How often should you really weigh yourself?

Here is the rewritten content:

How Often Should You Really Weigh Yourself?

Few topics are more debated in health than the value of the humble bathroom scale. Some experts advocate daily self-weigh-ins to promote accountability for weight management, particularly when we’re following a diet and exercise program to lose weight. Others suggest ditching self-weigh-ins altogether, arguing they can trigger negative psychological responses and unhealthy behaviors when we don’t like, or understand, the number we see on the scale.

- Advertisement -

Why Weighing Weekly Is the Best Approach

Many, like me, recommend using scales to weigh yourself weekly, even when we’re not trying to lose weight. Here are three reasons why.

1. Weighing Weekly Helps You Manage Your Weight

Research confirms regular self-weighing is an effective weight loss and management strategy, primarily because it helps increase awareness of our current weight and any changes. A systematic review of 12 studies found participants who weighed themselves weekly or daily over several months lost 1–3 BMI (body mass index) units more and regained less weight than participants who didn’t weight themselves frequently. The weight-loss benefit was evident with weekly weighing; there was no added benefit with daily weighing.

2. Weekly Weighing Accounts for Normal Fluctuations

Our body weight can fluctuate within a single day and across the days of the week. Studies show body weight fluctuates by 0.35% within the week and it’s typically higher after the weekend. These fluctuations are normal and not indicative of significant changes in our body fat or muscle mass.

3. Weekly Weighing Avoids Scale Obsession and Weight-Loss Sabotage

Weighing too frequently can create an obsession with the number on the scales and do more harm than good. Often, our reaction when we see this number not moving in the direction we want or expect is to further restrict our food intake or embark on fad dieting. Along with not being enjoyable or sustainable, fad diets also ultimately increase our weight gain rather than reversing it.

So What Should You Do?

Weighing yourself weekly gives a more accurate measure of our weight trends over time. Aim to weigh yourself on the same day, at the same time and in the same environment each week – for example, first thing every Friday morning when you’re getting ready to take a shower, after you’ve gone to the bathroom, but before you’ve drunk or eaten anything.

Conclusion

In conclusion, weighing yourself weekly is the best approach to weight management. It helps increase awareness of our current weight and any changes, accounts for normal fluctuations, and avoids scale obsession and weight-loss sabotage. By weighing yourself weekly, you can focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes that promote overall health and well-being.

FAQs

Q: How often should I weigh myself?
A: Weigh yourself weekly, on the same day, at the same time, and in the same environment.

Q: Why do I need to weigh myself weekly?
A: Weighing yourself weekly helps increase awareness of your current weight and any changes, promotes accountability for weight management, and accounts for normal fluctuations.

Q: Can I weigh myself daily?
A: While daily weighing can provide immediate feedback, it can also lead to scale obsession and weight-loss sabotage. Weighing yourself weekly provides a more accurate measure of your weight trends over time.

Q: Why do I need to weigh myself in the same environment?
A: Weighing yourself in the same environment each week ensures consistency and accuracy. This includes weighing yourself at the same time of day, after using the bathroom, and before eating or drinking anything.

Q: What if I don’t like the number I see on the scale?
A: Don’t let the number on the scale dictate your self-worth or body image. Focus on making sustainable lifestyle changes that promote overall health and well-being.