How Often Should You Weigh Yourself?

So you’ve started on a weight loss journey! You’re eating healthier and moving more and want to how much you’ve progressed. The most obvious way to track your progress is to weigh yourself, right? But, how often should you weigh yourself? 

What if the weight is always fluctuating? How can you tell if you are really losing weight?

You are not alone if you have asked yourself any of these questions. Far too often, people weigh themselves too frequently, become frustrated by a perceived lack of progress, and give up. We’re here to tell you there is more to the equation and you shouldn’t give up just yet.

How Often Should You Weigh Yourself?

Let’s just get this one out of the way. Do not weigh yourself every day. Do not weigh yourself multiple times a day. The most frequent you should weigh yourself is every 2-3 days, but even that isn’t recommended.

Your body weight will fluctuate not even just on a daily basis but on an hourly basis. Your weight will change based on numerous factors, including but not limited to water retention, food consumption, salt consumption, hormones, etc.

To get the best results, you should weigh yourself as frequently as once a week. Make sure to weigh yourself at the same time, wearing the same amount of clothes. It is typically recommended to weigh yourself first thing in the morning, before food/water consumption or bowel movements to ensure the least amount of variables and the most consistent data.

Should You Even Weigh Yourself?

We’ve all been there. You start eating better. Your clothes are fitting better. You feel better. Yet, the scale hasn’t moved– or maybe, it’s even gone up.

Well, what’s the problem then? Your clothes are fitting better, meaning you’ve lost inches. Why does the scale matter so much?

Well, people tend to put emphasis on the number on the scale because it is a way to quantify progress. However, it is not always the most reliable. There are other ways to measure progress without the scale.

Instead, try taking measurements with a body tape measure. Measure your waist, hips, legs, arms, and shoulders and track the progress that way. You are more likely to see differences in your body composition, even when the scale isn’t moving.

Better yet, try taking progress photos! It’s crazy how you can make dramatic transformations in your body, but not notice them until you see side-by-side before and after comparison photos.

Concluding Thoughts

At the end of the day, how often you should weigh yourself depends on your goals and how it affects you emotionally. If you find that you wind up falling off the wagon because you binge every time the scale doesn’t move, maybe consider weighing yourself less often. The scale can provide helpful data, but only when done an appropriate amount.

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