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A Merry Life

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5 Reasons To Weigh In Daily

July 22, 2009 by Mary

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for details.

Today I want to share the reasons why I like to weigh myself daily. I’ve been without a scale since I left Tennessee, so I’m not sure how I’m doing weight wise while I am on this trip. It is not the end of the world if I don’t know my weight, but today when I couldn’t find a scale anywhere I realized today I miss my daily weigh in. It definitely is not for everyone because it can often lead to obsession on a number, but I find using the scale daily is a useful tool for me.

Obviously, a number on a scale doesn’t define you as a person. It doesn’t give or take away self worth unless you let it. If a daily, or weekly, or even monthly weigh-in cause you to stress or feel any negative emotion about your weight – don’t do it. Some people do let the number on the scale take over their life, but if you don’t you might want to weight in every day. Here are my five reasons for weighing in daily:

1. Track progress. Daily weigh ins are a great way to track progress. Since weight fluctuates naturally you will want to track weight loss weekly. But the daily weigh in can show immediate results and looks much better if you chart your progress on a graph like I do.

2. Learn your body. Weighing in daily is a great way to figure out how your body words. You will find out what activities, foods, and behaviors cause immediate changes. You will learn how much your weight fluctuates naturally each day. Believe me, after a few months of stepping on the scale every morning you will know what is a normal gain and what is the start of a problem.

3. Provide positive reinforcement of habits. When you weigh in each day you can see the results of healthy habits over time. If you write down or somehow track the daily weigh ins you can see the trend down. Watching the numbers inch down each day reinforces all the positive actions in your life.

4. Catch problems early. If you check your weight each day you will catch any small gains before they escalate. It is all too easy to feel fine but gain a couple pounds in a week if you aren’t paying attention. The daily weigh in will help you catch those gains before it becomes a major problem.

5. Keep the weight off. Weighing in regularly after a major weight loss is very important to maintaining that loss. Studies have shown that dieters who weigh themselves once a day were 82 percent more likely to maintain their loss over 18 months than those who monitored their progress less frequently. So if you’ve already lost weight don’t lose your progress – weigh in daily!

Great reasons don’t you think?  These reasons can all be applied to a weekly weigh in as well, which works much better for many people.  I pick one day a week as my weekly weigh in to monitor long term progress.  

You know I weigh myself every morning, when I can. How about you? Do you do weekly or daily weigh ins (or at all)?  Do you put a lot of importance on the scale or just let it be a tool and a reminder of the healthy lifestyle you are living?

Filed Under: Awesome Tips Tagged With: tips, weigh in


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Comments

  1. Sophia says

    July 22, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    Having had an eating disorder, I refuse to weight myself now. Weighing is a great tool to keeping track and staying healthy, but I have misused it once to the point of extremity and now, I’m very cautious about abusing the scales again. But if weighing is a big help to you, all the better for you!

  2. Tina says

    July 22, 2009 at 8:35 pm

    I usually weigh in every day, but I don’t worry if I skip a day or even a few days. I actually used to try to weight in once a week only, but the temptation was too great.

  3. cmoursler says

    July 22, 2009 at 10:53 pm

    I absolutely weigh in daily, it keeps me focused on what I am doing and why. The reason I got this fat was because I refused to face the truth about my weight. great post.

  4. Jo says

    July 22, 2009 at 10:59 pm

    I weigh every day for the exact reasons you mention. I only officially count Monday’s weigh in, though. I do write my daily weight in my journal as it helps me figure what’s working food-wise, stress wise, diet wise.

    I think when I lost 70 pounds a few years back, had I continued to weigh myself every day instead of hide the scale, I would have got my act together to stop it. Now my scale has a permanent place in my bathroom. Forever.

  5. michelle says

    July 22, 2009 at 11:14 pm

    I have tried not having a scale and having a scale. I think it really does take a mental focus of not letting the numbers run you whole life. However, when I wasn’t weighing myself everyday I found that I didn’t have the discipline or honesty when it came to the simple fact that I was gaining weight. I wont give up my scale again..at least not right now. Thanks for that post, because there are so many posts out there about the importance of not living by a number, but for me it works. So, there you go.

  6. Hanlie says

    July 23, 2009 at 2:11 am

    I weigh in most days for the exact reasons you mention, but I only record my Monday weigh ins. I’m not obsessive about it at all – it just helps me!

  7. South Beach Steve says

    July 23, 2009 at 5:25 am

    I think these are great reasons to weigh-in daily. I have, as you know, taken a slightly different approach. I weigh-in daily, but I do not “count” that weight. It is only for the reasons you mention above. The only weigh-in that counts for me is Sunday’s weigh-in, no matter how good or bad. This helps keep me from obsessing over the daily weigh-ins.

  8. Sunny says

    July 23, 2009 at 6:40 am

    I couldn’t disagree with you more. Daily weigh-in gives you no clear-cut answers to the numbers you see on any given day. It leads to unnecessary stress, which burdens your immune system and your new healthy lifestyle. It encourages unhealthy, too-low-calorie eating to try to make up for normal fluctuations that are usually inexplicable. It feeds OCD obsessions and compulsions. Twice a week weighing is more than enough to catch any brewing problems. But hey, that’s just my take. :)

  9. Amy H. says

    July 23, 2009 at 6:58 am

    I weigh myself every morning. You have to be able to separate the emotions from plain facts. I try to view it as a science project rather than taking it personally.

  10. Diane Fit to the Finish says

    July 23, 2009 at 7:26 am

    Me too! Both while I was losing all my weight, and almost every day for the last twelve years I weigh everyday! For all the reasons you shared, and also as an accountability partner. I don’t want John to know how much I weigh, so by thinking of my scale as a “partner” rather than an “enemy” we can work together!

    Everyone is different though, and what works for me, depresses other people.

  11. Yum Yucky says

    July 23, 2009 at 7:45 am

    Oh gosh, I can’t do it. I was too obsessive and many times borderline depressed with numbers that made no sense from one day to the next. Still, I had trouble ditching the scale, until now. YIPPEE! The batteries are dead! And I have no intention to replace them. I’ll weigh in at my next doctor’s appointment sometime later this year. I use how my clothes fit to assess my progress. It’s just a healthier situation (emotionally) for me that way.

  12. Kathryn Lantz says

    July 23, 2009 at 8:00 am

    Thanks for you comment about my crochet on my blog Mary! I sucked at crochet for a few years lol, and i still get stuck at times but it’s gotten *alot* better.

    Just read a few of your blogs – congrats on your progress! And thanks for all your inspirational views and topics! A lot of it has already helped in ways that i should tackle my own weight loss struggles. As for weighing myself everyday – i hate it lol. i did that for awhile but got discouraged, so i stopped and stuck to once a week or once every 2 weeks if i chickened out and thought i may have gained a bit that week. But alas, i’m back to daily since i got the wii fit. it can’t help but weigh you everytime you go on it. It’s also kind of motivating when the board says a big “OH!” everytime i step on it when i sign in. Nice. I hope that goes away when some more of the weight drops off! lol
    Again, great blog! And thanks for stopping by!
    Kat

  13. wildfluffysheep says

    July 23, 2009 at 8:26 am

    *raises hand* my name is Simone and I am a scales number obsessive.

    I have had to stop weighing in daily. it was literally driving me insane. every fluctuation. got to a point it was several times a day. not good. my mam has to hide the scales. one weigh in a week is soooo much better for me now. took a while to get used to it though :D

  14. Meg says

    July 23, 2009 at 8:37 am

    I weigh myself every morning, although I tend to only “count” the once a week weigh in as “official”. I chart my weight and BF% (yay super awesome scale!) using the iphone app WeightMan (which is a free app btw.) Right now the resulting graph is a bit disheartening, but I know it’ll turn around soon ^_^

  15. Tony says

    July 23, 2009 at 9:01 am

    I’m gonna have to disagree with you here Mary. I think weekly or even bi-weekly weigh ins are better for doing all of those things you listed. Tracking your progress and learning about your body especially are more accurately done by weighing in less rather than daily.

  16. Fran says

    July 23, 2009 at 9:05 am

    I also weigh myself almost everyday but only write it down on Thursday. It gives me tools as you mention to monitoring myself.

  17. Amy says

    July 23, 2009 at 9:59 am

    i’m with you – however I only officially track the once a week WI at my WW centre. I weigh myself a couple times a day (who am I kidding, SEVERAL times a day) at home.. and thank you for posting all these reasons.. they are the same reasons I use, but have never worded so eloquently.

    Great blog!

  18. The Fit Mission says

    July 23, 2009 at 11:44 am

    I weigh in weekly as well as a quick daily but the daily weigh in is not tracked and not really about number but if I am the same wieght more or less. Last week I stepped on and noticed it was leaning more towards a gain so I knew what I was doing was not working and needed to pick it up. But I couldn’t tell you the exact number that was on that scale. So I agree if you are not afraid or even obsessed about numbers then daily would help out.

  19. Art says

    July 23, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    My scale is hella wonky, so I’ve stopped weighting myself on any schedule. The truth is, I don’t really care about my weight. I mean, I do, but in the grand scheme, it is way way down on the list. What is important right now is getting my heart in better shape. :)

  20. Jody - Fit at 51 says

    July 23, 2009 at 12:25 pm

    I love this post because it talks to both sides. Like you, I weigh daily for all of the reasons you mentioned. For me, it has become more important over the past thru years as I go thru perimenopause because that reeks havoc with the bod. Yes, I use my clothes & how they fit as a real guide but I find the scale is juts good to keep me focused. I don’t want to get above a few pounds up & then I know it is time to say.. what is going on. I am in maintenance mode so it is not about weight loss. It is about if other things are going on with my bod & should I be changing my food or exercise program to reflect that change in my body right now.

    BUT saying that, I have learned a lot about my bod by this weighing thing LIKE my weight fluctuates anywhere from 2.5 to 4 pounds in a day & that is just with healthy eating, no overeating etc. I tested this with 3 weigh ins over the course of a day out of curiosity. I DO NOT DO THIS EVERY DAY! But, I was just curious & I have learned that my weight fluctuates A LOT even on the best of food days so I need to learn to accept that… don’t like it but it is what it is.

    Anyway, I agree with you that for some, daily weigh ins may not work for them especially if they fluctuate like me… I always use the “how the clothes fit” though even with my daily weigh ins. As many of us know, muscle weighs more than fat & I have a lot of muscle weight so how my clothes fit is important to me!

  21. Shannon Fab Fattie says

    July 23, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    This is a topic that is all over the board. I personally love to weigh everyday especially if I am doing well. The first sign to me of trouble is when I avoid the scale. That tells me I know that I am not doing what I should be. So I am all for it…today :)
    XO

  22. KK @ Running Through Life says

    July 23, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    Love this post and all the reasons to continue to weigh in daily. I am a daily weigher. However, I have found that sometimes I let the number on the scale dictate my mood.

  23. Merry Mary says

    July 23, 2009 at 9:33 pm

    Wow, thanks for the comments guys! It is so fascinating to hear your thoughts on this because like how to lose weight it is one thing that is different for everyone. So fascinating how some of us do the same thing and yet some of us operate on a completely different schedule. Crazy how some of us place so much importance on a number that we just can’t weigh. We are all different and I love it!

  24. merri says

    July 29, 2009 at 1:09 pm

    One of the things left over from when I was very bad about weight and eating is weighing myself too often. It’s pretty harmless I guess but if you have a disorder, like I did, it’s not actually good for you. I weigh myself every day after I work out, at the gym. We don’t have a scale at home. Since I’ve been better for years, its ok, but its still a leftover of something not so great. All the reasons you give are definitely valid, but just make sure that anyone who does weigh themselves daily uses it as a tool and not an obsession. I USED to have a scale in my bathroom and I’d weigh myself every morning first thing, after I peed and before I got wet in the shower. I guess it’s supposed to be your real weight but I think your real weight would actually be just in the day. I think the weighing yourself method probably does help for weight loss though, as long as you’re careful. But muscles weigh more than fat, so #s on a scale shouldn’t mean as much as healthiness. :) oh I see @sophia already pointed out part of what I said!

Trackbacks

  1. To Scale Or Not To Scale (GIVEAWAY!) | A Merry Life says:
    October 16, 2009 at 9:39 am

    […] and philosophy, so I won’t keep it around even though I don’t think scales are useless (read the reasons why I used to weigh in daily).  Right now, my decision is not to scale.  So mine goes […]

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