Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 24: How Often Should I Weigh Myself?
I've been up on the Cape all this week and yes, I brought my scale (right). But having the scale with me only begs the question of how often I should weigh myself no matter where I am.
I brought the scale to hold myself accountable for any forays into vacation gluttony I might embark on, but the fact of the matter is that this question of how often I should be getting on the scale has been weighing on me for months.
I know there is no right answer to this almost cosmic question. I last attended a Weight Watchers' meeting 20 years ago, so I don't know where those eminently sensible folks are on this issue now. Other people advocate trying on the same pair of pants or shorts every week to see how snugly they fit, instead of weighing in. Still others say once a week, a third camp advocates weighing yourself every day at the same time.
Here's where I come down on this issue right now (after the jump). Please, serious eaters, let me know if it makes any sense at all.
Trying Out a Mid-Week Weigh-In
Until very recently I have just weighing in once a week, first on Thursdays, and then on Fridays, as you all have been reading about for months. But over the course of the last few weeks I have experimented with weighing myself one other time during the middle of the week, on Tuesday or Wednesday. The second weigh-in gives me an interim progress report. It has enabled me to adjust accordingly. If I'm up a pound or two or three during this interim weigh-in, I can at least spend the next couple of days really, really eating moderately and sensibly.
Of course this idea presents its own set of issues. Now that I'm reviewing restaurants, I tend to eat out in the beginning of the week on the days directly preceding the interim weigh-in. Meals out tend to drive up my weight, as you all might guess. So the interim weigh-in number can be pretty scary, though I must say I've done pretty well eating in moderation during my reviewing meals.
Roadside Temptations
This week, away from the city, in the land of great pie, grilled steak, and fried clams, I have definitely been eating carelessly. The interim weigh-in, on Wednesday morning, was a diet train wreck. I was up three pounds. I wish I could blame this weight gain on the slope of the floor where I put the scale, but in fact I weighed myself on three different surfaces in three different rooms, and the scale concluded I was in the same amount of serious trouble in all three spots.
I had two days to repair the damage. During those two days, I was faced with a lunch we were hosting, and two parties (one cocktail party, one potluck supper). How did I do?
The Weigh-In
We're going to find out right now, in all three parts of the house. Whew! I ended up up only a pound for the week. The interim weigh-in really helped. I went to the potluck supper and ended up eating very little. I think I'm going to stick to the interim weigh-in regimen until I come up with something better.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
14 Comments:
First of all, I am SO jealous! My friends are up there this week also and I wasn't able to get up there.
I am not dieting, but I have a friend on a serious diet. She steps on the scale every 4 days at the same time each day, usually before breakfast.
Reviewing restaurants definitely challenges a Serious Dieter! Good Luck.
izatryt at 11:05AM on 07/04/08
If anything, you should just check how your pants fit you. Scales are misleading, depending on time of day, water weight, etc. It's best to just choose a certain pair of pants to use as a yard-stick and see how they fit once a week, and step on a scale maybe once a month. It may not give you the instant re-enforcement that you need, but it doesn't disappoint you as quickly either. Stepping on a scale every day will definitely not lead to lasting weight loss, as it makes you second guess every food decision and create false ideas of what may or may not be weighing you down.
parkrangerolivia at 11:14AM on 07/04/08
I've considered moving my scale to the kitchen as a reminder, but there really is no place to put it. A "fat" photo on the fridge could have the same effect.
I weigh myself 3-5 times a week, just before I shower. I wear my "shower clothes" and make sure I'm not even holding a washcloth. My scale weighs in tenths and it keeps me on track. I don't remember to do it every day, and never weigh myself wet - wow, would those droplets skew the results!!!
How frustrating when getting weighed at the doctor's office - I can't wear my weighing outfit.
I can't imagine bringing my scale on vacation, but I don't have your job. I want to experience all that my destination has to offer. Everything else can wait until I return to real life. Hope you can enjoy and not worry about every morsel! Happy Independence Day!
PerkyMac at 11:48AM on 07/04/08
@Perky - "shower clothes" - I am slapping my knees, laughing.
izatryt at 12:21PM on 07/04/08
Scales a incredibly misleading, depending on the time on the day you step on one of them. I weight myself every day, seven days a week, at the same time: right after i step out of bed. It is the only way you can know for sure your exact weight, without the interference of factors like the digestion process (which tends to fluctuate your weight throughout the day), hydration, alcohol consumption, etc...Having the scale by my bed helps too. I have some guidelines that i follow in order to evaluate the truthfulness of the number the scale throws at me (it is really just two rules):
1- I have to have had at least 7 hours of sleep before i can trust the number on the scale. Your body needs time to get rid of all the unnecessary things that get in the way of loosing weight.
2. If i have alcohol the night before, I take the number with a grain of salt. Usually, your weight is affected by alcohol consumption.
That's it! I hope it helps.
asg749d at 1:14PM on 07/04/08
I weigh myself twice a week, on Wednesday and Sunday evenings. That number is then inputted into a spreadsheet, from which a trendline is produced.
randomeater at 3:25PM on 07/04/08
I weigh myself every day at the same time, and like PerkyMac, in my "shower clothes." If I'm up (or down) an unexpected amount from one day to the next, I don't stress out about it. A little fluctuation is normal. If I only weighed in once a week, I'd be wondering whether I was looking at a real change or an aberration. For me, more data points is the way to go.
juliec at 5:36PM on 07/04/08
I've tried the once-a-week thing but am far too impatient to maintain my sanity in between weighings. What works for me is a daily morning weighing right after rising. Like randomeater, my numbers go into a spreadsheet from which a trend is monitored. Since your weight can vary so much from day to day, monitoring the trend really is key.
Without getting too deep technically, a good way to track the trend is to use what the propellerheads call an "exponentially-smoothed weighted average." Really, all you have to do is add 90% of the previous day's moving average to 10% of the latest weight to get today's trend value. Even if your weight goes up and down from day to day, as long as your daily weight readings stay below the moving average, your diet is working.
John Walker goes into far deeper detail on his Hacker's Diet web page. Despite the name, THD isn't really a diet but a good explanation of the basics behind losing weight and it's worth taking a look at. Good Luck!
OppositeGeorge at 8:27PM on 07/04/08
Last June we were on the Cape and enjoyed the most luscious fried clams, thanks for the reminder. About weighing in, I suggest you do what works for you. No need to get too technical.
elaine nan at 9:15PM on 07/04/08
Honey, from someone who knows..the weight shows up a week later not two days after the big meal....if u begin weighing every day trying to get 1 no lower then if after reviewing the restaurant if you are 1 up - starve until that no goes down...heck it might not make u a great reviewer since u will be so hungry everything will taste good, but it will certainly make u a lot of new friends in the bus.
blondee47 at 10:26AM on 07/05/08
I once had to weigh-in at the doctor's office, and the nurse didn't even let me take off my shoes. I'm surprised she let me put down my purse. You can only imagine the trauma of THAT number...
I agree with random, I go for the shower clothes at home. I may start a twice-a-week weighing, for right now it's generally Friday mornings.
traceyB at 12:02PM on 07/05/08
I recently hit a milestone weight loss of 25 lbs. I have convinced myself that the first 10 was from increasing my water intake to at least 2 litres per day. I weigh myself daily so that, like you, I can monitor my progress, but my official registry of my weight [in a simple word document I created myself] is on Monday mornings. I find that the official weigh-in day is important to my success. I also know that weight loss can vary widely from day to day, but that a weekly weigh-in gives you enough of a look at how you're doing overall. I hope my experiences help, and congratulations and keep up the good work!
tomsaaristo at 12:41PM on 07/05/08
I'm in the "weigh myself every day" camp. I see the scale move upwards and I can adjust quickly instead of waiting a whole week and seeing it's gone to sh*t and I haven't been able to stop it. It's also kind of like, I shame myself into "OMG, how did I gain 3 lbs. in one damn day???" It is misleading sometimes because though I try to weigh myself at the same time every day, that is just not always possible and ... sorry if this is gross... but if you haven't 'eliminated' yet, you may weigh more, and for those of us on a high protein diet... well. Yeah.
feistyfoodie at 11:18AM on 07/07/08
I weigh myself once a week, so that I don't get too obsessed with the numbers. First thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom, no clothes. I also take my measurements every couple of weeks, because even when I'm not losing pounds it helps to know if I'm getting any smaller.
I also just got back from a week-long vacation that involved drinking every day and eating most meals out. The scale was not happy. It is time for a detox - no drinking or eating out for a couple weeks at least.
Charise at 2:08PM on 07/07/08