The scales......love them or hate them.

I don't own scales either. I use the WiiFit to weigh myself. WiiFit is a lot of fun!

If you get a Wii, you also gotta get Mario Kart with the steering wheel. It is AWESOME!

Interesting article thanks! Now for my next purchase...lol...no I don't have any scales. Any advice on which type to buy?

I once read in a Diet book (I can't remember if it was Carbohydrate's Addicts) that you can weight yourself every day but at the end of the week you should establish your official weight as the average weight for the whole week, that way you take into acount all your weight fluctuations and you get a sort of more precise measurement.

I have been weighing everyday, but not sure its a good thing for me.

This morning I weighed 1.5 kilo lighter than I did yesterday and this is because I have hypertension and in with my BP meds is a diuretic. So I have fluctuating fluid levels! Tomorrow I could be 2 kilo heavier

I only record my weigh once a week.

I weigh myself every day, but only record my weight once a week. That way I can look back on the weekly weight, and use the daily weigh-in to work out whether I'm on track.

I think that works really well - at least for me.

See this is exactly why I posted the article. It has become supposed 'fact' that weighing everyday is bad......however the evidence simply does not support this. Its become one of those things people just accept as a fact without really questioning.
Obviously some are better off not weighing everyday.
BUt some are better off weighing everyday.
It works better for me than once a week. Like this morning I didnt lose anything and I know yesterday i ate more carbs than I should, so I can immediately see the consequences of yesterdays stuff up. Now if I weighed myself once a week I might have still lost overall and then I would be thinking "oh ok so I can cheat a little and get away with it". This is how my brain works so everyday weighing keeps me honest.
Now I know what my blood insulin levels are doing to me and the way high GI stuff like carbs really skyrockets those levels and causes me to crave even more high Gi stuff I think I will be able to lose a significant amount of weight before my surgery date. Its really helped understanding what my body needs to be fed in order to lose the grams.

Kylie,
Thanks for the article.....
I thought I was being overly obsessive by jumping on the scales daily (or sometimes more often!), but now I will feel okay about it!!
I have been having a little trouble with getting my head around eating things that I have previously perceived as "Bad" foods, but now I have to try and integrate all sorts and variety of foods into my new way of eating.
I will now feel okay with myself if I weigh a little more often and not berate myself for it!
Thanks,
Linda :)

Hi, Monday is my weigh in day too. I try not to weigh myself more often but usually can't help it, its just sooooo exciting to be losing weight woo hoo!!!

I also have hubby take a photo on my surgery anniversary date each month and send it to my family, its great for showing small changes and keeping your motivation high.

I weigh myself once a week. Monday morning is my weigh in day.

Thanks for the article Kylie. I am a litle obsessive with the scales at the moment, only cause it can't help but go down when on the optifast.

That's great that you are losing weight in preparation for surgery. Well done.

Thanks for sharing the information Kylie.
It was great reading.

I've been pretty steady on a 200grams per day loss. And I couldn't possibly not weight myself daily. Its part of my routine now :P When it was going up I'd do it less, but it can't hurt if they are going down!

Thanks for the article Kylie - explains a lot of my bad habits and my various weight fluctuations but good interesting info. I have learnt to deal with it all now but by frequently weighing myself I personally feel I am more in control of myself and I can keep on track more. Everybody is different though.
hugs
Jilly

Quote :

If you're trying to lose weight or simply don't want to gain unwanted pounds, how often should you weigh yourself? Many popular weight loss plans, such as Weight Watchers, do not recommend weighing yourself daily. Instead, they recommend stepping on the scales once per week or even less frequently. Our weight fluctuates somewhat from day-to-day, and daily weighing can lead to discouragement and potential diet sabotage if you see a higher number on the scale than you saw the day before. Most diet experts believe that a once-weekly or even monthly weigh-in is a more accurate reflection of weight control progress.

But a group of doctors who studied obese and overweight adults who were trying to lose weight as well as overweight adults who were trying to prevent weight gain found that those who weighed themselves more often lost more weight and prevented more weight gain over two years than those who weighed themselves less frequently. Contrary to the advice given in many popular weight loss regimens, this study suggests that at least some people can benefit from the accountability brought on by daily weigh-ins. Potential advantages of daily weighing include recognition of slow patterns of weight gain that may not be immediately apparent and the chance to modify lifestyle habits before the total weight gain becomes extreme and difficult to control.

The personality of the individual dieter likely plays a role in deciding how often to weigh oneself. If you're easily discouraged, daily weighing might cause you to give up your attempts if you don't see rapid progress. On the other hand, if you crave control and feedback, daily weighing might satisfy more of your needs and fuel your motivation. Whatever weigh-in frequency you choose, keep these tips in mind when stepping on the scale:

1.Weighing yourself first thing in the morning is usually best. Because of variations in food and fluid consumption, we often "gain" different amounts of weight throughout the day.
2.If you're weighing frequently, remember that daily fluctuations in weight are common. Just because you're heavier today than yesterday doesn't mean your weight control program isn't working. Don't become a slave to the numbers.
3.Monthly variations in weight are also common in menstruating women.
4."Plateaus" in weight loss aren't necessarily bad. If you're exercising a lot, your weight may remain constant for a time even though you're still decreasing your body fat content and getting healthier.
5.Finally, cues other than the numbers on the scale are equally important. How do you feel? Are your clothes getting looser or tighter? Do you feel stronger, healthier, leaner? Your own perceptions can be the most valuable tools to help you track your weight control progress.

I found this article interesting especially about the belief that its not good to weigh yourself daily.
My son has just started kickboxing and bought some tanita bodyfat scales and I have been using them. I find it helps heaps to keep me on track if I weigh myself each morning. So far my morning weight stays steady for 1-2 days then drops 200-600grams. As long as its not going up!!!!!!!!!

So dont feel you are being naughty by weighing each day. It depends how you use it and deal with it.