Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I earn a commission at no expense to you. Affiliate links are marked with the asterisks (*)
I recently had a discussion with my daughters about weight. It brought up the question of how often to weigh yourself, and I remember talking about this a lot when I was a Weight Watchers leader.
You see, you don’t want to weigh yourself too often. It shouldn’t become an obsession to see how much you’ve managed to lose. If you weigh yourself too often, you won’t see the change that is happening because we shouldn’t lose a lot of weight every single day. Not healthily, anyway!
As a Weight Watchers leader, I would discourage people from weighing themselves between classes. I’d also discourage them from weighing themselves at home on their own scales. Not everything is calibrated the same and our scales were always calibrated regularly to ensure they showed the right number.
So, how often should you do it?
Weekly vs. daily weigh-ins
If you join diet clubs like Weight Watchers and Slimming World you will usually have a weekly weigh-in. The classes are on at the same time each week, and if you do it from home then you’re recommended to weigh at the same time on the same day each week.
There really isn’t the need to weigh yourself on a daily basis. However, I have found that the Nintendo Wii Fit encourages a daily weigh-in. Again, the system recommends weighing yourself at the same time each day.
The timing seems to be the most important factor. Our weights fluctuate a lot. Let’s get into that.
Remember weight fluctuates while you weigh yourself
It makes sense that the timing is more important than the frequency. Your weight will fluctuate throughout the day, and can fluctuate by as much as 5lbs!
Various factors affect your weight, including your hormones and whether you have recently eaten. Think about this: if you have eaten just before you weigh, you are weighing the food that is just starting to digest. If you wait a couple of hours, the food will almost be gone. You will weigh more just after eating.
Weighing yourself at the same time each day or week cuts out the chances of the fluctuations affecting the figures you see. You will get into a routine too, and you know that the scales are coming.
It is much easier to do this routine if you only weigh once a week. I pick on a morning after I’ve been to the washroom and before I have breakfast. This is when I’m likely to be at my lowest.
Don’t create a weight complex
It’s really easy to fall into the trap of worrying about your weight. This is especially the case if you weigh daily. You could see a slight half-a-pound difference, and that throws you off for the rest of the day.
Weighing weekly is less likely to give you that complex. You will be able to create a weekly routine that gets you ready for the scales the next week. You won’t worry as much about that one piece of cake, because over the course of the week, it is not going to do that much damage.
I have a difficult relationship with weight and food. Sometimes the thoughts creep in without me realizing it and I have to actively push myself to get out of the self-destructiveness of a weight complex or eating disorder.
It’s not all about the numbers on the scales. A friend recently commented that I’d lost a lot of weight recently. I haven’t in terms of numbers, but my waist is toning up from exercise. It’s becoming visible to others, and gave me a boost knowing that there is still something even if the numbers aren’t shifting.
Throw out your home scales
If you weigh at a diet class on a weekly basis, it’s important to avoid weighing yourself at home. This is because all scales are different. Yours may not be calibrated to the same accuracy as the class scales.
Some people see a 5lb weight gain when they weigh at home compared to the class. They then start wondering whether their diet is working and whether it is worth going to class to find out they’ve put on weight.
Just get rid of the home scales* if you really don’t need them (ie. You attend a weight loss class), and enjoy the healthier lifestyle.
Try not to weigh yourself too much. Once a week is enough. Stick to the same time on the same day each week, and you will find that the fluctuations will not affect you as much as they could if you weigh on a daily basis.
MORE: 5 top tips to stay active as a WAHM
What are you struggling with when it comes to dieting and a healthy lifestyle? Share in the comments below.
