you weigh yourself?

gemigirl68
gemigirl68 Posts: 38 Member
edited September 19 in Health and Weight Loss
i only weigh myself at the gym every few days because their scale is SO MUCH better than mine at home. I really dont like weighing myself more than a couple of times a week. How often do you weigh yourself?

Replies

  • gemigirl68
    gemigirl68 Posts: 38 Member
    i only weigh myself at the gym every few days because their scale is SO MUCH better than mine at home. I really dont like weighing myself more than a couple of times a week. How often do you weigh yourself?
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    I'm kinda obsessive about weighing myself. I do it once a day....occasionally I skip a day.
    I just have to know. I know it's bad to weigh myself so much... but I'm so anxious to know I'm not gaining instead of losing.
    I only record it a couple times a week though.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
    In theory I weigh myself once a week but in reality I do it almost every day. But only the weight on Mondays counts. :laugh:
  • bonniejo
    bonniejo Posts: 787 Member
    I only do once a week, but Wii Fit is my only scale and it's a pain... But when I had a normal scale I weighed in once a day. I think that this is better though. Once or twice a week is better, I think. I lost about 20 pounds a couple years back, and I wasn't really trying! I ate less, had a positive attitude, cut the stress, was more active, and didn't obsess about the scale.

    Hope that helped ::flowerforyou:
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    WOW! I ca't believe you guys weigh yourself everyday. That would be too much for me. I do it once a week on Fridays, totally naked and after I've gone to the bathroom! :laugh:
  • omid990
    omid990 Posts: 785 Member
    for the sake of my sanity, once a week, first thing in the morning, nakie, after going to the bathroom.
  • mgeek40
    mgeek40 Posts: 36
    Once a week at the doctors office wearing the same clothes each time.
  • mamaslosing
    mamaslosing Posts: 6
    I WEIGH MYSELF EVERYDAY, BUT I ONLY COUNT MY MONDAY WEIGH-INS. I JUST LIKE TO SEE HOW MUCH IT FLUCTUATES DAILY. LAST WEEK MY NUMBERS WENT DOWN EVERY DAY, IT WAS REALLY MOTIVATING.:happy:

    160794.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
    I weigh every morning, but only record once a week. It keeps me in line.:grumble:
    I need that constant feedback.
  • dragonfly183
    dragonfly183 Posts: 73 Member
    Once a month on a day that I know for a fact I am not retaining water.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    NEVER! Buy a tape measure, a full length mirror, and try on your formerly tight clothing.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    I used to be a scale addict when I first started. I quit that by sheer force of will. I put out a challenge on here about not looking at the scale for 30 days, and with about 10 other people, we DID it. And it broke my habit.

    since then I've gained a bit of knowledge, and I can tell you this.

    the scale is a LIAR! It's deceitful and deceptive; and it likes to play mind games.

    On a serious note. The scale is a tool like any other. What is the scale good for? It's a good general predictor of trends over a long term period (months)
    what is the scale bad at? Daily measurement of any meaningful numbers with regards to physical health.

    How you probably should use the scale:
    I don't care how often you step on the scale, but when you do, you should record the number and not fret over it. Write down enough numbers, and you have a decent graph of time vs. weight loss that is a good metric for how you are doing.
    By enough numbers I mean, AT A MINIMUM, a month. Why? Because our bodies fluctuate EVERY DAY. You can be up 3 lbs one day, and down 2 the next. Water, waste, and retention all play factors in daily weight, so I say don't worry about what you weigh today. Worry about what you weighed for the last 3 months, if you are trying to lose weight, and their isn't a downward trend, then you are doing something wrong.
    Also, to get REALLY good numbers, you should toss the 2 highest weights and 2 lowest weights in that graph, we all have that one really bad day or really good day, they usually aren't real, and they skew your real numbers. if you can maintain a weight for 3 scale numbers, then it COULD be real.

    Boy, I type too much. Sorry.

    -Banks
  • Fitness_Chick
    Fitness_Chick Posts: 6,648 Member
    I used to be a scale addict when I first started. I quit that by sheer force of will. I put out a challenge on here about not looking at the scale for 30 days, and with about 10 other people, we DID it. And it broke my habit.

    since then I've gained a bit of knowledge, and I can tell you this.

    the scale is a LIAR! It's deceitful and deceptive; and it likes to play mind games.

    On a serious note. The scale is a tool like any other. What is the scale good for? It's a good general predictor of trends over a long term period (months)
    what is the scale bad at? Daily measurement of any meaningful numbers with regards to physical health.

    How you probably should use the scale:
    I don't care how often you step on the scale, but when you do, you should record the number and not fret over it. Write down enough numbers, and you have a decent graph of time vs. weight loss that is a good metric for how you are doing.
    By enough numbers I mean, AT A MINIMUM, a month. Why? Because our bodies fluctuate EVERY DAY. You can be up 3 lbs one day, and down 2 the next. Water, waste, and retention all play factors in daily weight, so I say don't worry about what you weigh today. Worry about what you weighed for the last 3 months, if you are trying to lose weight, and their isn't a downward trend, then you are doing something wrong.
    Also, to get REALLY good numbers, you should toss the 2 highest weights and 2 lowest weights in that graph, we all have that one really bad day or really good day, they usually aren't real, and they skew your real numbers. if you can maintain a weight for 3 scale numbers, then it COULD be real.

    Boy, I type too much. Sorry.

    -Banks
    nah! I love to read everything you write Banks!:drinker: :happy:
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Perfect post, Banks!
  • Iceprincessk25
    Iceprincessk25 Posts: 1,888 Member
    I concur Banks!!! I think too many people base their happiness or their success on what number pops up on that screen. I have totally been guilty of standing on there and praying that it was a good number.

    That stopped when I KNEW I looked and felt good but I didn't like the number still.
  • staceyw37
    staceyw37 Posts: 2,094 Member
    :laugh: lots of laughs--thanks! ice princess-nakie, after you go to the bathroom! rofl

    i am an obsessive one (ask how many times a week i wash the towels and vacuum!), so i weigh every day. but like banks, i see the #s as trends. when a # sticks on the scale for awhile, i take it as "real". and like icep, i don't let it ruin my day. of course, when the # goes up, i like to believe the scale must be inaccurate, but when it goes down, it must be working fine! :laugh:

    thanks so much for this site--y'all give me lots of smiles!
  • plussizemommy
    plussizemommy Posts: 185
    I was becoming quite obsessed with my scale and was weighing myself everyday (or 4-5 times a day according to hubby) and it was driving me nuts with the fluctuations. So, this week I hid the scale, determined to only weigh myself on Monday!
  • sassyredgirl
    sassyredgirl Posts: 162 Member
    I only weigh in on Friday's before i leave the gym.
  • KatWood
    KatWood Posts: 1,135 Member
    At most I weigh myself once a week, but often I will go 2-3 weeks before I weigh myself. I try not to obsess over the number on the scale since I know it can flucuate and may not accuratly represent my hard work (or sometimes lack thereof).

    I try to focus more on how I feel and how my clothes fit.
  • Mmarcos
    Mmarcos Posts: 31
    Not too often, maybe once a week or two, right after waking up in the morning. The scale can demotivate you if used to often and seeing it fluctuate due to water weight. Best thing to do IMO is use the measuring tape to see the inches lost.
  • FitnessGeek
    FitnessGeek Posts: 487
    I weigh myself everyday in the morning before I eat/drink anything and right after I use the bathroom. I only record my weight on MFP twice a week. Maybe that's a lil neurotic...but that's me.


    BTW- Mmarcos, you have the cutest dog. =) Staffordshire or APBT?
  • mablesyrup
    mablesyrup Posts: 286 Member
    I try to do it once a week- but today I noticed my pants were falling off me when I was walking- so i KNEW i'd lost since i last weighed myself and of course- i had to know how much- so i jumped on the scale a few days early. lol...

    I dont focus on the scale- i focus more on how i'm feeling and how my clothes are fitting. When i can tell they are getting "looser" etc I know I'm losing and occasionally jump on the scale to see where i am!
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    Depends on my mood :laugh:

    Sometimes I am good and only weigh in once per week, usually a Monday because it forces me to be good over the weekends.

    If I am in an obsessing kind of mood I weigh every day or other day (last week I weighed in 4 times). The important thing is I still only record the weight from Mondays because I am old enough and sensible enough to know that weight fluctuates and once per week is enough.

    I did have to throw a scale away once, when I first started to loose weight, because I was on it like 3 times per day and first thing in the morning and I let it affect the rest of my day, now I take it with a grain of salt. When I did that I weighed in at the gym on monday mornings before my body pump class.

    :laugh:
  • kaybeau
    kaybeau Posts: 198 Member
    :noway: I weigh everyday after getting out of bed. I note the weight on a monday and write it on my mirror in eyebrow pencil it always works, but guests think its a little crackers!
  • Georg
    Georg Posts: 1,728 Member
    I completely agree with Banks about keeping track over time & throwing out the highest & lowest numbers. I just know that I need to see it in writing almost daily to believe it! :ohwell:
    That keeps me motivated - whether to make sure it stays low or to check yesterday's sodium results or hit the walking trail for an extra 30 minutes before I get in trouble.
    :wink:
  • mablesyrup
    mablesyrup Posts: 286 Member
    i have a question on your ticker because they are all different-

    is your ticker meaning your goal is to lose 107lbs
    or does your ticker mean your goal weight is 107lbs?

    Sorry, just confused with all the different tickers! Sometimes
    it's hard to figure out what someone's goal is!
  • AmyLou9903
    AmyLou9903 Posts: 73
    A friend of mine and I came up with a little theory. When you just start trying to lose weight, weigh yourself LESS often, so you don't get discouraged that you aren't losing enough at a time/losing fast enough. BUT, once you get down to about your half-way point, you should weigh yourself more like 2x a week or more, so if any pounds start creeping back on (this is usually where a lot of people have to adjust calories and workouts and hit a plateau), you will see it right away--BEFORE your clothes start getting tight. Weight definitely fluctuates weekly and even daily, but if the scale stays up 3 weigh-ins in a row, it's probably real pounds that need to be lost again.

    HTH.
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