I spend a good half hour skimming through my feed reader and checking out different fitness-related tidbits and news out there. Today is no different.
I found an article – I’m not going to say where – that basically stated that it’s a “great idea to check your weight every morning on the scale.” Actually, it said this:
Step on the scale every morning. This will help you monitor even the smallest fluctuations in your weight. Another helpful strategy is trying on the same pair of jeans every morning. That way you can actually feel how your body changes on a day-to-day basis and when your jeans fit tighter than they should. Size can often be a more real measurement of fat than weight. Whatever you chose, keep tabs on your weight.
Someone hit the brakes.
Let me tell you a personal story.
In May of 2008, I finally became fed up and decided to sign up for the 24hr gym located nearby. Inside, I found a beautiful workout center, a gorgeous bathroom, and a scale. When I first stepped on that scale, I was emotional. Teary eyed. I felt like that scale was a negative correlation to my worth… the more I weigh, the less I am worth. No, it’s not true and no, no one would openly and outwardly say it but we ALL know that actions speak much louder than words on any given day. Standing on that scale was a reminder of how I had let myself go.
I immediately jumped off of it, rushed out of the bathroom wiping tears from my eyes (there weren’t really any there, but to make sure that the trainer didn’t see any signs of emotion) and grabbed my keys, vowing to be there that night. I WAS there that night, and sure enough… I jumped on that scale. I hit the gym 7 days a week, and every day… I hopped on that scale. I don’t know what I was expecting it to tell me, because I wasn’t eating a pound’s worth of calories in one day… so I certainly wasn’t going to lose a pound’s worth of calories in a day.
Between days, though, let me tell you – I got some of the CRAZIEST numbers for my weight ever! Some days, I’d gain 4lbs, other days I’d lose 3. I mistakenly thought it was because I was busting my tail at the gym, but it wasn’t. It had much more to do with the fact that I was eating like a pig, mistakenly thinking that when it came to calories, I was burning way more than I was taking in. Womp womp.
Your Weight Can Change Daily
Did you know that drinking two liters of water a day can add up to 4lbs to your weight on the scale? That’s not to say that you shouldn’t drink water, but it’s to say that every little thing that you bring in your system can alter your weight on the scale. Did you have a nice carb-heavy dinner, and very little fiber? In other words, did you have a day with food coming in, but no food going out? That’s going to affect your weight on the scale, too! In short, when you step on the scale, there’s no allowance for “what you might’ve eaten that day.” When you step up there, you’re weighing everything on you – your clothes, your shoes, the water you drank, the food you ate, that which has not yet passed through your system… everything. That changes throughout the day, let alone throughout the week. Sure, you can hit the potty before you step up there, but there are no guarantees.
There’s also another thing – you are (presumably) losing weight. You have a mental hurdle that you have to overcome that has nothing to do with numbers on a scale. Addressing obesity demands a lifestyle change that is MUCH more important than numbers on a scale. Hitting that scale every day and seeing progress for a few days (assumedly your body ridding itself of waste) only to potentially gain again or “plateau” (again, probably only your body no longer having huge clumps of waste to rid itself of) is going to be tough to endure for the health novice. Will you mentally understand that? Will your efforts be thwarted by a lack of progress on the scale?
Orrr….
Will you realize that you’re making lifestyle changes that will help you get fit and remain fit for the rest of your life?
The important thing, here, is to realize that weight that took you months, years, or a lifetime to accumulate won’t be gone in a week. Maybe you’ll be at a point – mentally – to be able to deal with seeing “no progress” stare you in the face repeatedly. For now, it shouldn’t be your priority. Your priority should be incorporating healthy behavior in your daily activity, because the weight will just fall off after that!
Now… after reading all of that and you still think you can handle hitting the scale every day and seeing the same number even though you’re putting in twice as much effort as before, then by all means, go for it. Take this post as a warning sign of what roadblocks you can expect to encounter, and know that you can always scrap the scale until you get in a regular routine. If not? Say Sayonara to the scale and get to work!
36 comments
This is just the post I needed to read! I’m a daily weigher. I started the week down 8lbs. from my starting weight. In an effort to lose 2lbs. and make it a solid 10lbs. loss, I started working out again (after slacking for about 3-4 weeks). Instead of losing those 2lbs., I’m up 3lbs! WTF?! I did a little searching online and realized that it could be water weight, as I have upped my water intake. I have maintained my caloric intake. Good thing because working out used to make me ravenous! I’ve made extra effort to not get into a habit of overeating post-workout. Additionally, without TMI, let’s just say I need to add some fiber to my diet! Hopefully my weight will regulate itself and start moving DOWN in number! LOL!
Tracy, I’m glad you posted your comment! You know, if you were picking up a routine again and were pretty rigorous with it, you also could attribute a bit of that gain to developing muscle! I’m sure it had a bit to do with what you’ve taken in as far as food and water are concerned, but you can also thank your workout for that gain!
I was saving this for an upcoming post, but you definitely want that muscle! It works for you when you can’t, since it burns three times as many calories as the fat we carry on our bodies. So… it might be a gain this week, but it may help you burn off an extra 2lbs over the next month with the same effort!
Best of luck to you, and thanks for stopping by!
OMG, this is right on time. Right now I’m at work & it’s lunchtime and I’m reading this post and yes I’m a daily weighter as well. I up 3-5, down 2-6 and right back to the same weight, can not seem to just past this point certain number. I called the doctor, yes I did, I imform them that it must be these pills for my high blodd pressure causing me to gain weight! I’m working out lifting 3-4 times a week, up my cardio to do more and I’ve gain weight!!! I even thought about buying a newer scale, but for now, I need to stay off that thang. I have lose body fat and that is important as well, but I stuck on that scale number too. Help!
Yeah, LOL… I’m pretty anti-scale. It can go up and down at its own leisure… definitely not a win for anyone. Focus more on your body, less on the scale, and you won’t dampen your own spirits. 🙂
I am all for weighing yourself daily and here’s why. Too often we run from the scale which was designed to be a monitor of our weight. If we don’t utilize it on a daily basis how do we maintain accountability of our weight. I don’t think we should become a fanatic, however if I know weight is an issue that I deal with, I could use the same analogy as I do with my blood pressure. If I don’t check that daily to ensure it’s within the proper range then whose responsibility is it if I stroke out. I say we need to stop running from the scale but use it as a monitor or should I say our personal accountability conscience. Let’s stop preaching “No scale” and start teaching accountability. And if you’re wondering……No I’m not some skinny little chick saying this….I’m a sister of this wellness and lifestyle journey and my scale is my friend! “To thine own self be true”
I’m sorry, but no. If anything, let’s start preaching “incorporate activity into your every day life so you don’t have to rely on an external source of accountability.” To ME, weighing yourself every day IS fanatacism and I’ve been doing this for YEARS.
Besides, there are countless – COUNTLESS – reasons why the scale is inaccurate. If you INSIST on having “a measure of accountability,” then get a tape measure. Measure your body fat percentage. A simple scale is useless, I’m sorry to say, if you’re actively changing your life to make sure you not only LOSE the weight but keep it off and maintain.
Yes, Debroah, I agree. The scale is not always your friend.
I’m loving this site and I too am a “WEIGHT WATCHER!” 🙂 Thank you so much for this post. I’ve decided to stop playing the numbers game & focus strictly on being healthier & everything else will fall into place. I’ll weigh myself once per week. 🙂
Hi Thanks for this this. This past year, I gained more than 20 pounds. I have always been petite, and my weight has always been relatively low, so I was truly at a loss when I couldn’t fit my clothes. Eventually, I joined a gym, but, again, having never had to work on losing weight, I was at a loss. They set me up with a routine (which I felt was not intense enough) and I started working out everyday. I tried to incorporate some healthier eating habits as well, but I’m a pretty healthy eater, which is why I’ve probably stayed small for so long. Well, I would go in the bathroom each day and weigh myself. Imagine my shock and dismay when the scale either didn’t change or went up! I had no explanation, no understanding for why this was happening and it made me really feel down. I was so excited to have started something to get back to my “normal” weight and it seemed as if it just wasn’t working. A good friend, who’d lost a lot of weight, told me not to weigh myself. Best advice I could have gotten. I will continue to work out and I believe that in time, my weight will change. Thanks for sharing and allowing me to do the same.
OMG – just the article I needed….
I’m at this exact moment right now – I hate my scale…lol
Good post indeed. My mom knows how hard I stick to my cardio and she is not into the whole “eating right” thing, so she ALWAYS asks me how much I weigh, and each time I tell her, “Mom, the scale gives too many false positive/negatives and I go by only inches”. She looks at me skeptically after that. Some folk just can’t deal with nutritious eating and fitness-it keeps you from eating their chitlins and hamhocks, lol.
But yeah between hormonal water retention, sodium water retention, and being “backed up” I am not letting a scale steal my joy.
Every time I put on a pair of jeans that I can fit that I could not fit three months ago is my scale 🙂
OMG did I ever need to read this one. I started my journey about 3 weeks ago and I have been weighing just about daily. I was doing consistently great until this week…the numbers are creeping back up despite my pretty good eating and 4-5 days of excercising. FRUSTRATING!!!!
For weeks my trainer has been advising me to stop weighing and to instead focus on “eating perfectly” and “movement”. But I have convinced myself that if the scale doesn not move downward then I have not been successful that week. And this week has me feeling like quitting alltogether.
“Your priority should be incorporating healthy behavior in your daily activity, because the weight will just fall off after that!” DING DING DING…I GET IT!!!
It will be tough breaking the “gotta weigh” mindset, but if it will eliminate the frustration whch almost resulted in me saying “forget it” this week, then I am willing to try. I have along journey ahead so every bit of inspiration helps!
Thanks!
You know I mentioned on the myfitness boards that I weigh myself once a month and many were horrified. I had to explain that what I do is review that lovely food diary so many of use keep. I look at not only my caloric intake, but the macro-nutrients. I want to know if I’m eating in a balanced manner and if any foods I’m eating are giving me salt or sugar spikes I don;t need. I also look to make sure I;m getting a decent amount of protein. If I am doing things correctly, I feel it in my clothes and my body. Reviewing like that also gives me a better since of what things I can eat when I’m out socially and hopefully help me make better food choices. I don;t always get it right but it helps much more than going nuts on the scale.
Love this post!! Thanks – needed to heat it!
Hmmm, I’m kind of torn. I actually agree with your post Erika, but for me weighing myself a few times a week (or once a week) actually keeps me on track especially when I know I haven’t been eating the way I should. Maybe it’s because for YEARS I avoided getting on a scale like the plague. And I would over indulge and use my “clothes” and “peoples comments” (as you discussed in another post) as my barometer. And of course I’d just gain more weight. I started my current journey back in November and I find that when I veer off my plan I intentionally stay away from my scale altogether. Getting on it makes me see that I’m still on a journey. I know the scale is a lagging indicator BUT somehow mentally it works for me. I don’t get overly emotionally involved with it because I also use other indicators like my clothes and my Omron body fat monitor which actually calculates my body fat and BMI.
BTW been using your first plan this week. And yes I’ve lost weight but won’t dwell on that. :O) The real coup for me is that I read your recipes and thought, “I don’t do this in my food or that”and “I won’t like that and I’ll modify”…blah blah blah. :O) But last week I decided I’ll just do your recipes as is and low and behold have loved everything so far. My favorite so far is the Rosemary Chicken and the subsequent chicken salad… both were delicious and “I don’t even like fruit” in my chicken salad…LOL. Tonight is the chicken wings and I even went out and got port chops, which I haven’t eaten in YEARS. So thank you. I stepped out and tried something different and realized I really liked it. The Rosemary Chicken and chicken salad are staying in my arsenal. Next week I’ll do the vegetarian menu.
Also, just a few notes. On the weekly menu you had a taco salad that wasn’t in the recipes. Just an FYI.
Big difference between “don’t be a slave to the scale” and “don’t track your body at all,” though, mama. There are other more valuable markers – like body fat percentage and tape measure – that tell a more thorough tale than a number that can be affectd by everything from whether or not you’ve retained water to whether or not you’ve pooped for the day. If you need something to track, then use SOMETHING, but just use something accurate.
…and thank you for the very kind words on the meal plan. Glad you stepped out on faith and got a reward in the end. 🙂
Boy did I need this! I’m only 1 week into my journey to the new healthy me (eating right getting back on my exercise regime) and i was pumped all through the week then I stepped on my brand new second time being used scale (yes i bought a scale just for this journey) this morning and the scale didn’t move!!! I was so down that I almost didn’t get up and get in my exercise this morning and even as I pushed my self to keep on track I felt my motivation wane. However, after reading this post I think i’ll leave my scale alone for a while! I for one don’t think i can handle the emotional ups and downs my scale has to offer!
I am a daily weigher. I weigh myself every morning as soon as I get up. It keeps me motivated. I lost 61lbs and am in the home stretch of losing the last 19. It is not only very motivating to me to get up and see the ounces drop off every morning but also because I am at the lowest weight I have been at in a very long time and it is nice to get up and that low number staring back at me. It really is a great way to start my day.
I am guilty of the daily weigh-in. I don’t take it too serious, I know it will be up or down for obvious things and sometimes up or down when I think it should have been the opposite. But it keeps me aware of how I am doing. It’s my crutch I suppose, I have maintained my weight for a year now after losing 85 pounds. I just am not comfortable yet putting away the scale, lol, I guess I need that daily affirmation that I am not 230 anymore. I do keep track from one Saturday to another how the weight is doing, which I feel is pretty much a good indicator.
Thank you SO much for this post. I, too, am a daily weigher. Thinking that if I weigh myself first thing in the morning, that would be my truest weight. Saddened to find out that the number on the scale went up, not down.
Subconciously I knew that weight was mental, but after reading this post, I didn’t truly understand the mental components of losing weight. I am so thankful for your site, Erika!
Here’s to getting to work on a healthier more fit lifestyle. I’ve thrown away the scale until I’m ready.
Thanks for this post. It really hit on time. A year ago tomorrow, I actually started my journey to lose weight for the third time. I saw an article about this blog in Essence Magazine, and have been hooked every since. I did not weigh myself, but counted my caloric intake and exercised. Maybe it was not a good idea, but I did not want to hurt my journey. In the past year, I have lost 3 dress sizes. I used my clothes to measure my weight. Today, I am focusing on maintaining my weight, and I still am not a fan of weighing daily. I completely agree with you Erica that it is a fanatic behavior. You should measure your body fat, and use your clothes to determine your body’s daily changes. This should be your focus. Thanks so much for your posts, and please keep them coming.
I used to be a slave to my scales as well. I began looking at how my clothes fit. Last night I tried on a size 6 pair of denim capri pants and they fit but are still snug in the abdominal and butt area and I am like okay I got them on and I can zip them up and etc…I have not weighed myself since Wednesday February 1st. I weight 155 at the time.
I agree going by how your clothes fit is a more accurate representation of wight loss vs. getting on the scale on a daily basis.
I saw an article on Yahoo News the other day that said that it was healthy and “helpful” to weigh yourself everyday, which is counter to EVERYTHING I’ve ever read about weight loss. I’ve been a daily weigher for years but recently broke the habit. Now, its once a week max (when I actually do have access to a scale) and I don’t feel so horrible about my weight now, since I’m not seeing the same numbers day after day which makes me feel like I’ve made so little (or no) progress.
I like this post and can say that I hate the scale. I’ve been eating cleaner, healthier, and incorporate physical activity (I’m trying to get to 100% clean one day). Even though my clothes fit better, I fell better, can walk longer distances without getting tired, the scale either won’t budge or shows that I gained weight. It never shows a weight loss (weird, I know), even though my clothes fit better and my family can tell that I got smaller. I don’t rely on the scale. I rely on my clothes.
I learned years ago that the same way your reproductive system goes through it’s menstrual cycle each month, the same thing happens to your weight.
For this reason, I make a point to check my weight and measurements every four weeks. Even though I weigh each Monday morning (and sometimes randomly throughout the week), I make a point not to worry or focus until that four week mark. Otherwise, it’s easy to feel like nothing is happening and to become disillusioned.
Also, I recently saw an article in “Self” magazine about weighing yourself. They had a group of women and each one gave their philosophy (or fears) about the scale. Under each quote, there was a blurb written. One said to weigh yourself everyday, another said not to. Another said focus on nonscale victories. It felt like what they really wanted to say was, “Here’s what these people do. Which one are you most like? Do that. YOLO!” Smh.
This was right on time!! I became addicted to the scale recently and began to feel so down when the scale began to climb. I have been working out at minimum 5 days a week sometimes twice a day. I even went an bought another scale cuz I thought the previous one was broken. Im now committing to weighing once a month.
Hmm. Is it inherently fanatical to weigh yourself daily? I get what you’re trying to do here, and you’re right that folks need to stop looking to the scale for immediate, real-time validation or discouragement. Really wished you hadn’t used the pejoratively-tinged “slave to the scale” hook, though, and instead made it clear that the scale habit itself can be approached with a WIDE variety of mindsets and goals. I weigh myself daily – which I started doing 65 pounds and several sizes ago (from dress size 16 to 6) – at roughly the same time and under the same circumstances (e.g., post-elimination, in bra and underwear, dry hair, etc.), and it has never jacked me up. I don’t freak if I see the number go up a few pounds, nor do I celebrate if I dip for a day or two. However, I DO use that data to determine general trends over time (in combination with clothes fits, changes to shape, etc.). Is my weight going up, as a general trend, or down – not over the course of a day or two, but a few weeks or a month? If so, and it’s significant, do I already know why – and is the reason one I’m cool with or not? For example, this is how I’ve been able to check myself about stress-related weight LOSS in the past (because I’m not interested in losing weight in an unhealthy way). I would’ve appreciated a bit more of an acknowledgment that scale data is a potentially valid part of a larger data set – depending on when, how, and toward what end it’s being used. There are those of us out there who have found the “hard numbers” helpful as part of our toolkit. Sans fanaticism 🙂
“However, I DO use that data to determine general trends over time (in combination with clothes fits, changes to shape, etc.)…Is my weight going up, as a general trend, or down – not over the course of a day or two, but a few weeks or a month? ”
…all of which you can STILL do with checking your weight weekly, and not daily. Again, this is silly. You can’t get any information or make any significant change overnight that will affect your weight if your lifestyle is already in check to the point where you’re losing 65lbs (and congrats onthat, by the way!), so to me, it IS inherently fanatical to check the scale daily.
And to do so is akin to, in my opinion, being a slave to it. Pejorative intended. (And, I mean, seriously. It wasn’t intended to be a compliment.)
I was hitting the scale every week after working out 6 days and would be disappointed if it didn’t budge, but my clothes were fitting different and I was losing inches, finally I decided to let the scale dictate my progress
I hear you on the weekly versus daily thing, in terms of the relative utility of the daily numbers themselves. I really do. And upon reviewing your response, it’s clear I made an incomplete argument! Because still I wonder… what of the mental/emotional benefits others who “weigh daily” have highlighted in their comments? Isn’t the act of stepping on the scale daily – again, without being on tenderhooks about +3 or -2 or whatever – just one possible way to create a daily space to stop and think about your body, or a certain level of awareness? I guess I not only don’t think that’s “silly”- but if for some, it’s a non-stressful opportunity to build up mental and emotional armor, I would personally prefer that folks struggling to find those things don’t feel like daily weigh-ins are an inherently “silly” or wrong option. For me, it’s been a way to set the psychological tone for each day that values long-term outcomes over short-term pizza, so to speak (LOL) – perhaps not forever, but for right now – and it’s hard to apologize for what feels like a non-disordered, positive part of my lifestyle. That said, appreciate your response, and the congrats – and I should note that whether I pick a fight with particular posts or not, I still direct others to this page on the regular! 🙂
“Because still I wonder… what of the mental/emotional benefits others who “weigh daily” have highlighted in their comments?”
If you are receiving emotional benefits from weighing daily, instead of doing the right things that encourage you to get the positive reflection on the scale, then I’m curious as to what your initial motivation is in the first place, and whether or not your approach is healthy in general.
” just one possible way to create a daily space to stop and think about your body, or a certain level of awareness?”
How about the actual activity? How about thinking about your body when you are making the choices that can affect it, instead of just saying YOLO and then running to the scale to see whether or not you have to pay the piper?
“For me, it’s been a way to set the psychological tone for each day that values long-term outcomes over short-term pizza”
But, this is the problem. Short term pizza isn’t the issue as much as FREQUENT pizza is. And that’s why I have a problem, overall, with daily weighing. It’s unnecessarily obsessive about the wrong things, with a dire focus on instant gratification. The long-term approach is what is most important, not the occasional [well crafted, homemade] pizza. It’s not the punitive nature of daily weighing, but the positivity that comes with making choices that not only encourage healthy living, but also weight loss.
And, though we clearly disagree here, I appreciate the continued support. You’d be surprised by how many people expect me to, not only ignore comments, but also take my disagreeing with them as some affront to their humanity. LOL You’re still cool… we just don’t see eye to eye today. LOL
LOL! Interesting points across the board (particularly re: the emotional tug of the scale being fundamentally healthy or unhealthy… food for thought). For the benefit of those “listening in,” I will say that thank heavens, I am not YOLOing or I wouldn’t be where I am. I hit the scale first thing in the morning and then (yay cheap, convenient exercise!) walk to work. What drew me to your blog (after I’d already dropped a lot of weight, actually) was the lifestyle groove – I recognized the key principle that broke my cycles and changed my game forever. I will now be the first to chant down any “diet,” “fast,” etc., and encourage my friends to find a path they can walk and ENJOY for life. On that note, I chuckled as I read your response and realized I’ve totally had pizza of the well-crafted, homemade variety twice in the past week – I was thinking back to the big ol’ nasty pizzas that used to tempt me on my walk home (whereas now I walk by thinking, “Funny that this used to smell like FOOD to me!”). So… *drumroll*… we surely do agree on something today. More than one thing. I’m actually loving that you’re forcing me to think a little harder on where I’m at TODAY, and whether I really (gasp!) “need” the scale anymore to get in my zone – because the more I think on it, the less that seems true. It was a friend for a minute there (hence the initial “WHOA” in reaction to your piece, but now it feels like more of an old habit… interesting. Thanks 🙂
This helped me out a lot. I weigh myself every morning. And I feel stuck. I carry the weight proportionately but Im tired of it. The scale refuses to go below 200lbs ( Im 201.3 now). It hurts my feelings. I work our 3-4 a week. My trainer has me doing things I’ve never done and giving her the side eye. Ive changed my eating habits, Im counting my calories and I feel better. I do, but that scale is not my friend. I think it and I need a break.
I weigh once a month (only time it may be more often is if I go to the doctor and I have to weigh in). I was a slave to the scale before and decided I would not go that route. I knew that if I am making the right decisions food/exercise wise, then after a month, i would lose something.
I have this post bookmarked on my browser, so that any time the scale shows me a “lack of progress” I can reinforce a message of encouragement.
Real talk though, I’ve been on “maintenance” since the beginning of the year–didn’t reach my goal weight, but I told myself I’d go on maintenance anyway to prove to myself that numbers don’t matter as much as other things. I’ve been exercising regularly and have been watching my portions/calories/macros…but the scale is convinced that I’ve been gaining weight every week for the past month. I just don’t see it. And I don’t feel it. Strongly considering getting rid of the scale altogether.
Yes your post is a year old and I have no clue when the last comment went up but I had to say something 😛
It’s actually almost four years old…and I still go back to it, too – that’s why I run #ScaleFreeSummer/Fall/Winter/Spring. Seriously helpful.
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