Skinny people do not weigh themselves

Options
I have been told this by lots of slim people when we talk about weight. I have read it many times in magazines. However, I CONTINUALLY, weigh my self and am both delight and depressed in a matter of hours!!

My understanding of this is that your body weight fluctuates from minute to minute, hour to hour and day to day. It is only over a longer period of time can we really know if we have lost weight!!

What are people's thoughts on this and do you think it is 'diet' culture that keeps us (me!) doing it??
«1

Replies

  • TheKitsune6
    TheKitsune6 Posts: 5,798 Member
    Options
    I weigh myself once every two weeks. Once I get to maintenance I plan to weigh myself once a week just to make sure I'm on track. Same time (first thing in the morning), same state of dress (In the buck!) and on the same scale. The way I see it is that many skinny people have healthy habits and don't have to weigh themselves. However like an alcoholic shouldn't go back to a bar once they've recovered, I can't just go back to not watching what I eat - for a long time yet.

    The general rule of thumb is to weigh yourself once a week to track real progress and not minor fluctuations.
  • rrrbecca11
    Options
    I weigh myself EVERY MORNING, without fail. I am 5'7" and 115 pounds. And I aim to stay there. :)
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    Options
    Skinny people don't weigh themselves because they aren't monitoring their weight...
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
    Options
    I weigh myself once a week. I think even when I make my goal weight, I will still weigh once a week. More to keep myself on track. I know from past experience, it is easy for me to get lax when I get there and ignore the signs that I am gaining again. Even WW when you reach maintenance, you have to weigh in once a month. Maybe someday I will be able to just be and not weigh myself, but for now, and for the forseeable future, that is my game plan.

    For me, once a week, not more and not less.
  • tarynrenee93
    Options
    I don't think the key is not to weigh yourself, but be educated on your weight. I've read that skinny people actually do weight themselves. Twice a day is actually better, once in the morning and once before bed. That way you can see how much your weight fluctuates and learn not to be upset about half pound or even pound changes. Plus, then you know your weight and can't make excuses like "I was 125 last friday, I can eat this cupcake," when in reality you're back up to 128.
  • sophjakesmom
    sophjakesmom Posts: 904 Member
    Options
    I weigh myself EVERY MORNING, without fail. I am 5'7" and 115 pounds. And I aim to stay there. :)

    Well I would say you're pretty skinny! so I guess skinny people do weigh themselves. :smile:
  • EmBlazes
    EmBlazes Posts: 374 Member
    Options
    Interesting post! I actually know plenty of quite health-conscious skinny people who regularly weigh themselves just to make sure they are in a certain zone. My skinny-minny sister in law has a certain threshold that she considers is too much and she'll watch what she eats for a few months and exercise more to get back down to normal. She also expects to put on weight at times such as Christmas when there is lots of food around but January is always "back on" month when you cut out the alcohol, cut down on fat and carbs and exercise A LOT!! So I think that skinny people can be weight conscious too :happy:

    We do tend to have a pre-occupation with the number on the scale though and personally, I've found I lose weight in a really strange pattern (kind of 3 steps forward, 2 steps back) and so weighing myself frequently just isn't very motivating. I try to concentrate on what the scales say once per month and other than that work more towards health and fitness goals than weight goals. Taking your measurements is also a good way to see if you are getting smaller even when the number on the scale isn't!!
  • dmoses
    dmoses Posts: 786 Member
    Options
    As long as you don't let the scale rule your life and that you can accept fluctuations as normal, you'd be fine to weigh every day, imho. I do, and have for a couple of years now. I don't let the lb or 2 or 3 ruin my day, but rather just note it and watch to make sure it comes off. Weighing helps me keep tabs on myself and my eating. I've read several articles that say that one of the habits of people who lose weight and are able to keep it off is to weigh daily. BUT...this doesn't work for everyone. AND, if those couple of lbs fluctuation are going to send you spiraling into depression, I'd suggest weighing weekly!
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
    Options
    I'm 5'5" & 130.6lbs as of this morning. I know that if I don't weigh myself regularly I'll let things slip & the weight will go back on. ATM I weigh Mon, Wed & Fri but gradually hoping to drop down to Fridays only.....but not just yet.

    And, yes, I WILL log my weigh on MFP on a weekly basis.....not to brag, but to keep myself accountable.

    Sue :smile: x
  • luv_lea
    luv_lea Posts: 1,094 Member
    Options
    There is a scale in the bathroom where I work, so I weigh myself ALL.THE.TIME. No matter what it says, or what kind of day it is, I just strive to not let those numbers consume me. The health side of things, and being tone are things I more look to be important. But that's just me.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Options
    I don't care what skinny people do, I care what healthy people do. My aim isn't to be skinny, it's to be healthy. Being seen as skinny is part of that.

    I weigh once a week. I don't even own scales. I don't want to be happy or sad based on a number. I don't know if I'll get a set after I reach goal (as far away as that is!) but my current thinking is that I can keep weighing in at my gym. Though that is a long way off.
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
    Options
    Skinny people don't weigh themselves because they aren't monitoring their weight...

    Are you kidding? How do you think they got or stay skinny? By monitoring their weight. It's not an accident for most people.
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Options
    Daily weights are excessive. I think the OP has the best idea to weigh every other week or so at maintenance.

    Some of the folks who never weigh themselves simply don't care (they are not all skinny ones, at my high weight I did not get on the scale for years) or they have just never had weight problems and depend on the fit of their clothes.

    I intend to keep a diary for the rest of my life (or until senility sets in!) because I have a problem with food. Food is the only addictive substance that the body truly cannot do without so management of intake for folks like us is essential to our health. Monitoring weight, intake and exercise is vital to our continued existence!
  • clairabell2024
    clairabell2024 Posts: 194 Member
    Options
    I weight myself everyday at the same time (morning) ive done this for years!! Call me obsessed, but its the way i keep track of what foods work and where im going wrong!

    x
  • xhaller
    xhaller Posts: 95
    Options
    This is really interesting to think about. I have always been on the thin side (inherited my dad's genes), but I also happen to be a person who's pretty diligent with my eating and exercise habits. And by diligent, I guess I could mean obsessive at times.

    But anyways, I don't own a scale. I was talking to a friend of mine who's into WW and she thought I must be one of the only women she knows who doesn't own a scale.

    I think I can be obsessive enough about health. I don't need the extra scare of freaking out about a pound, especially since, like you said, we can have a lot of normal fluctuation. I always weigh myself if i happen to be at the gym or at a friend's house. However, I won't ever own a scale or weigh myself every day because it would probably drive me batty.

    But that is just me. What works for me won't necessarily work for someone else. I do think that a lot of people tend to stay in line with their goals if they have the daily weigh-in reminders. So, in the end, guess it's just a personal thing.

    B-LifeShortCelery.gif
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Options
    If you are going to freak out about variations, yeah, only measure once a week. Or measure every day and calculate a weekly average and pay more attention to that.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
    Options
    Why would they weight themselves, disorders aside. I also wonder if societies where weight isn't an underlying social problem are even that savvy regarding nutrition in general.......why would they need to be. If that's true, it seems dissecting nutrition is a compounding factor in the overall problem with the societies that have weight issues.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
    Options
    That is a ridiculous blanket statement. Some people weigh themselves every day, others once a week or less... And I don't think it has a damn thing to do with their size.
  • lawkat
    lawkat Posts: 538 Member
    Options
    Have you talked to all naturally thin people. Your statement is a sweeping generalization based on your interactions with a few people. I know plenty of thin people who weight themselves to keep themselves in check.

    I weight myself once a day, in the morning. I can't weight myself through out the day because I know my weight will fluctuate due to food and other circumstances. Plus who really wants to be a slave to the scale. It gets old after a while.

    Do your own thing and never compare yourself to others. We are all different when it comes to our bodies.
  • Radiva
    Radiva Posts: 14
    Options
    I try to only weigh myself once a week (key word TRY) but i get so anxious at times :laugh: