Weighing up weighing in
The decision of whether or not to get on the scales is a very polarizing issue. Some people weigh religiously every morning and others refuse to weigh even for their doctor. So who's right?
Benefits
Weighing in gives an indication of your progress over time. The more data you have the better you can understand yourself. Your weight can give a helpful indication of whether a new exercise or nutrition regime is working for you. If you're expending a lot of time and emotional energy on a new course of action its important to know that it's moving you towards your goals. Check out this article if you're worried your regime is causing you to gain weight rather than lose it. Some people find that daily weighing keeps them on track. A pleasing result reinforces positive choices and a less pleasing result motivates change. If you weigh in regularly you'll hopefully be able to predict natural fluctuations and not get too caught up in the reading of any one day.
Drawbacks
One number on a scale is only one indication of progress. A loss or gain can be body fat but it can also be muscle or water. If you're going to weigh in it's worth investing in a good quality set of scales that measures all these variables.
While some people find weighing in motivating others find the opposite. It's particularly easy to become demoralized in the early weeks of data collection before you understand your body's natural fluctuations. For some people the number on the scale sends all the wrong messages - a "good" result can create complacency and a "bad" result can kick off a bout of stress eating. If you're unsure about the wisdom of weighing check in with your doctor. They'll likely advise against it if you are on medication that causes unavoidable weight gain, or if you have a history of eating or exercise disorders.
Be scale-smart
If you've weighed up the benefits and decided to step on the scales you can choose to do it daily or weekly. The more often you weigh in the faster you'll get to know your body. If you decide weekly is best choose the same day each week - most people tend to weigh more on Mondays than they do on Fridays. Keep the scales in the same place on a flat surface (eg the bathroom) and step on first thing in the morning. Track your total weight plus water and muscle. Consider taking monthly measurements in conjunction with your scale weight. According to the World Health Organisation, the Waist to Hip Ration (WHR) is a much more significant predictor of disease than your Body Mass Index (BMI). While you track your data, also track the way that data collection makes you feel. If standing on the scales distresses you it might be worth exploring why that is. Your relationship with gravity doesn't determine your worth as a person.
Conclusion
Standing on the scales can be a great tool to measure your health improvements for many people. The decision of whether to weigh or not is a very personal one, often a very delicate one. No choice is wrong. The only thing that's wrong is to assume your choice is the appropriate one for everyone. Be kind to yourself on your journey and also to others on theirs.
Benefits
Weighing in gives an indication of your progress over time. The more data you have the better you can understand yourself. Your weight can give a helpful indication of whether a new exercise or nutrition regime is working for you. If you're expending a lot of time and emotional energy on a new course of action its important to know that it's moving you towards your goals. Check out this article if you're worried your regime is causing you to gain weight rather than lose it. Some people find that daily weighing keeps them on track. A pleasing result reinforces positive choices and a less pleasing result motivates change. If you weigh in regularly you'll hopefully be able to predict natural fluctuations and not get too caught up in the reading of any one day.
Drawbacks
One number on a scale is only one indication of progress. A loss or gain can be body fat but it can also be muscle or water. If you're going to weigh in it's worth investing in a good quality set of scales that measures all these variables.
While some people find weighing in motivating others find the opposite. It's particularly easy to become demoralized in the early weeks of data collection before you understand your body's natural fluctuations. For some people the number on the scale sends all the wrong messages - a "good" result can create complacency and a "bad" result can kick off a bout of stress eating. If you're unsure about the wisdom of weighing check in with your doctor. They'll likely advise against it if you are on medication that causes unavoidable weight gain, or if you have a history of eating or exercise disorders.
Be scale-smart
If you've weighed up the benefits and decided to step on the scales you can choose to do it daily or weekly. The more often you weigh in the faster you'll get to know your body. If you decide weekly is best choose the same day each week - most people tend to weigh more on Mondays than they do on Fridays. Keep the scales in the same place on a flat surface (eg the bathroom) and step on first thing in the morning. Track your total weight plus water and muscle. Consider taking monthly measurements in conjunction with your scale weight. According to the World Health Organisation, the Waist to Hip Ration (WHR) is a much more significant predictor of disease than your Body Mass Index (BMI). While you track your data, also track the way that data collection makes you feel. If standing on the scales distresses you it might be worth exploring why that is. Your relationship with gravity doesn't determine your worth as a person.
Conclusion
Standing on the scales can be a great tool to measure your health improvements for many people. The decision of whether to weigh or not is a very personal one, often a very delicate one. No choice is wrong. The only thing that's wrong is to assume your choice is the appropriate one for everyone. Be kind to yourself on your journey and also to others on theirs.