How Often Do You Weigh Yourself?

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Are you addicted to weighing yourself?

Daily?

Or multiple times daily?

If yes, you are not alone unfortunately.

But have you ever thought about why you are doing it?

What kind of information do you really get from the scale? What does it mean?

Of all the negatives associated with this kind of behavior (causes unhealthy eating and workout behaviors; negative affects your mood and mental/emotional health; just to name two) the one that’s at the top of list, and this I can tell you for sure is:

Weighing yourself daily makes you blind to your actual progress.

✅ You’re eating better.

✅ You have some discipline and structure in your life.

✅ You’re sleeping more soundly.

✅ You’ve perhaps stopped snoring.

✅ Your menstrual cycle has returned to regularity.

✅ Your clothes are loose.

✅ Your rings and watch are loose.

✅ You have more energy.

✅ You have more mental retention.

✅ You’re more productive professionally.

✅ You have more endurance, stamina and better workouts.

✅ Your skin looks better.

✅ Your hair feels better.

✅ Your nails are stronger.

✅ Your feet aren’t swollen.

✅ Blood work results are better.

✅ Medications have been lowered

. . . and the list goes on.

I do, however, meet people all the time who not only weigh themselves every day, but several times a day. This is self-defeating for so many reasons, not the least of which is because you can get on a scale 10 times a day and get different readings every time. Hydration, how much and when you last ate, sodium intake, bowel movements, hormonal shifts, sleep, whether you’ve exercised or worked out . . . all play a role.

True weight loss is measured over a week’s time – not every day, not every 2 days, etc. The complete digestive process for an average adult takes up to 48 hours (more, for larger people). When you step on the scale it’s the result of what you’ve eaten 2-3 days back! If you “lose it” on a Saturday night, weigh in the morning and see you haven’t gained any weight, you thank your lucky stars and get back on track that day. But, lo and behold, you’re up 2 pounds on Monday. THAT is the result of what you did two days prior.

I see clients 2-3 times a week (M/W/F). They weigh in on the same scale and most, given their schedules, usually come in at the same time of day or evening. (I do the same with my long-distance clients who weigh-in twice a week on the same home scale on the same mornings each week.) Still, I don’t compare their weight on a Wednesday to the Monday two days prior. The true measure of how they did is by comparing their Monday weight to last Monday’s weight; Wednesday to last Wednesday, etc. That is true weight loss.

Yes, of course, at some point, stepping on the scale is a good way to remind yourself where you are, and to help you maintain a healthy weight. Even then, as I do with my Maintenance clients, pick just one day of the week, two at most (and I suggest Friday or Monday, before and/or after the weekend), and that’s it. Week-to-week, same day, same time (or as close to it as possible) gives you an honest assessment of where you are. During the weight loss process, however, the best way to disappoint yourself on a regular basis is to check your weight frequently.