Ditch the scales!
When we think of weight loss it all boils down to one question in the end: How much should I weigh? You need to consider the fact that meetings with your bathroom scale can actually be the one thing that is weighing you down.
The numbers on our scale are not the only measure of our weight loss success stories. Weight can be affected by various things like fluid fluctuations.
Weighing Is Not for Everyone
Most of us are well aware of what we weigh and for many people stepping onto the scale in the morning can drive their weight loss efforts. However, for some checking the scale daily might not be the highlight of their weight loss success stories.
Weight loss can seem like one of the hardest things you ever had to achieve. You may feel like you are doing your best, yet results seem to be something you can only dream of. Now picture yourself getting onto the scale day after day and getting constant reminders that you are not losing enough weight.
Daily weighing can be misleading. By paying too much attention to what the scale is saying you can become frustrated and discouraged. Rather weigh yourself once a week. This will prevent you from obsessing over your day to day weight fluctuations which are actually very normal.
Scales Don’t Tell the Real Story
Your weight changes from one day to another and this can be a reflection of different things happening in your body. Mostly, short-term changes in body weight can be a result of fluid shifts and they happen every day. Furthermore, increases in the female hormone, estrogen can make your body retain extra water. A very small percentage might come from fat gain. But remember, your scale will not be able to tell the difference.
Other Ways to Track Your Progress
It may be a good idea to use other ways to track the progress of your weight loss success stories.
- Take measurements of the circumferences of different areas of your body to make sure you are slimming down.
- Get your body fat percentage measured.
- Take before and after pictures.
- Try to keep track of your weight loss efforts by seeing how your clothes fit over time.
Many factors can affect your scale weight. Who knows? You may even be losing body fat while your scale tells a different tale. If weighing yourself does more harm than good, ditch the scales!
References:
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/should-you-weigh-yourself-every-day
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2849969/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/daily-weighing#section5
