How often should you be weighing yourself?

When you've committed to losing weight (or keeping off pounds you've previously lost), weighing yourself should be a part of the process as it can help you keep track of your results.

But how often should you weigh yourself to ensure you're headed in the right direction - every day? Once a week? Every few weeks?

Whether your goal is weight loss or maintenance, there's no one-size-fits-all rule about how often you should do weigh-ins. It all depends on what works for you.

As a general rule of thumb, you should probably be weighing yourself (without clothing) once or twice a week. Aim to do it before you've eaten breakfast or sipped your morning coffee or tea. Weight can fluctuate from morning to night, so try to do it at the same time every day for consistency's sake.

Still, some people prefer to weigh themselves every day and daily weight monitoring is okay for people who are motivated, feel comfortable and are aware of natural fluctuations in body weight. But for others, it can be more harmful than helpful.

For some, it can be motivating

If your goal is to lose weight, it can be encouraging to see the pounds drop - and weighing yourself daily can validate that what you're doing is working. Regular weight monitoring can also provide motivation or reinforcement if you fall off track. In other words, the number on the scale serves as inspiration to make choices that serve your weight-loss goals.

It can keep you accountable

Weighing yourself regularly helps with accountability, especially when you're following a weight-loss program. The number on the scale not only creates awareness around the effects of your eating habits, but it also helps you recognize when you've hit a plateau and need to switch up your strategy.

On the flip side, there can be pitfalls to regular weigh-ins:

It can be misleading

Perhaps you've encountered this scenario: In the morning, the scale says one number, but a few hours later it displays another. So what gives?

Your day-to-day weight can naturally fluctuate by as much as 2-3 pounds depending on factors like fluid intake, salt intake and your period, which is why stepping on the scale daily is not the most reliable method for monitoring your goals.

And the number on the scale isn't always indicative of your body composition and, therefore, can't dictate your progress accurately. For example, the scale can't distinguish between whether you gained a pound of muscle or fat – so if you’re visiting the gym as part of your new regime you may not be seeing the pounds drop quite as quickly as you expect.

It can be discouraging

Weighing daily can be helpful for certain people, but it can be stressful and frustrating for others. Regularly monitoring the number on the scale may also make you lose sight of other markers of health, like your mental wellbeing or energy levels.

If you let yourself focus on just the number on the scale, rather than how you look or how you feel, you may lose sight of the physical progress you've made. By not seeing progress through numbers, your mental health could potentially be at stake as you could begin to obsess over it – which can be especially harmful for people with a history of eating disorders.

Mental health should also be a priority when it comes to your wellbeing, so if stepping on the scale frequently or chasing a goal weight causes distress, don't do it.

Find a weighing schedule that’s right for you

When it comes to the frequency of your weight check-ins, no schedule is superior. Consistency - not frequency - is the main key to success. That means daily monitoring doesn't necessarily give you an edge on weight loss - you can be just as successful reaching your goals by weighing yourself weekly or even less.

The best weighing schedule is the one that makes you feel motivated, energized and excited about your weight-loss journey. If weighing yourself every day encourages you, then by all means, keep doing it. But if you find yourself down in the dumps after daily weigh-ins, perhaps weekly or biweekly scale sessions are better for you.