The MakeMeThinner Support Forum

[forevertodds]

Hi guys,

I had made up my mind to only weigh once a month, but it's already driving me crazy (and I'm only on day four) . Now I am thinking that watching the scales a little closer might help with the motivation, y'know knowing that it's working. I had seen posts where people weighed several times a day and others where they don't weigh at all. So I thought I ask the forum, how often do you weigh and why?

[Jan]

Hi Kathy,
Well you've just asked "the million dollar question" Weighing in. Some people weigh everyday, some more than once a day (not a good idea) and others periodically - once a week or so. Now for my personal opinion. I am not a big fan of the scale. In fact, I have referred to it as the "nasty old thing, or the great discourager" This is because it does not always reflect true weight loss. There are many many things which can bump our weight up just a tad. Some are hormones, water weight, temperature etc. So sometimes you are losing fat but might be retaining a little water and it looks like you are not losing or even gaining. Yipes!!
For this reason I'm an advocate of weighing in no more than once a week. I know for some this is impossible -- there is the scale
The most important thing is to weigh in at the same time every time. The best time is first thing in the morning before eating. I myself have gone as long as 3 weeks between weigh in's I guess it is really up to you.
jan

[Nancy]

THREE WEEKS?!

Are you kidding?

I get my exercise by leaping on and off the scale!

There are no hard and fast rules, Kath. It is totally up to you. You know you best. If you are one to fly off the handle and eat your weight in popcorn and butter because your weight fluctuates then by all means, avoid a daily weigh-in. If you are emotionally attached to your scale, give it to a friend or park it in the garage and only take a peek once a week.

A weekly weigh in can be a positive experience. If you are still visited by the monthly PMS Fairy, then know that there will be a week when your weight loss will be minimal and then often followed by a good loss.

There are tons of postings throughout the Forum regarding the dreaded scale...

[DogMa]

I agree. I think it depends on your attitude toward the scale. Personally, weighing myself every time I pass the scale is my main form of entertainment - but I also don't let it bother me if it's up once in a while or if I stall.

Conventional wisdom used to say to weigh no more than once a week, but a recent study showed that people who weighed daily maintained their weight loss better than those who weighed less frequently, because they didn't let their weight creep up.

[Nancy]

Hi, DogMa ~

Happy New Year to you - you've been missed! You have had quite an interesting adventure moving from Cali to Texas and it is so cool that your Medifast just moved right along with you and the pounds stayed away! You are half way to freedom from fat! Woo hoo!

Yup, my philosophy is to weigh and record my weight daily. I need to record it to keep me honest.

[Gwenski]

I think I am shocked by the three weeks between weigh ins -- whoa! Jan is a superbly wise and wonderful woman -- see her past postings and you will know this BUT....THREE WEEKS --- the suspense would kill me or drive me to drink or worse.............eat!!

For me, I officially weigh in once a week. Whatever it says Wednesay Mornings is what I log. I will confess that I pop on the scale almost every morning for fun. See, the scale keeps going down and constantly checking the numbers helps to make it a little more real for me. I know that I am loosing weight but sometimes I am not convinced and think I don't know.

My own head games can get the better of me sometimes.

The scale is nothing more than a tool. It has no feelings and NO compassion. If you can view it as nothing more than an instrument and not give it control and a life of its own, you will be fine. If you think the scale is the end all be all --- get it out of the house and limit your stepping on time cause you don't want to give it control of you --- this is your time and turn to take control of your life and the numbers that it will display.

Your way will become clear in the next few weeks and months, it will amaze you what you can accomplish. You will be and are fine!

[Lauren]

I am with Gwenski on this one. I promised myself to maintain an official weigh in day (mine is every Thursday), so that daily fluctuations don't matter as much. However, much like Dogma, I am hopping on that thing all the time. Here's what's funny:

I used to have a true and unhealthy obsession with the scale. I got on and off it constantly and it ruled my world. This was years ago, but I felt personally condemned by it, and had to finally throw it out the window to stop it from "following" me around. Now, many years later, I have a totally different understanding of it. It's just a form of measure, and I don't attach any personal feelings towards it. The truth, though? I know I am doing everything right on the diet, so I don't fear the numbers. If for some weird reason it were to fluctuate upwards, I would know it was truly temporary, because there's no scientific way I am gaining pounds.

Perhaps the scale has lost its control because I finally gained mine.

Either way, you know before stepping on each day or week or month which way it should go. The scale just reaffirms what we already should know.

Have fun!

[Hyperion]

Hehe, I guess everyone is right on this one.

What I'd say is that you and only you know your feelings the best.

I weigh in once a day (the morning after toilet time, and naked). I do that since November 3rd. Since I'm a guy, I don't have those problems with that "time of the month". However, it happened 4 times that I gained weight and countless times that I have stalled... Never cheated, never did anything wrong by the program.

HOWEVER, I personally think weighing at the start of the day is a great way to.... forget my weight! In fact, if I progressed, I am more than happy. If I didn't, then the "did I lose or gain weight" question gets out of my mind, since I satisfied my curiousity. And on those days I gain weight, well I just tell myself I never did anything wrong with the program and it must be water retention or scale problem (never know!).

Go with what you feel is the best for you. You wanna weigh yourself? Do it. Some morning you don't want? Then don't.

Just think of the scale as a tool to help you. Be wise with yourself, if you cheated and you know you gained weight, double your efforts and weigh only in 3-4 days.

The scale must NOT be an obstacle, it's a tool; think of it as motivation. If it's not for you, then throw it away for a while

[SueInSLO]

OMG, I think I have to weigh everyday!! At least the first couple of weeks. Today is day one and I want to see the #'s going down!

Maybe if/when it slows down I will weigh less often.

OK, trying the ticker thingy too!!

Sue

[SueInSLO]

It didn't work.

[SueInSLO]

How about now?

If it doesn't work, anyone wanna give me a clue?? LOL

[Unca_Tim]

You got 'er Sue....

[SueInSLO]

You got 'er Sue....

It's the little things in life that make me happy! LOL Like getting the ticker thingy to work.

Thanks Tim!

Now I'll have to figure out how to move the thing as I lose weight!

Sue

[Serendipity]

I weigh daily and here's my reasoning:

For the last 35 years that I have been struggling with my weight, my pattern has been to hop on the scale obsessivly any time I think I'm doing well and avoid the scale when it doesn't move. Then throw up my hands and quit dieting. Vicious cycle.

Has anyone seen the Seinfeld where George decides to do the opposite of everything he thinks he should do? It's a riot, but when he tries this, everything starts going right for him. Well, that's what I'm doing. I am weighing myself every day first thing in the morning. If the scale stays the same or moves up a little, I still weigh myself the next morning, and the next, and the next. I make myself look at the weight and I think about how my body works. I am discovering an amazing thing. It passes! It only took me 35 years to figure that out! If I am patient, the weight comes off. If I am compliant (that's the key), the weight eventually comes off in a chunk. DUH!!!

I know that my behaviors need to change if I am to succeed in losing and keeping the flab off for good. So, I'm using George as a role model, lol.

[DogMa]

Hey, Nancy! I've been around the whole time, just quiet.

Anyway, one other thing about weighing for entertainment. Because I weigh throughout the day, I also know that my weight fluctuates TREMENDOUSLY - I can see one number, then sit on the couch for 15 minutes and come back to a completely different number. So if I DO wake up to a higher number, it's much easier to accept it as a normal fluctuation - whether it's water, hormone, the scale or just gremlins. So I put a lot less stock in the numbers. When it comes down to it, it's really the size I'm wearing and how much room I have in my jeans that count. I'd happily weigh 250 if I still fit into a size 6.