weighing in on weighing in

jules · Post by **jules** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 7:16 am

Just wondering how many try to use scale weigh-ins vs. tape measure (to measure inches lost)?

I do weigh myself occasionally. It's a digital scale that uses tenths of pounds -- though i'm well aware that home scales are inaccurate. I look for a downward trend over time.

However, my most important measure is how my clothes fit. I'm currently single and living alone so self-measuring accurately is difficult at best. So i just opt for the old "OMG my clothes are looser" measure.

I have weighed myself daily in the past. I tried to weigh at same time of day and in same clothing. I didn't find it discouraging at all. Rather i gave that up b/c it seemed like too much bother. However, I know that for some daily weigh-ins can be motivating.

And my bathroom scales lives in my kitchen.

jules

jenlio97 · Post by **jenlio97** » Sat Jul 04, 2009 3:07 pm

I agree that how my clothes fit is the greatest measure of where I am. I do tend to weigh myself almost daily and I am trying to spread it out. I seem to stay in a 3 lb range when I am at the bottom of the range I think I am homefree, and when I am at the top I feel bad. So I do not think there is a benefit there. I know that if I go crazy because it is a S day and a hoilday that I will wake up monday and have gained the 3 lbs I lost over the week of following my No S's. But I am stuck in this pattern.
My advice put away the scale.

Bushranger · Post by **Bushranger** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:37 am

I'll weigh myself and use a tape measure, not more than monthly though for either. I find usually it correlates well but if I put on a bit of muscle they don't match and I usually weigh the same but have dropped a centimetre or two on my waist.

That's why I see weight alone as pointless and one of my biggest marks against the entire Biggest Loser program series; The men who pack on muscle outside the house in the final few months before "grand finale" always lose because the weigh-in is only on weight lost not actual fat lost. It's fundamentally flawed.

This is also why BMI is flawed; most muscular professional athletes are obese according to BMI. Weight alone is not useful, add measurements also and you have a very strong tracking methodology.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:06 am

I'm working on weighing myself less often. Up until now, I've been weighing myself more than once a day on most days. I'm thinking No S will help me with that, since I'm certainly not going to weigh myself on S days, or on Mondays. I also use the tape measurer and the fit of my clothes to keep track of my progress. I've found that the tape measurer and the fit of my clothes have been far more accurate for me than the scale.

Kodama · Post by **Kodama** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:16 am

Like Bushranger, I weigh and measure as well. Only I weigh daily, to input into a trending formula based spreadsheet. I measure my waist, hips and neck monthly. (Waist to Hip ratio is supposed to be an excellent health indicator).

With a properly done 'Trend Weight' (which is what I report here), daily fluctuations are gone. I get a true and daily indication of the direction of my weight change. If I have a scale weight that is higher than yesterday, I just don't worry about it at all as long as my trend weight is still going down. If I have several days where the scale weight stays the same, and the trend weight is going down, I still know I'm progressing. If my scale weight goes higher for several days, and it affects my trend weight, THEN I know that something is amiss. It's a wonderful method.

As to BMI, well, for the vast majority of real people, I believe it has value. Many people love to bash BMI, because yes, massive muscle will make it rather pointless. But face it, most of us non-pro athletes are just not going to put on enough muscle mass to skew the BMI value. For the vast majority of us, BMI is an excellent indicator.

It seems many women I've talked to like to just use clothing fit. That just wouldn't work for me at all. I lost about 25 lbs before I dropped a size in pants. If I didn't track anything else, I would've given up earlier on for lack of seeing any progress. In short, clothing fit changes take too long.

StrawberryRoan · Post by **StrawberryRoan** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 1:17 pm

I weigh morning and night, just out of curiosity - have forever it seems.

It isn't a true gauge, of course, as it might say that I have gained or lost five pounds overnight - which would be 17,500 calories

What is a truer reflection is to log these weights (I do so at CalorieCountPlus) - amazingly their computers tell me the trend line and it is almost always exactly correct. So, I sorta go by that.

And, yes, clothes size is an important barometer. If I can get my skinny jeans on by just sucking it in and not having to lay on the bed to pull up the zipper with a pair of pliers -

I've lost weight.

jules · Post by **jules** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:59 pm

I don't think one has to wait until the clothes are a full size smaller to note progress in how your clothes fit. My clothes, particularly my pants, get progressively bigger & bigger as I lose weight. It's no more instantaneous than watching the scale creep down from month to month.

I went for about 3-4 months where my weight didn't move at all yet my pants continued to get looser. First I could only get my hand down the waistband. Then it was my forearm. Then I could have my arm down my side and pulling excess cloth away from my hip. Finally I could comfortably wear the next size down. (I've dropped 2 sizes, well probably 2 1/2.)

My weight then "suddenly" dropped like 5 lbs, but i know during that time I lost inches. I could feel it, and see it, in my clothes.

For me getting smaller is about the bigger picture. And more than anything, I want to get into better shape. My eating and exercise have improved drastically and the rest will come along for the ride.

mimi · Post by **mimi** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:21 am

I have started weighing once a month at the beginning - and then I actually weigh on the first three days and take an average as suggested in the book. This gives a truer weight picture, taking into consideration the day-to-day fluctuations. If I were to weigh daily, I would get into trouble...I tend to allow the number on the scale, whether good or bad, to influence what I do in terms of my eating behavior. I do recognize my problem, and have found a solution that is working for me. In between weighings, I keep a watch on my clothes and how they are fitting. I don't use a tape measure because I don't think I'd like those numbers either!

Mimi

oliviamanda · Post by **oliviamanda** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 2:27 am

I do weigh daily, these days, but it sure is frustrating. I can weigh anywhere within a 4 lb range within an hour of waking up, which hardly makes sense, so why do I even bother. I can sort of tell from my clothes. I never have used the tape measure, but I don't think I could put it in the right place every time.

So I take my lowest weight and let that be my daily weight, even if it's 4 lbs up before I even eat anything.

Amyliz · Post by **Amyliz** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:01 pm

I weigh myself as a reward for going to the gym in the mornings instead of at night or not at all. I don't own a scale, i only use the gym scale. I try to not use it at night b/c you're likely to weigh more, so when i'm trying to motivate myself to go in the morning i'll tell myself i get to weigh myself if i go!
strange reward, right?
Once I reached 149 in april I decided to adjust my weight goals to a 'range' instead of a number. I currently weigh 148-152. My goal range is 144-148.

It feels more sane than a single number.

I'm also a fan of measuring myself with a tape measure. I like this method for days when I 'feel' fat, 9 times out of 10 i pull out the tape and i'm exactly the same as a week ago and Its a visual way to confirm that it's all in my head or my bloated feeling is not visible.