Weighing in

[emily13pt1]

I have tried several diets in the past and have always had a specific weigh in day. On these days, I would record my weight and monitor how I was doing week to week; currently my weigh in day is Tuesday. I find that when I weigh myself closer to the weekend I still have more food, sodium etc. in my system causing the scale to increase or not change at all. How does one suggest keeping track of progress and should I be seeing a higher weight from my S days?

Thanks,
Emily

P.S.-I have been on this diet for about 2 weeks and haven't suppressed all my urges for sweets yet. I have about 60 pounds more to lose.

[Amy C.]

I am weighing once a week on Saturday. You may find over time that you gradually go down on a Tuesday.

I would say, yes, you should weigh more after eating more. I hear the amount eaten on an S day goes down as time goes on. You just don't want that much food.

Why not weigh on Saturday? Or better yet, keep track of the N days success. Are you using the HabitCal?

[ironchef]

For the first year or so, I weighed daily and calculated a trend using the method on the Hacker's Diet website. There is a website that does it for you: https://trendweight.com/. Daily weight as a single number don't mean much, and as you said, is better at telling you about salt or water in your body than body fat loss. I used to find my weight fluctuated a couple of pounds every week, but my trend line showed a steady loss.

If you want to weigh weekly, I'd vote to just stick to the same day. It doesn't matter if it is a Friday or a Monday as long as it is the same day each week, and you resist the urge to step on the scales at other times. Who cares if your baseline is a couple of pounds lower or higher? Yes, Tuesdays will average higher than Fridays if you have big S weekends, but the point is whether your Tuesday weigh ins during November are lower than weigh ins now. It's the trend over the long term that you're looking for.

[catservant]

I have been a compulsive daily "weigher" for 40 years, and I don't see that it has helped me...still at the same weight, so what is the point of looking every day? If I'm up a pound or two it ruins my day, even though that amount of fluctuation is pretty insignificant. I am going to try a weekly weigh in this time, and once I am comfortable with that, maybe even a monthly weigh in. My ultimate goal is to become unattached from the scale enough to be one of those people who weighs themselves only when they go to the doctor...that would be lovely!

[r.jean]

Weighing is a personal decision and for me it changes over time. Weekly or monthly weigh ins seem very reasonable. I cannot totally give up the scale because I have a longstanding tendency to avoid the scale when I am gaining. I make myself weigh at least once a week for accountability.

[abelincoln]

so far I've tried not looking at the scale for 1 week and already I feel better

[oolala53]

Don't know if you're done with this topic, but I suggest you consider days on habit as a measure of your success for the first few months. You can add in weighing later and possibly adjust meals then, if necessary.

If you're not willing to give up the scale, I vote for the moving average approach as shared in a previous post.