Once per decade, whether I need it or not…
Hah! I hadn’t even thought of that. You’re definitely on to something!
Once a day, in the morning, recorded in a spreadsheet and plotted on a graph with linear trend lines. I’ve recorded it 95 out of the past 124 days to see how my weight fluctuates with diet and exercise - or lack thereof. I’ve lost 12.2 lbs in that time. (Went as far as 15.4 lbs lost, but had a purposefully indulgent and inactive three weeks that encompassed my honeymoon and Christmas.)
It’s more about record-keeping than obsessing over weight, for me at least.
There are some interesting things I’ve found for myself. First, the data is really noisy from day to day, as much as 2 lbs, when I’m not in a routine - you need to look at how things are trending over 5-10 days. Second, when I get into a routine, I tend to plateau for a few days, then drop weight in a chunk - I’ll literally wake up one day a pound lighter. Third, and this is a bit TMI: going to the bathroom can make a big difference. Consequently, I weigh myself, naked, only after peeing in the morning, and try to keep regular by having oatmeal and coffee every morning.The practical thing I’ve come away with looking at my weight so often is that one day will neither make or break me. It’s great to know that I can celebrate a special occasion and indulge a little, or cheat if I really need it, and that it won’t make me gain 5 lbs overnight. The corollary is that when I do feel like I’ve woken up 5 lbs fatter, feeling gross and unattractive, I know it’s just mental.
Morning and evening. And I record the morning one every day. I find there’s a two day lag between over indulging and it sticking. I lost 19kg doing this over the past year but the last two months I have slipped badly and am 4kg up again thanks to Halloween, Christmas and New Year. The holiday ends tomorrow morning for me. Back to tracking weight, exercise and food. It’s the only thing that works for me. I kid myself otherwise.
I need to do that. I’m hiding my scale. It’s just sitting there in the bathroom and it’s so easy to hop on and see where my weight’s going. But it’s discouraging and I’m tired of letting the scale decide whether I’ll be happy or depressed today.
So, straight answer: I weigh myself almost daily.
But I’m trying to quit.
Me: never
Wife: daily
I don’t see the point in it. I can tell if I’m gaining or losing by the fit of my clothing.
4 or 5 times a year.
I find it helpful because I sometimes want an objective measure of weight fluctuations.
Haven’t in years.
Every morning, right after I pee. Keeps me honest.
Used to be several times daily but I had serious issues with food/weight then. Nowadays I don’t even own a set of scales, so the only time I weight myself is when I’m in a bathroom with scales and feel curious; maybe once every few months.