That Dreaded Scale

QUESTION: How often should I weigh myself?  It’s frustrating not to see that scale moving yet...

RESPONSE:

When speaking with women about their weight loss plans, one of the biggest mistakes I hear about is that they step on their scale every single day (as does my husband, but he's a whole other story!) Not only is this a brutal act of torture, but the daily numbers are also hugely inaccurate. And daily monitoring is completely unnecessary.

Yes, it is great to set weight loss goals for yourself. Monitoring your weight regularly can help you stay in control. But there are many reasons why constant daily feedback from your scale is a bad thing.

The scale can be your best friend one day and your most hated enemy the next. On days when the pounds go down, you will be very happy. But what about the days when you step on the scale expecting to see the numbers going down, and to your horror, they go up? Now you’re discouraged and may feel like your weight loss efforts are a waste of time. This can lead to complete diet sabotage.

The problem with daily weighing is that our weight naturally fluctuates from day to day. The main reason the scale goes up and down from day to day is not your failure, but simple water retention. Remember that the long term goal is what is important, not the minor fluctuations that occur naturally from day to day.

A better way to determine if your weight loss efforts are paying off is to ask yourself how you feel overall. Do your clothes fit a little looser? Does your body feel a little tighter? Leaner? Do you feel like you have more energy and strength throughout the day? Remember that a scale can’t tell if you have lost fat and gained muscle, so always listen to your body, not the scale.

How can you beat the daily weigh-in dilemma? Most importantly, step on the scale no more than once per week. Be consistent. Always weigh yourself on the same scale. Step on the scale on the same day of the week, every time.

Weigh yourself first thing in the morning. Because of the different foods we eat and fluids we drink daily, we gain pounds and lose pounds and gain them again throughout the day. Weighing yourself first thing in the morning before you’ve had anything to eat or drink will give you the most accurate reading.

Keep in mind that when you start a weight loss routine, you will likely start losing inches before you start losing pounds. Do not be discouraged if you have been at it for a while and the scale is not showing you the results you expected. Remember that weight loss takes time. Stick to your diet and exercise program, along with weekly weigh-ins and that scale will start creeping down in no time.