Stepping on the Scale Daily or Weekly While on GLP-1?

A Scale-Induced Panic Attack (That Wasn’t Actually a Panic Attack)

Let me tell you about the time I had a complete meltdown to start my day at 6 a.m. I had been on my GLP-1 medication for a few months, steadily losing weight and feeling good about myself. Every morning, like clockwork, I would step on my bathroom scale. One morning, I groggily got up, stumbled to the scale, and BOOM, five pounds up overnight?! What in the Voldemort kind of dark sorcery happened overnight?

My brain went into immediate panic mode. Had I somehow sleepwalked to the fridge and devoured an entire bag of Cheetos or a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints? Was my metabolism playing a cruel joke on me? I moved my scale to a different tile on the floor, changed the batteries in it, and shouted multiple curse words in the mirror. I was ready to call my doctor, my mom, and possibly the FBI. Then I noticed my mistake. I was still holding my coffee mug, while standing on the scale! As it turned out, 16 ounces of liquid does make a difference, especially when you are still holding it. Wake up first! Crisis potentially averted. This little fiasco made me start questioning: should I really be weighing myself every day, or is weekly weighing the way to go? If you’re taking a GLP-1 medication like Mounjaro, Zepbound or Wegovy, you have probably wondered the same thing. Let’s break down the pros and cons of both approaches.

Daily Weighing: The Good, The Bad, and The Neurotic

Pros of Weighing Yourself Daily:

1. Instant Feedback – You will quickly see how your body responds to food, hydration, and lifestyle changes. A salty meal yesterday will make you hate yourself in the morning!
2. Accountability – It keeps you mindful of your habits and helps you stay consistent.
3. Early Trend Detection – You can spot weight loss trends before they become noticeable in clothing.
4. More Data Points – More frequent weigh-ins will provide some personal education on what you did for daily impacts and a clearer long term picture.
5. Motivational Boosts – Seeing the scale move down (even slightly) can be a great confidence booster.
6. Better for Scientific Minded Folks – If you love numbers, charts, and patterns, this approach is perfect for tracking progress.

Cons of Weighing Yourself Daily:

1. Fluctuations Can Mess With Your Mind – Water retention, hormones, constipation and digestion can make the scale fluctuate wildly.
2. Obsessive Behavior Risk – Daily weigh-ins can turn into a rage inducting, unhealthy fixation.
3. Discouragement from Temporary Gains – Seeing an uptick (even if it’s just water weight) might make you feel like your progress is stalling. You are not a failure!
4. Doesn’t Account for Non-Scale Victories – Your clothes might fit better and you may feel healthier, but the scale might not reflect that right away.
5. Mornings Become an Emotional Rollercoaster – Your mood might depend on a number that can change overnight for no real reason.

Weekly Weighing: Less Stress, More Chill

Pros of Weighing Yourself Weekly:

1. Reduces Stress & Anxiety – No daily emotional rollercoaster based on the scale’s whims.
2. Shows Real Progress – Weekly weigh-ins smooth out daily fluctuations and give a more realistic view of weight loss.
3. Encourages a Sustainable Mindset – You focus more on habits than an arbitrary number.
4. Less Risk of Obsession – You are not as likely to fixate on minor changes.
5. Allows for More Freedom – You probably won’t freak out over one salty meal that causes temporary water retention.

Cons of Weighing Yourself Weekly:

1. Less Immediate Feedback – If you are making dietary changes, you will not know their impact right away.
2. Might Miss Small Wins – Those tiny day-to-day victories won’t be as noticeable.
3. More Temptation to Skip – It is easier to “forget” or delay a weekly weigh-in, especially so if you are nervous about the results.
4. Harder to Identify Trends Quickly – If weight loss stalls or trends upwards, you are unlikely to identify it as fast.

So, Which One Is Best?

The truth? It depends on YOU.

• If you thrive on data, structure, and accountability, daily weighing might be the way to go.
• If you are prone to stress, anxiety, or scale related mood swings, weekly weigh-ins are probably a better fit.

For many people taking GLP-1 medications, a hybrid approach works best. If you are looking for a low cost scale, many GLP1 folks rave about the RENPHO scales which measure body fat, water composition and so many other things and sync to a great app on your phone for regular tracking! Try weighing daily but averaging out your weight over the week to get a more realistic sense of progress. There are so many great apps or tracking tools that will help you provide averages and trends. Or weigh yourself a few times a week instead of every day.

Remember, the scale is just one tool in your weight loss journey. Those non-scale victories (NSVs) like your clothes, energy levels, and overall health are just as important (if not more so) than the number staring back at you taunting and teasing you.

And for the love of all things good, put your coffee down before you step on the scale. If you are interested in more helpful tips, try our 5-Minute Podcasts available on your favorite streaming services.