I refuse to weigh myself

I’ve debated weighing myself to track my progress. I have goals and need reports to measure their success. My workouts have been consistently better this year. I work out for at least 40 minutes daily, sometimes twice a day. I’ve had three workouts with at least 30 minutes this year. Most workouts this week were over an hour for at least 6 days. Today, I did 90 minutes of hard elliptical, upper body weights, and felt fine. I don’t feel much lighter, but I feel stronger, so I’m not weighing myself yet.

How often should I weigh myself? Experts disagree. Some experts don’t recommend daily weighing, while researchers at the University of Minnesota found that daily weigh-ins resulted in more weight loss over two years than weekly weigh-ins. I’ve used three diet programs (FitDay, Spark People, and Livestrong’s Daily Plate) to monitor my diet and calorie deficit (about 900-1,500 calories daily, including workouts). Should I expect to lose 4-5 pounds? Each program has its benefits for monitoring calories and nutrition, but they’re similar enough. However, I avoid weighing because it can lead to unhealthy obsession.

I have observed that my weight can also fluctuate throughout the day. Consequently, if I weigh myself in the morning one day and then in the afternoon the following day, I may perceive a “false” weight gain. Regardless, I will wait to ascertain whether I have lost weight. Subsequently, I may be disappointed that it is less than I anticipated.

I acknowledge that I will never triumph in this endeavor, so I must accept it. I extend my best wishes to those who attempted the Winter Carnival Half Marathon today. The weather conditions could have been more favorable.

My schedule has been demanding, and my next post will likely be published after I finally weigh myself, unless I inadvertently damage the household.

Carry on my friends, carry on!

Comments from my original blog - I merged the blogs.

Karen G

My belief is diet before exercise as the most important part of weight control. Had I not been on Weight Watchers, I am sure I would never have been able to start running and have lost the 40-50 I did. We weighed weekly.  Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 7:56:24 AM CST

Beth

I weigh myself every day. It is a physical action that helps remind me of my goals. I always weigh after I get up in the morning and go to the bathroom. Don't be afraid! It sounds like you are doing everything right, so the scale will be your friend.  Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 10:17:15 PM CST

SteveQ

The frequency of weighing is a mental matter. If weighing every day causes one to obsess, it's a bad idea. If weighing weekly causes one to wonder what caused every little increase or decrease, it can also be a problem. I weigh myself once a month, on the same day of the week each time, first thing in the morning - but I'm not trying to lose much.  Monday, January 25, 2010 at 10:32:29 AM CST