How Often Should I Weigh Myself?

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How often should I weigh myself is a great question. If you were to ask five weight loss coaches, each one would likely give you a different opinion about the value of daily or weekly weighing. It’s also quite evident that what works best for one person may not work for someone else.

What matters most is that you have some form of measurement in your weight loss plan. You need one or more ways of tracking progress. Research results show a clear and positive relationship between self-monitoring behaviors and successful weight loss. Monitoring weight is one way you can give yourself regular feedback. But is weighing the best method for you? If so, how often should you weigh and what number should you target?

It’s all too common to arbitrarily pick a number or weight we think we should weigh. This number may or may not be appropriate. It might be based on what we weighed in college or even high school. Or it might be based on what it takes to fit into a favorite pair of “skinny” jeans. Becoming fixated on a certain number is not a good approach

Instead of having a specific number, consider having a healthy weight “range” to target. No one weighs the same amount from day to day or even hour to hour. That’s normal. So please don’t get hung up on a specific number. I would suggest a minimum of a 3-pound range to be realistic for a woman.

In addition, have an image in your mind of a size and shape that is realistic for who you are given your unique heritage. Fit and shapely can feel good, look good, and be good for your health even though your weight on a bathroom scale may not read what you think it “should”.

1. To Weigh or Not to Weigh

BMI  tables (body mass index) can help you determine an appropriate weight range at a healthy weight. However, the way BMI is calculated it won’t be relevant for everyone. If you are more muscular than the average person or you are thin and have a high percentage of body fat (the skinny fat person), BMI is not a good measurement.

Another approach you might consider would be to monitor the health and fitness of your body with body composition measurements. With weight loss, the ideal is to lose body fat not lean body mass such as muscle. The problem with this is that tracking changes in body fat is considerably more complex than measuring weight on a scale.

In the absence of having an accurate, easy, and inexpensive way to track body composition, the bathroom weight scale does provide important feedback. People who have lost 30 pounds or more and have maintained that loss for at least a year are more likely than not to do a daily or weekly weighing. (National Weight Control Registry)

Weighing on a regular basis can work well as long as you understand that the number on the scale does not tell the whole story about your health or how you look and feel! (See part one What You Should Weigh? )

2. Weigh once a week?

I recently read an article by a weight loss coach who had quite an interesting perspective on how often to weigh. She says if what you are doing isn’t working then you clearly need a different strategy.

For example, if you have been weighing yourself once a day OR MORE you might ask yourself how it makes you feel. If you are a bit obsessive about the weighing or you get upset, you may want to switch to monitoring and recording your weight once a week. Rather than recording daily weighing, keep track of all your accomplishments.

Are you staying on track with a healthy diet? Did you make time for exercise? Note how your clothes fit and how you feel. This can take the emphasis away from a number on the scale and put the emphasis back on achieving and maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle to look and feel your best. Isn’t that what really matters?

3. Weigh every day?

Weighing yourself daily is fine if you DON’T get obsessive/compulsive about it. The value of measuring and tracking can improve your motivation and your results. However, as I mentioned before, you must recognize that your weight will shift from day to day and from hour to hour within each day. That’s why it is essential to pick a time of day that works for you and be consistent about the time and the circumstances for your best results. And that’s why you want to have a realistic weight range rather than a specific weight.

Most of the weight fluctuations we experience are related to shifts in body water weight. Women average about 60% body water (some women have significantly more and others significantly less). No one is consistently hydrated at the same level all the time. Your body water will shift depending on how well you are hydrated, what you’ve eaten, the time of day, certain medications that you may be taking, and more…

This is why total body weight can change so dramatically in a relatively short time. Here’s what works for me when it comes to weighing:

I weigh myself in the morning.

I have “gone to the bathroom” (relieved my bladder) after getting out of bed.

I have had 2 cups of either plain water or unsweetened tea and I’ve eaten a balanced healthy breakfast. The water helps to rehydrate my body to a more normal level after a night of sleep when we all lose body water.

I weigh myself just before stepping in the shower, so I am nude.

I like this approach because we tend to weigh less in the morning then at any other time throughout the day. Yet I make it more realistic because I have rehydrated myself and eaten breakfast. That way when a trip to the doctor’s office comes up, it isn’t quite the negative experience it might be otherwise!

NOTE: (2 cups of water = approx. 1 pound)

4. Time of Day

I believe weighing in the morning to be the best choice for me (see #3). But you need to determine what works for you. Just aim for being consistent with the time and the circumstances. That way you simply look for a change in your weight either up or down over time. Do your best to let go of the idea that there is something magical about a specific number.

5. What kind of scale to use

If a regular bathroom weight scale is all you have and can afford that’s fine. If you don’t have a weight scale, you can assess how your clothes fit. Getting loser? That’s great regardless of what the scale might say! You might also take key body measurements each week such as waist, thighs, and upper arms. Record your results to track changes over time.

If you can afford to buy a weight scale that provides more features you may want to consider one that includes a body fat monitor.  This kind of scale will give you more feedback about your body composition and help you track shifts in body water as well as changes in body fat.

NOTE: How your clothing fits can work if you typically wear snug fitting clothes. But it does it NOT work well with loose or baggy clothes. Such clothing can actually give you a false sense of confidence about your weight loss efforts

6. What works best for you?

Know yourself.

If weighing every day keeps you on track without obsessing about it, great! It’s working for you. If you find the numbers to be upsetting stop weighing yourself so often. Focus instead on eating healthy food, eating ENOUGH but not too much, getting the exercise you need, and possibly weighing once a week.

If the scales show a small but steady weight loss by weighing just once a week, good! If not, you may need a more frequent reminder with daily weighing.

Do you have a way to track changes in body fat? Do you eat a healthy diet and get plenty of exercise? Then tracking your weight on a scale may not be necessary.

Hope this article helps you answer the question of “how often should I weigh myself?” Let me know if you have other questions!

 

 

You may be able to get the full story by clicking here:
Women and Weight Website

Also, check out this great weight loss and health site for more ways to lose weight and stay healthy.

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