How often do you weigh, and why?

[myabigail]

4 years ago, when I did WW, I only weighed once a week.

Now I weigh every day! Am I completely over-doing it? After my recent month-long stall, I'm afraid if I don't weigh every day, I won't know if I'm actually making progress.

But I was weighing every day before that, too. At first, I think I was hoping I'd lose weight really quickly and get excited. It hasn't really worked that way, of course! lol

I'm curious how often other people are weighing and the logic behind their decisions. Tell me!

[Elizellen]

I have always got on the scales every morning unless I forget to do so before I eat. BUT I always look on the results as an interesting phenomenon rather than as a trigger for how I feel about myself

Our weight WILL fluctuate by several pounds across the day and over the weeks, with many times a rise rather than a drop in the numbers without any rational explanation. If you can accept that then daily weighing can be useful.

However anyone who gets upset at the normal fluctuations and feels like their day is spoiled if they see an 'up' should I feel maybe only weigh once a week instead.

[focus83]

i used to weigh everyday but it really isnt good for you. for me if i lost weigh i would eat something to reward my lost, if i put on weight i would eat something to cheer myself. Ive even gotten rid of my scales but it doesnt stop me from wanting to know what i weigh. Now i have to use these rubbish old fashion scales instead of a lovely digital scales. I dont like them lol.

[Slapshot]

I weigh on Saturday mornings, now, but sometimes cheat by weighing on Wednesdays. I used to weigh every day and every day would be dictated (for better or worse) by what I saw on the scale. Once I reached the zen moment that this is going to be a lifetime thing and not a 150-day "diet," the urge/rush to weigh every day kind of went away. Plus, my wife hides the scale (though I know where it is now ). Actually, just moving it out of my bathroom was enough to help me get out of the habit (along with the Weigh? No Way! challenge, which was great).

I'd suggest putting the scale somewhere relatively inconvenient like a closet. That will take away the spur of the moment urge to weigh. I think your anxiety about weighing is very understandable given your stalls, so I recognize that folks who are consistently losing can confidently put the scale away. So, I'm curious to hear, too, what others might have to offer.

[FwL]

I weigh every morning.

I started doing it years ago when one day I discovered I'd gained about thirty pounds and didn't even realize it.

Now, I figure that even if I'm struggling with diet and gaining weight, I need to know what's going on and do something about it. No hiding allowed.

I don't freak out about daily fluctuations, though. I look at the trend over several days to get a clearer picture of what's happening with my body relative to what and how much I'm eating.

[myabigail]

I'm going on vacation this weekend, so that will be at least 2 days when I won't be able to weigh. Maybe this will be a good thing.

It's interesting to hear the different perspectives. On the one hand, Slapshot, you have a great point -- this is a lifetime thing, so what's the need to weigh daily?

On the other hand, FwL has a good point -- no hiding.

I'm concerned with stalling, but in terms of a lifetime, maybe a week isn't a big deal. However, in terms of swimsuit season, a week is an eternity! LOL

I have to admit that I change my stats as soon as I see a lower weight on the scale, even if the next day I'm back up a pound. I probably to obsess a little about the whole weighing thing. When I have time in the morning, I even wait to see if I can have a BM before weighing.

[Evansmom49]

I have a scale that has a memory and also measures % of body fat. Even though I weigh myself everyday, I only use the memory function once a week (Friday) and use that as my "tracking" number. This way I can see the progress made over a week (hopefully!) and the daily numbers keep me honest!

[Slapshot]

The key to Forrest's ability to weigh every day is his willpower to not let it affect his approach to the day. For many of us, that's a very difficult thing, especially when you've had a great day the day before but see a gain on the scale the next morning. If you have the willpower/focus to rationalize all the little changes, then weighing every day might work for you. For us mere mortals, however, it can be quite maddening...

[JohnSantos]

Here's how entertaining that stupid scale is:

I couldn't sleep, so I weighed: 364.1 OH MY GOD I GAINED 4 LBS!!!

Well not really, I had just finished a meal, didn't exercise that day, and had drank a truckload of water. Plus my house shoes were on.

So then I weigh again this morning after using the bathroom: 359.7. It's a miracle! Well not really, I had an empty stomach, all that water was processed, and it was first thing in the morning. And I was naked.

But if I didn't know better, that nightly weigh would have been alarming. But I do, so meh.

[Chelsey20]

I weigh myself pretty randomly, right now I'm trying not to weight myself until Monday but we'll see. I really only weigh myself if I think about it in the morning, I'm usually too tired though. It's been about every 3 days or so but I'm really going to try and do it only once a week.