The Scale – Friend or Foe?

I know I’m not alone when I say that some days I just want to set my bathroom scale on fire! We let those little things frustrate us so much that we either give up on our weight loss goals; or we at least want to give up!

When we begin a new fitness routine, it’s important to determine our starting weight and our measurements. Taking your “before” pictures can also be a very useful tool in helping us reach our goals. But when it comes to the scale, how often and when should we weigh ourselves?

According to research, it’s best to weigh ourselves first thing in the morning. So after we “do our business”, strip down to your birthday suit and weigh yourself! This will be fairly close to what your true weight actually is. It’s also best to weigh ourselves as close to same time each day as possible.

So how often is too often? It actually is different for each person. If you are new to a fitness routine, it may be a good idea to weigh in once a week so we can tell what’s working and what isn’t. Always keeping in mind that the scale may go up a few pounds but it doesn’t mean that we aren’t being successful in our efforts. Weighing ourselves daily, and seeing the numbers going up and down so often, can make us become discouraged and give up; only to go back to our old habits that got us here in the first place. We have to find a healthy balance that works for us.

For men and women, our weight can vary by about 2% of our body weight from day to day. Several factors contribute to this gain or loss. If we drink a lot of fluids prior to weighing, it could show a slight immediate gain on the scale. But ironically, not drinking enough water can also show a gain. If we are even slightly dehydrated, our bodies will hold onto whatever water it can get hold of. Also, eating foods high in sodium (most processed foods are loaded with sodium!), too much stress, and for women – the onset of our menstrual cycle can cause these gains.

Now for the good news!! This change in our weight from day to day is most likely not fat weight. You would have to consume an extra 3,500 calories in order to gain a pound of fat. Where that is not completely impossible, it is not likely. So drink more water, get plenty of rest, exercise at least 30 min. each day, and cut down on the sodium.

Don’t become a slave to the numbers on a scale. The scale can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It’s up to YOU on which one you allow it to be.

*Please feel free to contact me with any topics you would like to read more about!