How often do you weigh yourself?

MDS369
MDS369 Posts: 36 Member
in Introduce Yourself
When starting this journey I knew it was counterintuitive to weigh myself more than once per week, but instead of listening to that instinct I was looking for some quick reinforcement from the scale. And I got it, registering a 15lb loss within a few days; fast forward to today (one week in to my journey) and the scale is bouncing back with a 2.5lb gain. I understand the first pounds come off quickly as your body adjusts to adjustments in water retention, the consumption of healthy calories, and acclimating itself to the fact you are actually feeding it … regularly.

I started with a 135lb to lose (according to the scale, now 123.5) and am curious to hear from others further along in their journey as to what they have found effective regarding the scale. I also need to take my measurements, recognizing this is often a better reflection of progress, but have yet to do it … perhaps scared of those numbers more than the ones on the scale!

How often do you weigh yourself? Have you found the scale or body measurements (including body fat %) a better indicator of your success?

Thank you in advance for your insights and support:)
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Replies

  • Suaso
    Suaso Posts: 48
    I weigh myself and update my weight ever day, but in my mind Sunday is my official weigh-in day.
    I find that keep track of my weight daily helps to motivate me - if the number goes down I know something`s working. If the number goes up, I push a little harder :)
  • TexasRattlesnake
    TexasRattlesnake Posts: 375 Member
    I weigh daily, but I am mentally prepared to see the number go up some days. It just helps drive my understanding of how certain foods and activities affect my actual body weight.

    I judge success based on the facts my close fit better, I feel better, have more energy, and my fitness level is improving.
  • GnochhiGnomes
    GnochhiGnomes Posts: 348 Member
    Like five times a day, but I only record it once a week. The only reason I do it five times a day is because I find it so interesting to see how my weight fluctuates due to different activities.
  • TLCkirby
    TLCkirby Posts: 12
    twice a week usually.... unless I get antsy and sneak a few extra weigh-ins in there!!!

    :laugh:
  • jyuubi
    jyuubi Posts: 109
    I weigh myself only once a week. After a while, you get impatient to see results, so it's tempting to go at it more than once. But I remind myself that if I weigh myself everyday, I'm only looking to disappoint myself and then I'll eventually feel bad for eating at all. So I stick to one week, my weigh-in day being Friday.

    I try to use the same scale. The one I was using was a regular digital, but I switched to one that gives you body fat % and stuff like that (even though I pay no mind to it). I don't think it matters what scale you use (I would go with digital though), but I would make sure that you're always using the same scale.

    It's amazing though that your scale is telling you a 15lbs loss in a few days... I lost 6lbs in the first week, and the amount I have to lose is only 10lbs less than yours.
  • lsegatti
    lsegatti Posts: 77 Member
    I find that if I weigh myself everyday I can better assess exactly what food combinations work better for me. For example, I can be 500 calories under my daily goal and gain a half a pound that day. Why? If I eat pasta or heavier on wheat based products. I can be over calories by 300 and lose several tenths of a pound....based on what I consumed.
  • kazhowe
    kazhowe Posts: 340 Member
    I weigh myself every day but only for the purpose of seeing how I am getting along. It is important not to hold too high a store on what the scales say - we all differ day by day - so my attitude is that if I have lost some weight then that is great, but I know there is a good chance that tomorrow it might be back on there. Once a week at the health centre in work I weigh myself and that is what I count. I measure my success by how I feel - and I feel great - healthy and slimmer ... the rest of it is just numbers.
  • rwwerner
    rwwerner Posts: 42 Member
    I do weigh myself daily. I have learned to not get emotional when I step on the scale because there are soo many factors that play into your weight like sodium, fluid intake, exercise etc. I weigh myself officially once per week and post it on MFP. I weigh early in the morning before I eat or take a shower. It is not uncommon for your weigh to fluctuate up and down 5 lbs or so throughout the week until you get into a routine with your eating and exercise.
  • gmpuggles
    gmpuggles Posts: 137 Member
    I consider Thursdays my "official" weigh-in day, though I do normally start checking the scale on Tuesdays and Wednesdays before officially tracking my weight to see how I've been doing during the week.
  • naples89
    naples89 Posts: 33 Member
    I do it once a day but at the same time every day (early morning) to get the most consistent results. I've weighed myself at night after eating/drinking and it can be up to 2 pounds more than the morning. It disappears overnight though which is awesome.
  • smc1277
    smc1277 Posts: 239 Member
    Sadly, everyday. It is an obsession.
  • noweightfisherj
    noweightfisherj Posts: 220 Member
    I way myself each and every morning at the same time. I want to ensure that I'm headed in the right direction.
  • Brandon74
    Brandon74 Posts: 453 Member
    Maybe every couple weeks. I just focus on exercising and trying my best to eat right and healthy. It can get discouraging not seeing results on the scale; however, I might be losing inches and gaining lean muscle mass at the same time.
  • jrutledge01
    jrutledge01 Posts: 213 Member
    when i wake up i immediately walk to the bathroom and step on the scale, check my weight, then sit down on the toilet... after i'm done i check my weight again

    then once again before bed :P it's really easy to do it because the scale automatically turns on when i step on, and it's right in the path of somewhere i am already going! (i like to see the different fluctuations, how much i lose while sleeping, and how much i lose after using the bathroom)

    maybe i'm obsessive? (i really just like observing how much it goes up/down and mentally noting it for trends)
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    Ur weight is going to fluctuate, it's just a normal thing. So I recommend not weighing everyday. I try to only weigh twice a week now. There was a time when I weighed everyday & it drove me crazy. I'm more relaxed now. Also kno that the scale isn't always the best way to measure success. It doesn't know what it's weighing, whether it be fat, muscle or water. I suggest taking measurements too :)
  • oohmercyme
    oohmercyme Posts: 279 Member
    Once a week. I am not freeing myself from addiction to food just to become a slave to the scale.
  • javagsd
    javagsd Posts: 82
    I had the exact same pattern as yours - weighing every day for the motivation of the early quick weight loss. I knew it wouldn't continue and I'd hit a plateau and that's happened at 31 lbs. I still weigh every day but just to see if I've broken through the plateau at all. I've set an "official" weight day and will log in the weight only on that day.
  • iuew
    iuew Posts: 624 Member
    every morning. it helps me decide what i'll have to eat that day.
  • Firstruleoffatclub
    Firstruleoffatclub Posts: 9
    whenever i am in my bathroom but officially every monday morning (keeps me behaving over the weekend!)
  • zions_daughter
    zions_daughter Posts: 4
    Officially, once a week, preferably Sunday or Monday to start the week with a good idea of where I'm sitting weight-wise.

    Sometimes I sneak a peek on a different day of the week, but first thing in the morning I'm ordinarily so focused on getting my boys something to eat, and then deciding what to have myself, that I might forget - and it's my personal rule that weighing before food and water intake for the day is my "real" weight. ;)

    I don't want to weigh too often and get frustrated that the number never changes, so that's why I had told myself once a week is enough. Curiosity gets to me, though, and I get out the scale all the while telling myself that it's not the end of the world if the number is the same or has gone up a bit. I can be healthy even without a specific number to back me up, right? ;) That's how I try to approach it, anyway.
  • davlaur
    davlaur Posts: 34
    every sunday morning
  • eagleman4180
    eagleman4180 Posts: 4
    I weigh. Myself every morning at the same time of day each day. You need to use this as a tool, to see how things effect you. But do not get down if it goes up. I have been on my journey since January 16 th and have lost 88 pounds but trust me there has been good days and bad, e good days out shadow the bad. Keep up the good work and you can get there..
  • SamAdams125
    SamAdams125 Posts: 54 Member
    I used to weigh-in once a week but I found that if I did well for a couple weeks I'd "treat" myself which would turn into a couple weeks of eating junk. This time around I'm planning to weigh-in (and do measurements and progress pictures) once a month and really place the focus on my workouts and eating clean rather than the numbers of the scale.
  • BarbaraC47
    BarbaraC47 Posts: 175 Member
    I also weigh most days, always first thing in the morning and always more towards weigh-in day... I guess its just the nature of the beast. I do not get upset if I do not lose (been having that struggle for about a month now) because I am determined to do this thing. I will be a winner for a change!!
  • anewme517
    anewme517 Posts: 8 Member
    I weigh myself on Wed. and Sun. I use to weigh everyday but then I changed because of the ups and downs then I would become happy or sad so I changed. I do feel that the scale indiciator is a success for me :bigsmile:
  • bsnmomtomany
    bsnmomtomany Posts: 24 Member
    everyday even though I see fluctuation with hormones and such it keeps me in line to check every day
  • AddA2UDE
    AddA2UDE Posts: 382
    Friday is my log day but I like to monitor the ebb and flow throughout the week as well. As was stated above, it is going to fluctuate.
  • Jenajones
    Jenajones Posts: 3
    Okay so I weigh myself everyday at the same time before I eat breakfast. I only record it on Friday's though. I do this everyday not to see the scale go down, because it will not go down everyday some days it will go up, but because I feel like my weight is my disease.....like a person with diabetes or high blood pressure. They have to check it at least once a day sometimes more to make sure it is under control, so I check it once a day. I do NOT let it drive my emotions for the day, if the scale is up it is up, if it is down it is down....it only counts on Friday!! =)
  • shgreenw
    shgreenw Posts: 194 Member
    I've only been on here a couple of weeks but i decided to only weigh in once a week. My father in law weighs himself several times per day and announces his results. It drives me bat**** crazy so i vowed that I wouldn't do that. I also thought it would be more encouraging to see intermittent results (hopefully successes) rather than daily fluctuations. Just my $.02.
  • asayyar
    asayyar Posts: 7
    Once a week. I am not freeing myself from addiction to food just to become a slave to the scale.

    Hear Hear!

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