Is weighing yourself daily unhealthy?

fteale
fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
Does it keep you on track, or encourage an unhealthy attitude to weight?

I keep seeing people getting discouraged and giving up because the number on the scale has gone up, but...if you weigh yourself every day then it will go up, probably as often as it goes down.

I don't own scales and am not a fan of daily weighing. I think once a week is plenty if you are aiming to lose weight, and once a month once you are maintaining. More often and it can become an obsession.
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Replies

  • Tourney3p0
    Tourney3p0 Posts: 290 Member
    It's just a tool, neither healthy nor unhealthy.

    Giving up and resolving oneself to obesity is unhealthy. Given a choice between the two, I would pick the scale.
  • CarolineSpence
    CarolineSpence Posts: 2
    For me, weighing daily keeps me on track. I've noticed a pattern (when I'm consistent)... if I have a loss, the next day it'll either stay the same or go up a little, then the following day it'll go back down, then I'll have a loss from the first loss, does that make sense?? If I only weigh once a week, I'll eat too much the day or two after I weigh because I know I won't be weighing for several more days.
  • mysticwonder
    mysticwonder Posts: 39
    I weigh myself twice a week when I up my calories, just to see if I'm doing the right thing. Otherwise, I do it once a week. I think it depends on the mentality of the person. My weight fluctuates periodically throughout the week so I don't really count it until my weight in day, which is on Thursday.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    Healthy and unhealthy will vary depending on who you ask. Over time for me it became mentally and emotionally unhealthy weight every single day and multiple times a day. Any gain I felt horrible, even the slightest gain, talking ounces here. Any slight loss I felt great, of course maybe I didn't eat much that day or it was water, not really a true loss, my opinion.

    A once a week weigh in works for me.
  • vallejos6
    vallejos6 Posts: 146 Member
    If I only weigh once a week, I'll eat too much the day or two after I weigh because I know I won't be weighing for several more days.

    This is me as well, and I had to stop doing weight loss challenges for the same reason. I think whether daily weighing is good or bad depends on your personality and the way you use it. A bump up on the scale doesn't particularly bother me, I only record my weekly weight on Monday to track my weight loss trend, but I definitely do best when I weigh daily.
  • fightingdissonance
    fightingdissonance Posts: 53
    There's no one size fits all approach to anything, including this. I like weighing myself daily as it keeps me on track and motivated. For some, it could turn into an unhealthy obsession, but I prefer to know each day that my weight is maintained or going down. That way, if I gain a couple pounds, it's far easier to adjust eating and exercise to drop that pound or two than it is to not weigh myself and then realize a few months later I've gained 10. Generalizing usually isn't useful, especially in weight management strategies ;)
  • Chagama
    Chagama Posts: 543 Member
    It depends on you. I weight myself daily. OK, twice daily. In addition to my morning I usually weight myself again when I get home from work to see how the day is shaping up. I like more information, so to me, weighing myself is exactly that - more data, which helps me make better choices. I know enough to ignore some daily fluctuations and not panic because my weight it up half a pound some morning. But for me, I don't want to wait a week to find out what's going on and make adjustments.

    Having said that, I also know some people get obsessed about every tenth of a pound, and avoid the scale for a week or two in order to not drive themselves crazy. That's what works for them.

    I think you should weigh yourself as often as you can without making yourself nuts and obsessed.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    It's a tool. If it drives you nuts to see all the daily ups and downs, don't weigh daily. If it gives you confidence and helps you judge if you are doing the right things, then do it.

    Personally, I'm a daily weigher. I use it as a tool to judge how my eating is affecting my body over all. If I'm up a lot overnight, it's water weight, but I know to look closer at my diary to see what I did wrong (or could be a reason for the water weight gain). It's really helped me learn a lot about myself, what I can and cannot eat, and keeps me on track!
  • rissadiane
    rissadiane Posts: 355 Member
    I weigh myself every day, but I don't let the results (particularly bad ones) dictate my day. I just like to see and document progress, and it makes me feel better and notice trends with my body.
  • FunandFitMom
    FunandFitMom Posts: 146 Member
    Weighing in is just a tool. Provided you're not driving yoursefl crazy about the .2 gains or losses, I think it's fine. If you'restarting to obsess over each gain or loss, it's time to find another strategy. :smile:
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    I agree with what most everyone else has said, it truly depends on the person. If you know and can accept that it is going to fluctuate greatly most everyday and just using it as a tool to track those fluctuations and establish a pattern then I think it is completely fine. I weigh everyday but only record on Mondays. I have read studies stating that those that weigh everyday have a better chance of keeping the weight off as it makes them more aware of what's going on with their bodies and they make better choices to get the results they want. Don't know if holds any truth just what I've read :) If you're someone that is going to freak out over a 2 lb water weight gain overnight then I wouldn't weigh everyday.
  • teimo
    teimo Posts: 44
    i weigh daily as it helps me stay on track & also shows when i go wrong.
    the tape measure, how my clothes feel & how i feel about myself are the best measure though x
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    I weigh everyday. I don't think it's either healthy or unhealthy. It just is. I graph my weight and intake on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, so I need to know what the scale says. I can definitely see what happens when I a) don't drink enough water and/or b) eat too much sodium/carbs. But that goes away...it's just temporary.

    I like knowing.
  • Jenbtech
    Jenbtech Posts: 21 Member
    I weigh everyday without fail. The same time each day. Sometimes its up, sometimes its down. However, I only record it once a week on Saturday morning. By doing this I can see a trend that flucuates less, but I can get the daily feedback.

    Remember, you cant gain a pound of fat in a day unless you are eating 3k calories above your basal rate. For me that would be 5.5k calories. Which is pretty hard to do if you ask me. Most of the weight you can gain "in a day" is water and left over food stuffs in your gut. However, its not hard to gain a pound in a week as that is only about 3k calories stretched over 7 days.

    So dont get hung up on the daily weight. Just use it as a guide and remember what your weight was when you started. I look forward to my weight each day to remind me what is most important.... my health.
  • Toniithia
    Toniithia Posts: 50 Member
    I weigh myself daily so I can keep myself grounded, that way if I gain a pound I work twice as hard to get it off! and I find when I see subtle changes, I'm much happier... and when I don't step on the scale I'm always wondering what I weigh that day.

    It encourages me to keep going!
  • crawpapa
    crawpapa Posts: 156 Member
    I wasn't weighing myself at all for a while, then noticed my pants were bigger and I kept going up in belt loops....now I weigh myself before my first meal (usually lunch) on Saturday's. I only use this as more of a secondary mental booster than I am doing good or the right thing. However, I have always believed more in the mirror or comparing old pictures and how my clothes feel on me, as I am also working out heavy three times a week (Starting Strength) and love getting stronger.
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    Weighing in is just a tool. Provided you're not driving yoursefl crazy about the .2 gains or losses, I think it's fine. If you'restarting to obsess over each gain or loss, it's time to find another strategy. :smile:

    Exactly! And since weighing myself only once a week, I have not had a single gain each week. I've been averaging about 1.5-2lbs each week. I would get so discouraged weighing in daily and come the end of the week it was about the same or just slightly less. I absolutely am a fluctuater, I have learned (for me) DO NOT weight during that time of the month either, but a daily fluctuater as well.

    You're right, it was time for me to find a new strategy. My dh even threatened for a while he was going to hide the scale because I was on that thing constantly, happy, sad, mad, etc.
  • medennison123
    medennison123 Posts: 191 Member
    no way
  • smplycomplicated
    smplycomplicated Posts: 484 Member
    Weighting daily is unhealthy for me. Can't speak for others, But when i first started i was weighting several times a day and i became a tiny bit obsessed with it..so i put the scale away and now i only weight in once a month.
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 441 Member
    I feel like it makes me a bit frustrated to see the fluctuations. Especially with working nights my hydration gets up and down.

    Same day each week works best for me
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    It depends on whether or not what you see on the scale affects your mood.
  • pauljsolie
    pauljsolie Posts: 1,024 Member
    Bad for your mental health.
  • Alicia_Monique
    Alicia_Monique Posts: 338 Member
    I weigh myself every day out of habit. I don't think it's bad, I don't get super discouraged if I gained a bit of weight, or if I stayed the same. I just do it because I like to.
  • Kimberly602
    Kimberly602 Posts: 9
    I typically weigh myself each day..morning and night... It just helps me keep track of how my body is reacting to what I'm doing. It's probably not the healthiest routine... but right now I'm just excited about the weight loss and I'm impatient... :o) Do what works for you...
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,689 Member
    I've done it for the past couple of months, just because I was curious what my daily fluctuations were. Like many other things, it can be healthy, neutral, or unhealthy, depending on how the person relates to it. In my case, I think it was neutral, or maybe slightly positive.
  • Skinny4BG
    Skinny4BG Posts: 145
    I weigh myself every day when I get up in the morning. I am trying to see what exercises and workouts work for me. And I found it last night! It helps keep me on track and see if I am making the right process of going down instead of up. I dont see anything wrong with weighing everyday. Im an immediate results type of person, so seeing the scale change every morning.. gives me my feeling of immediate results.
  • sexyrosey
    sexyrosey Posts: 137
    I started weighing in daily when i did the hcg diet. I wish i could stop but i do know what foods make me gain because of it so i make sure not to eat those foods for 2 days before i take my weekly weigh in.
  • ArtGeek22
    ArtGeek22 Posts: 1,429 Member
    As Long as you weigh the same time every day (most people weigh in the morning) I think you are fine. But I would set days and weigh 2 times a week then have your official weigh in day.

    Good Luck :smile:

    Keep Calm and Carry On,
    Anna
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    Does it keep you on track, or encourage an unhealthy attitude to weight?

    I keep seeing people getting discouraged and giving up because the number on the scale has gone up, but...if you weigh yourself every day then it will go up, probably as often as it goes down.

    I don't own scales and am not a fan of daily weighing. I think once a week is plenty if you are aiming to lose weight, and once a month once you are maintaining. More often and it can become an obsession.

    Studies have shown that people who weigh themselves every day are more likely to lose weight than those who don't.

    MFP and WW reccomend you don't weight yourself more than once a week so you don't get short term discouraged. People do get discouraged when weight fluctuates every day, but if they keep at it they will see a trend over time and realize "ya I went up a lb today but I know I am eating right, so I will probably lose 2 lbs next week because I had this happen two weeks ago, this lb is probably just water weight from my time of the month" or something similar.

    I think if you are at a healthy weight and you like to weigh yourself every day to make sure you stay there, there is nothing wrong with that "obsession", it's not mental instability! It's more like consistency.
  • ActiveGuy81
    ActiveGuy81 Posts: 705 Member
    I usually weigh myself every 3-4 days. I may do it two days in a row but if I see a gain, it does not discourage me. It actually motivates me. But luckily I have only been seeing a loss.
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