The Scale – How Often Should You Weigh Yourself and Why?
And Instructions On How To Weigh Yourself Correctly
Weighing yourself is a very good way to make sure that you are progressing in your weight loss journey, but only if you use it correctly and understand how to use the data that you are receiving. Otherwise, it can lead to a whole host of headaches, worry, and unnecessary stress when you see the number on the scale stay the same or even rise. Like with any form of measurement, the scale is a guide. It lets us get an idea of what could be going on and where to take our diet or our training. You should never base your entire decision off of just the number on the scale, however, because often times your body will change and your overall weight will stay the same. So, then how often should we really measure ourselves?
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU MEASURE YOURSELF
So, despite the scale being just a guide its a pretty key aspect to our journey and we need this data to see where we are taking ourselves over time. The main idea is to watch for trends and not obsess over the number that it displays because it will jump around on you regardless of how perfect you are with your diet. You want to look at where you are going over time. If you can have the right mentality going in, daily weigh-ins are key. If you are someone who stresses over the number on the scale and cannot seem to shake the anxiety it gives you, feel free to weigh yourself less frequently. However, you still need to be weighing in at least 2, if not 3 times per week. Monday and Thursday would be a good example for this. Daily weigh-ins, although stressful at times, actually can help us stay committed to our plan. Getting up each morning and fighting the urge to go straight to the pot of coffee and stepping on the scale shows that we can about what we are trying to accomplish and that we want to monitor our progress, good or bad. Remember, no one lost 50 pounds overnight so do not expect yourself to either. Give your weight loss journey the time it needs. If you are making any type of progress, whether it be small or large, you are making progress.
YOU MENTIONED THAT MY WEIGHT CAN JUMP UP AND DOWN DAY-TO-DAY, WHAT CAUSES THAT?
In short, EVERYTHING. Literally EVERYTHING. I go over this in detail in another blog post but here is the quick rundown of some of the variables that can impact the number you see on the scale overnight:
– Glycogen Levels
– Sodium Intake
– Water Intake
– Fiber Intake
– Muscle Soreness
– Sunburn
– Sleep
– Stress Levels
– Creatine
– Other Supplements
– and the list goes on
With all of those variables and more, you should never get feel depressed or even be worried if you see that number on the scale jump up a pound, two pounds, three pounds, or more overnight. If you are sticking to the plan, you are making progress.
HOW DO YOU SUGGEST THAT I WEIGH MYSELF?
I have seen this be done incorrectly A LOT. What’s the number one thing we need in order to get a number we can use on the scale? A consistent environment. This means you need to weigh yourself at the same time of day, in the same area, on the same floor, with the same scale, and with the same amount of food and liquid in you. This is why you need to be weighing yourself first thing in the morning upon waking up from a (hopefully) good night’s sleep, AFTER you use the restroom and BEFORE you eat or drink anything. This is where you will be completely flushed out. This is our consistent number. You also need to make sure that you are either nude or are willing to wear the same style of underwear for each weigh-in. I am also baffled by the people who try to weigh themselves mid-day and actually try tracking it. Unless you can be 100% consistent with your food intake, your water intake, your activity (impossible), and the weight of your clothing and shoes, it’s going to be very difficult for you to get a good, consistent number.
Here are the instructions again on how to weigh yourself:
– Upon waking up after a good night’s sleep
– After you use the restroom
– Before you eat or drink anything
– You should either be nude or in your underwear
– this needs to be consistent
Depending on what your coach is having you do or how you are keeping track of progress for yourself, this would also be a great time of the day to measure yourself as well.