The norm seems to be to weigh yourself weekly and it’s usually on Mondays (the start of every new diet). I have stepped on the scale daily, weekly, monthly and even less frequently. And I can tell you from my experience it is better to weigh yourself daily and record it. And I will tell you why you should do the same and weigh yourself daily.
I seem to instinctively know when I am gaining weight (tight clothes is a good sign, lol) and instinctively know when to avoid the scale. Hiding my head in the sand is a strategy that has not worked well for me for over 30 years!
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Looking back, I see that I convinced myself that I look okay, I am still able to buy some nice clothes. Right? But every season, I needed a larger size and resorted to fashions that covered my stomach, butt and legs. But who was I fooling? Only myself.
Here is why I think you should weigh yourself daily.
You Immediately Know When You Are Gaining
When I weigh daily I can’t avoid the upward trend! The scale never lies. And yes, there are some normal fluctuations in your weight. But if you see that three pounds turn to five, then seven, you know it’s time to really check out what has changed in the last several days and weeks.
In a 12-week study of first year college students, those that who were told to weigh themselves daily did not gain any weight while their classmates gained 5 pounds in the 12 weeks. So it seems that when you weigh yourself daily you can avoid weight gain.
You Stay On Track
Knowing that I will see the effects of the past few days on the scale, keeps me on track. I am less likely to eat junk or skip workouts because, in essence, the scale keeps me accountable. But I am not obsessive about the number on the scale. Again, I am fully aware of the normal changes in my weight.
A two-year study of overweight and obese gym members found that those that weigh themselves daily were more likely to lose significant weight and then keep it off. This is such great news, you can only only lose weight, but maintain it, if you weigh yourself daily.
You Have a Better Understanding of Your Body
We are all different. We all know those people who can eat a lot, never exercise and wear a size 10 dress. Unfortunately, I was not blessed with that kind of body. I see what happens when I eat a large steak dinner with dessert on my birthday (three pounds). And I also see how long it takes for my body to back to the pre-steak dinner (two days). I also observe the scale going up when I eat late at night.
Furthermore, I now know that my body is not like a computer or robot. If you want to lose one pound per week, we are told we need a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day. What I have noticed with my body is that I lose one pound anywhere from one, three or eight days.
You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge so while you are on this journey, your scale is a good tool, your friend and not your enemy.
If you don’t have a scale it’s important to get one. But don’t think you can’t start your journey if you don’t have a scale. Also, depending on your weight, you will need to pay attention to the maximum weight of the scale. I also recommend a smart scale that will connect with your phone. I have a Fitbit and I use FitBit’s Aria 2 scale. My weight, body fat percentage and BMI are sent automatically to my phone.
Of course, there are other ways to gauge your weight loss success including inch loss, clothes size, and photos. Use any and all that works for you. In my case, I know I am more successful in weighing daily and measuring monthly.
And let’s not forget the many non-scale victories! I was ecstatic when I needed a smaller bra, but I had mixed emotions when my wedding band became too big.
So there you have it – three very good reasons to weigh yourself daily. Try stepping on the scale every day and see what happens!
This is my favorite smart scale. If you have a Fitbit it not only gives you your weight, but you also get your BMA and percentage of body fat.
Check out what I eat to lose 75+ pounds and the exercises that I do.
What is your relationship with the scale? What is your biggest non-scale victory? I would love to hear about your experience.
8 comments
Thanks for this post! You make very good points and this is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been avoiding the scale, convincing myself that if I give myself a couple of days maybe it won’t be so bad … but a couple of days has turned into weeks … as my clothes are getting tighter and tighter … what you say here makes really good sense and I’m going to take your advice. 🙂
Hi Lisa, I understand exactly how you feel. I have done the same thing for years. Let me know how it goes.
Great advice. Thanks. I’ll try it.
Good luck, Denise. You got this!
What a great post! I was asking myself this question a lot of times – how oft do I need to weight myself?! And you gave me here some very good advice! Thank you!
Hi Sandra, I am glad that you found the information helpful. Stay healthy!
I am going to start weighing myself daily. Thank you.
Hi Ali, Great! Good luck!