[Closed] How often do you weigh yourself?

Every five or so years seems to work for me. 2006, I think, was the last time. I'm sure the scales were broken though, so the reading didn't count.

Pretty much every morning - the scales are on the floor in the bedroom, so I pass them post-shower and pre-clothes and just step on them then.

I do it to make sure I'm not losing weight though, rather than to see if I'm gaining weight. Bang on 70kg this morning, despite having to put a new hole in my belt yesterday.

About twice a year

...go for at least once a day...

Not the advice dieticians generally give, but if it works for you, hey ho.

DrP

can't remember the last time

It's what a couple of dieticians/ sports nutritionists I know do.

I don't get why you'd weigh yourself that regularly. Do you get depressed if the figure's up by, say, 5 grams?

Last time i weighed myself was a while ago - the battery died in the scales and never got round to replacing them 😀

Same as mark.

Don't need scales.

Never.

Regularly weighing yourself allows you to see whether or not any other changes you're making are having an impact and allows you personally to understand what works for you.

I go for at least once a day and I'm not that fat.

That's too often (for me anyway).

Not sure how doing it that often helps see any impact:

"Had a salad this morning, instead of a fry up, better weigh myself. Oh no change - this dieting lark is rubbish" *scoffs haribo*

Having said that, my weight is fairly constant anyway... and I am that fat 😳

Never +1

every sunday morning.

every couple of years

I sometimes stand on the scales and press down/push up on a handy bit of furniture to see how heavy/light I can make myself

Every morning, post pee, post poo.

The only times I weigh myself twice in a day is to find out how much sweat i've lost during exercise. Or to find out how much a poo can weigh.

Oh, and also when I step on the scales for a second time hoping that the reading 2 seconds earlier indicated a glitch in the scales 🙂

Not sure how doing it that often helps see any impact:

It's more the long term trend that gives you a picture and you become more aware of how your body can swing several lbs in a day, or a few minutes... stuff that weighing yourself once a fortnight doesn't help you understand.

Nearly every day, its part of my morning routine, but it does sometimes skip it.

I am trying to lose weight currently, and am keeping a spreadsheet of my weight recorded every Sunday.

My weight can vary by over a kilo from one day to the next, and weighing myself everyday actually helps me understand the fluctuations better.

once every few years when I see scales somewhere I am visiting.

If you're not skinny or fat, how does it matter? You can see what size you are FFS.

At the moment, every morning but then I have Withings wifi scales which gives you a natty graph to follow and (supposedly) measures body fat content. 2 weeks to go before a big event, after which the scales are getting a rest and so am I.

Cant recall last time I wieghed myself but then again I dont need to diet or do anything about my weight so why would i ?

Once a week at work. Dropped a pound a week for the last eight months. 😀

Oh, and also when I step on the scales for a second time hoping that the reading 2 seconds earlier indicated a glitch in the scales

You can gain or lose up to 2kg our (supposedly) fancy-schmancy electronic body fat scales on repeated weighings. I usually have to weigh myself a couple of times and take the most frequent result.

Do you weigh yourself naked. While gazing lovingly at your reflection in the mirror. And post on here simultaneously. I kind of think you do... 😉

Once a fortnight if I haven't got a bjj comp. However if one is coming up every day so I can alter my diet/exercise to make sure I can make weight on the day.

Every few days after a big old shit.

I'll get on if I'm pretty sure that my weight is down a bit. If I've had a lazy or indulgent week - no way.

You can gain or lose up to 2kg our (supposedly) fancy-schmancy electronic body fat scales on repeated weighings. I usually have to weigh myself a couple of times and take the most frequent result.

It's more the long term trend that gives you a picture and you become more aware of how your body can swing several lbs in a day, or a few minutes... stuff that weighing yourself once a fortnight doesn't help you understand.

You sound a bit obsessed.

I am trying to get thinner. I've been toying with the idea of getting some scales but given my usual obsessiveness with stuff I suspect I would use them too often as well. I also question how accurate many cheap sets of home scales are.

In fact I'm not that bothered about weight, I'm bothered about body fat - and it's pretty easy to tell whether or not you are losing that.

Last time I knew my weight was about a year ago at a medical. I can see in a mirror if I'm putting weight on and from my daily activities if I feel slow and need to train harder. Too busy to be fussy over slight changes in weight and too laid back to obsess about it.

Varies - once every 6 months if I'm not bothered about weight or fitness.

Daily at the moment as I am trying to trim up.

TBH, mrs rkk01 thinks that's obsessive, as do some of you ^^

But, that's not the point - it's really not a question of have I gone up / down a bit and obsessing over the changes. They happen anyway. It's more about trying to dial out the daily variation and getting a handle on the underlying average trend.

Are you fat though Grum, right now?

I don't need to lose weight, my whole life there have been scales in the bathroom so it's something to do whilst cleaning your teeth.

I reckon if the weight had started going up too much as an adult it'd have given me a clue that I needed to take some action.

At the moment it's just nice knowing I can do a 3lb crap.

If I'm in the gym, about once a week.

Weighing yourself is not really that effective unless you are doing some daft diet.

Muscle weighs more than fat, so someone who is overweight can completely change their physique, lose fat and gain muscle and still weigh exactly the same.

The best way is to look in the mirror and assess whether you need to lose fat or gain muscle.

probably about two or three times a week. My weight is stable though and only fluctuates +/- a couple of Kgs.

Weigh myself? Thats all a bit Kate Moss, isn't it? Get a grip!

Muscle weighs more than fat, so someone who is overweight can completely change their physique, lose fat and gain muscle and still weigh exactly the same.

I reckon that this is extremely rare although theoretically correct. Gaining muscle is pretty flipping hard.

I weight myself every time I go to the gym, so basically three times a week. In the last couple of months I've seen a drop of about 2 kilos to a roughly static weight of about 93 kilos.

As someone of height (6'5") that's not a bad weight for me, so I'm not about to complain.

I occasionally weight myself when I'm visiting my parents, just out of curiosity. It's the only place I go that has scales.

Don't know why I bother though.

They keep the scales in the bedroom, and I'm pretty sure a carpeted floor gives a false reading compared to a hard floor (?).

And I'm not stripping off in my parents bedroom, so I'm always fully clothed. Plus shoes.

So the result is completely meaningless anyway. Although I suppose the conditions are consistent so I can see if my weight's up/down/unchanged.

I'm one of those people who are pretty slim & my weight doesn't ever seem to change much regardless of what I eat or how little exercise I do.

Virtually never these days. I tend to be able to feel when I'm a bit porky or snake-like. Used to do it daily & it can become a bit of a pointless obsession imho.

It's more the long term trend that gives you a picture and you become more aware of how your body can swing several lbs in a day, or a few minutes... stuff that weighing yourself once a fortnight doesn't help you understand.

Not wanting to force an argument (I'd better leave STW then...!), but you say the right thing, then contradict yourself!
You are correct - the aim of weight loss is [i]"more the long term trend"[/i], so there's no real benefit in [i]"become[ing] more aware of how your body can swing several lbs in a day, or a few minutes..."[/i] is there.

As long as the overall trend is down, you're losing weight....

DrP

Are you fat though Grum, right now?

Er, yeah. Though getting less so reasonably steadily at the moment. What's your point?

I reckon if the weight had started going up too much as an adult it'd have given me a clue that I needed to take some action.

I dunno, I knew when I was getting fat, but I had more pressing things bothering me at the time.

At the moment it's just nice knowing I can do a 3lb crap.

Each to their own. 😕 🙂

It's not really a contradiction DrP... people at work herald success because they've lost 2 lb since their last fortnightly weigh in... does this mean they've lost weight or they're dehydrated?

What happens when 2 weeks later they've lost no more and a further 2 weeks later they're back where they've started?

Gaining muscle is pretty flipping hard.

My mental image of Southern 'Chuck Norris' Yeti is now subject to change.

Its all getting a bit...

[img] [/img]

What happens when 2 weeks later they've lost no more and a further 2 weeks later they're back where they've started?

The diet's failed.

DrP

(edited to remove the question mark!)

about 2-3 times a year.
it's always been between 65.5-67kg depending on how much cycling.
it actually drops then raises when i have the time to get back on the bike as the tiny bit of fat goes quickly then the muscle takes a bit longer to add.
i'm stick thin though so i can go to another hole on my belt tighter but have actually put on weight as muscle is denser than fat.

I reckon that this is extremely rare although theoretically correct. Gaining muscle is pretty flipping hard.

I dunno, I reckon gaining muscle must be a lot easier for someone who's quite fat but does some reasonably hard physical exercise - hence why body builders etc bulk up first. I guess lots of fatties say this but I think I do have quite a lot of muscle as well as all the lard - I really don't think you'd guess I weigh 17.5 stone from looking at me.

I went from around size 40" waist to around 34" once and barely lost any weight at all, maybe half a stone.

3lb crap LOL

Before and after dump!

Watch myself anyway for medical records but noticed I've put on 1/2 stone in last 5 weeks thanks to a whole load of cycling.

I guess lots of fatties say this but I think I do have quite a lot of muscle as well as all the lard

Lard is heavy - you (we) need extra muscles to carry it!

If you strapped 20kg of weights on to a skinny person and made them wear it every day then they'd soon get more muscles too 😉

hence why body builders etc bulk up first.

Isn't that to ensure they're getting at least enough calories?

Never weigh myself.

I generally don't weigh myself. I go on how my clothes feel on me - if they are tight, I know I'm a bit porky and need to sort it out!

As long as the overall trend is down, you're losing weight....

Not if that "trend" is based on one weihing per week / fortnight / month.

The differences could just be sampling variance, or natural bodyweight variance, and nothing to do with overall change.

I do not weigh daily to know how heavy I am. I weigh daily to build up a dataset that provides a good baseline

Before every ride so that Endomondo gets the calorie calculation correct.

The differences could just be sampling variance, or natural bodyweight variance, and nothing to do with overall change.

And how would a more frequent weighing interval iron out that variance?
To be satisfied someone is losing weight, I'd want to see a progressive/sustained weight loss over a prolonged period of time.

DrP

What rkk01 said.

Everyday at the same time.

Everyday wiegh-in and body fat measurement (using DXA) every month 🙂

And how would a more frequent weighing interval iron out that variance?

Have you ever plotted a graph or are you just being argumentative?

To be satisfied someone is losing weigh, I'd want to see a progressive/sustained weight loss over a prolonged period of time.

If you only weigh them every, say, two weeks how would you know if their weight loss, or lack of, is actually dehydration or extra retained water?

The more data points you have the more accurate your average reading.

Before every ride so that Endomondo gets the calorie calculation correct.

That's a seriously dubious calorie calculation anyway, unless you have a heart rate monitor and the latest version of the Endomondo client on Android (which is the only one with the new method at the mo).

https://getsatisfaction.com/endomondo/topics/how_are_the_calories_burned_calculated
https://getsatisfaction.com/endomondo/topics/how_are_the_calories_burned_calculated_a_new_method

PhilW - I lost 4 lb on Friday night by eating a chinese meal, 2 bags of chocolate popcorn and drinking a lot of beer. If I can just think of a catchy name I'm going to start a diet craze.

I think DrP should be ignored for asking how having more data helps reduce sampling error.

Atm I weigh myself most mornings (and if I'm being honest, most evenings before going to bed too... 😳 )

Started when I was really pretty fat and reinforced by starting the idiet and seeing an almost daily drop for the first fortnight. I find the fluctuations quite interesting.

But I don't gaze at myself in the mirror... 😉

Every Saturday or Sunday morning. Then I write it on the calendar. It's encouraging to see the weightloss from the start of the year

Muscle weighs more than fat, so someone who is overweight can completely change their physique, lose fat and gain muscle and still weigh exactly the same.

A kilo of fat weighs [i]exactly[/i] the same as a kilo of muscle 🙂

I suspect a lot of the weight people put on when increasing exercise is probably water, rather than muscle. Does the body react to exercise by storing more glycogen? And every gram of glycogen stored needs 4g of water?

I think DrP should be ignored for asking how having more data helps reduce sampling error.

I think MrP should be ignored for asking how having more data helps reduce sampling error.... 😉

Unless, of course, the "Dr" bit is for a non-medical or non-scientific PhD...!

A kilo of fat weighs exactly the same as a kilo of muscle

But how much does a kilo of feathers weigh?

If you only weigh them every, say, two weeks how would you know if their weight loss, or lack of, is actually dehydration or extra retained water?

The same can be said (and is likely to be more pronounced) for making daily measurements. The day to day [b]natural[/b] variability in a person's weight make 'daily weigh ins' for the purpose of clinical weight loss 'not so useful'.

I'm also aware that the greater number of data points can make more accurate graphs, but for [b]this[/b] purpose, it frequently proves to disappoint or over-exaggerate the actual effect (or lack of) of ones perceived diet.

Plus... I didn't ask how having more data would iron it out - I asked how more frequent weighing would do!

DrP

A kilo of fat weighs exactly the same as a kilo of muscle

But how much does a kilo of feathers weigh?

And what would happen if you put them both on a conveyor belt? Would the feathers take off?

I reckon that this is extremely rare although theoretically correct. Gaining muscle is pretty flipping hard.

Extremely rare amongst people who don't lift weights and eat tons of carbs. Gaining muscle is harder than losing fat, but it is not that tough to gain a stone of muscle. The trouble is, most people want to do it in 5 weeks rather than 5 months.

It wieghs 1kgf. Nothing weighs a kilo 🙂

GrahamS - that was merely a little jape.

A kilo of fat weighs exactly the same as a kilo of muscle

🙄

But, as you (probably) know - that's not the point being made. A given volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat

I think DrP should be ignored for asking how having more data helps reduce sampling error.

If you are weighing yourself at the same time every day then you are potentially just reinforcing a sampling error.

You really need to weigh yourself every hour.
Or perhaps randomly throughout the day and night. 😀

I'm thinking of putting my office chair on a set of scales... I could live stream the results?

Now you're talking. You'd have to account for the weight of anything you pick up though.

But, as you (probably) know - that's not the point being made. A given volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat

Hence the smilie in my post.

Nothing weighs a kilo

This is true, but a kilo of fat and a kilo of muscle both weigh the same, assuming no variation in gravity.