Daily vs. weekly weigh-ins

[tom626]

Here are my daily weigh-ins from the past few weeks:

Sunday 12/30/2012 151
Monday 12/31/2012 150
Tuesday 1/1/2013 150
Wednesday1/2/2013 148.5
Thursday 1/3/2013 149.5
Friday 1/4/2013 150
Saturday 1/5/2013 148
Sunday 1/6/2013 149
Monday 1/7/2013 150.5
Tuesday 1/8/2013 151
Wednesday1/9/2013 149.5
Thursday 1/10/2013 150.5
Friday 1/11/2013 150.5
Saturday 1/12/2013 153
Sunday 1/13/2013 148.5
Monday 1/14/2013 no data
Tuesday 1/15/2013 152.5
Wednesday1/16/2013 150.5
Thursday 1/17/2013 152
Friday 1/18/2013 153
Saturday 1/19/2013 152
Sunday 1/20/2013 150.5

With so much fluctuation, if I had only weighed in once a week, results could have differed wildly. For example if I weighed in only on Saturdays, it would have looked like I gained 5 pounds between 1/5 and 1/12. But if I only weighed in Sundays, it would have looked like I LOST half a pound between 1/6 and 1/13. In other words, it would be a total crapshoot. Daily weigh-ins give a much clearer picture of one's progress.

Here's the above data plotted:



Blue dots are the individual data points. The red line is the average of the previous seven days, and is what I've been using to measure progress.

[ArchangelEST]

You could take it a step further and weigh multiple times a day for ultimate accuracy. Lol. You're right of-course, but most people just don't bother to weight themselves that often. In the end even that 1 week is too short of a time-frame to show true progress. About two weeks in you'll have a pretty clear trend as to how your weight is changing.

The issue with daily weigh-ins is that people tend to over-estimate their importance. You did it right, took the average at the end of the week. BUt a lot of people - women especially - freak out when they see they've gained 3lb over-night. They can go totally berserk and near-suicidal, lol.

[tom626]

Fair enough, I realize it's easy to get obsessive when you do daily weigh-ins. But if you're able to keep those emotions in check, I think it's the way to go.

But on the same token, those people who freak out when they gain 3 pounds overnight might freak out even more if they see they gained 5 pounds in a week like the example I cited above. If they had weighed in daily, they would have seen that it ultimately averages out. So who knows...

[AlwaysTryin]

I do daily weigh ins. Why? It's easier to see change gradually

Look at your graph. Is the HIGH point (your top weight fluctuation) decreasing? Is your LOW (bottom weight fluctuation) decreasing? If so you're on the right track

Don't get so caught up in "how many lbs you've lost", rather consistently seeing those points decreasing over time

[lllDBOlll]

I personally just do once a week. Every Sunday morning, fresh outta bed, after a piss / turnout.