How often do you weigh?

I've been going back and forth on this subject.  I haven't weighed myself in several months.  I didn't weigh about 3 weeks ago when I started my diet.  I can tell to an extent by the fit of my pants and myself in photos that I'm pretty close to the last time I weighed when I was about 200 (I'm 5' 3").

My problem in the past has been with weighing in; being shocked by how little I've lost or by how much I actually weigh, and giving up because it's too daunting to think of losing so much weight.

My plan this time was not to get on the discouragement train at all.  I figured I will just track my measurements monthly, and see the change in the mirror and in my clothes getting too big to wear.

Now I'm wondering... is this smart?  Do I really NEED to know on a weekly basis how much I'm losing so I can adjust?

Or will the difference in fat loss vs muscle gain throw me off, making it look like I've gained when really I'm changing shape by losing fat?

Should I look into a set of body fat calipers to replace the scale? 

Any thoughts? What worked best for you?

Hi! I am 23 and have been dieting and working out since August. Since then I have lost about 40 pounds, my starting point was 240. The best thing that  I have learned about my body is from the scale! I weigh myself weekly. This has allowed me to see what I need to change in my diet and workout. For instance if I am not moving on the scale at all for a few weeks that means I need to increase my workout or check my calories to see what is going on, same if the scale goes up. On my scale I also have a water % and fat % which helps me gage where I should be since your water should be under 50%, therefore if you see that it is over the eaisest thing to do to lower that and your weight is to drink more water!!!! Also with the fat% I can see if I am losing %wise,which might not show on the scale.

I hope this helps and isn't too confusing. Good luck with everything!

A weekly weigh in is helpful, but honestly...weighing in monthly and doing measurements w/ a tape is more helpful.  Watch the inches fall off your body.  That is the motivation. 

Measure your neck, chest, waist, lower abs, hips, each arm at the bicep position, each thigh and each calf.  Keep a record of these measurements along w/ the weight.  If you have it also take your blood pressure, bmi and fat percentage.  All of it is good data and will help to motivate you.

Too often we chain ourselves to the scale...that's not a terrible thing, but there are other measurements as well.  Pay attention to all the data.

Good luck.

For me, I think once a week of weighing yourself is ample enough.  I started out back in late March, weighing 308.5 lbs and since then, I've lost 113.3 lbs, I know, that's really fast, about 8 months.  With the scale I used to use, it gave me very inaccurate readings, like off by maybe 5 lbs here and there, but my dad gave me a health o meter scale for my birthday and I've been using it now for a few weeks, and it gives your exact weight, it really does.  Sometimes, I thought I would gain weight, and I ended up losing like 1 or 2 lbs, which really shocked me, cause I thought I did really bad.  Sometimes, I thought I would lose about 3 or 4, but it ended up only being 1 or 2.  I always get so scared right before I'm about to get on the scale, but it usually gives me good results.  I don't know why I get so scared.

Jen

if you can handle day-to-day weight fluctuations and not take them seriously, then you can weigh in every morning after you use the bathroom. i've realized that this is the easiest way for me. i weigh in the morning, log it on CC and forget about it. i just follow the green trend line on my weight graph.

measuring yourself with a measuring tape every week or every two weeks helps A LOT more. inches are way more important than weight. i track my measurements (neck, bicep, forearm, waist, hips, thigh, calf) once a week and go by that.

also, if you can track your body fat %.. that's always the best! you want to lose fat!

good luck

5o 10 times a day. kinda unhealthy but i dont care

I weigh once a week :)

once a week is fine, i have lost 2lbs in two weeks great

I have an OMRON bodyfat analyzer which works with biolelectric impedence on the tissues and is able to read your bodyfat percentage pretty accurately. I mean, more accurate than the ones that send the impedence through your feet, and in most cases more accurately than formulas and calipers. I got mine for $15 on sale at a Meijer pharmacy. They're pretty affordable. Usually they're around $30. Very handy to have around.

I use that and a tape measurer to see if I'm on track. I also take my weight every now and then, but I realize it doesn't give me a clear view of where I'm at. Losing fat doesn't always mean losing weight, and in some cases it means GAININg weight because you're either gaining lean muscle mass, OR the tissues are adding molecules to the fat molecules so they can be metabolized resulting in excess water that will make the scale go up, but actually indicates that real fat loss is occurring.

So in other words, weight gain after you start a diet and or exercise program can be a very good thing! So forget about weighing!

I weigh every single day, although never more than once. I like to weigh everyday to make sure I'm still "on track" and to see what cheating has "cost" me.

I weigh once every week or two, and take measurements monthly.  Eating affects weight and exercises affect inches for me.

I weigh myself once or twice a day.  I have been able to track my patterns by doing this.

For example, I always weigh less at the end of the week. 

Sometimes I weigh before and after a meal just to show myself how inaccurate the scale can be.