TODAY THE WORDS are SHOULD WE TOSS THE SCALES? It has been tempting so many times to toss those evil, dreaded, lying scales out the door. Have you had this feeling? Sure you have unless you are one of those people who never seem to worry about weight and stay about the same, year after year.
Cornell researchers: Actually, you should weigh yourself every day
Maybe it’s time to forget that advice from your doctor or nutritionist about how stepping on the scale every day could be counterproductive to your weight loss goals.
A two-year study by Cornell University researchers found that people who weighed themselves frequently and tracked the results on a chart lost weight and kept it off. The results were more apparent for men than women.
The logging “forces you to be aware of the connection between your eating and your weight,” David Levitsky, the paper’s senior author and a professor of nutrition and psychology at Cornell, said in a statement explaining the conclusions of the study. “It used to be taught that you shouldn’t weigh yourself daily, and this is just the reverse.”For the complete interesting article follow the link to The Washington Post.
The Other Side of The Discussion:
Scale Addicts
Over the years, I’ve dealt with my fair share of weigh-a-holics. That is, people who step on the scales far too often. Some do it every day of their lives. Morning and night. Some step on and off five times in ten seconds in the hope that a lower figure might magically appear between their feet. Then they do it again thirty seconds later. Sound familiar?
No, not crazy at all.
Some people give away their personal power to the ‘almighty scales’. Sadly, their morning weigh-in will either make or break their day. And their mental and emotional states. Some people think that if they step lightly onto the scales the figure might be lower. And some think that leaving part of their foot off the plate will yield a better result.
Good grief.
So, with all that in mind, when should you avoid the scales?
Do You Make These 10 Common Mistakes Before Weighing Yourself?
LIFESTYLEBY CRAIG HARPER
1. Most Days. In most instances, weighing yourself every day is unnecessary and unhealthy. And often leads to obsessive thinking and behaviour. Weekly weigh-ins are adequate for most people in most situations.
2. When you’re at someone else’s place. It’s best to weigh yourself on the same scales each time. That way – even if the scales are not perfectly calibrated – you will get a more accurate indication of what’s actually happening with your weight.
3. When the scales cost ten bucks. As a rule, the cheaper the scales, the less accurate they are. It’s my experience that most domestic bathroom scales are inaccurate – usually on the light side. For the last twenty years, I’ve listened to people complaining about how ‘heavy’ the scales are at my gym. Sadly for those clients, the scales are very accurate.
4. When it’s 8pm and you’ve eaten a cow for dinner. Under normal conditions, we’re all heavier at the end of the day. Not fatter, heavier. Natural variability means that somebody like me can easily weigh 3-4 kilos (6.6-8.8lbs) more at night time. Which is why it’s best for us to step on the scales at the same time of day each time. Preferably, first thing in the morning.
5. When you’re wearing hiking boots. Clothes can weigh as much as 4 kilos (8.8 pounds), so weighing yourself in the buff is the preferred option for accuracy. If that’s not possible, wear as little clothing as possible and wear the same clothing each time.
6. After you’ve just completed a strenuous workout – unless you’re measuring pre and post-workout hydration levels. It’s easy to shed more than a kilo (2.2lbs) of water weight during a one-hour sweat session, so don’t delude yourself with a temporarily low reading on the scales. Water ain’t fat. By the way, one litre of H2O (or sweat) = one kilo. Exactly.
7. When the scales are sitting on carpet. Make sure the scales are on a solid surface (tiles, timber, concrete), otherwise your reading could be inaccurate.8. Certain days of the month (you can skip this one boys). I know you girls don’t need me to spell it out for you but, yes, for menstruating women there will typically be somewhere between two and seven days per month when your weight is temporarily inflated due to increased water retention. Probably best to avoid the scales during this time.
9. When the thought of weighing yourself puts you in a state of anxiety. Stepping on the scales means whatever you decide it means. If you think and believe it will be a stressful experience, it will be. Weighing yourself can be a simple data-gathering exercise or it can be a traumatic event. If you can’t master your fear of the scales then you might want to use another evaluation tool for a while. Weekly girth measurements, monthly body-composition testing and monthly fitness testing are all reasonable alternatives.
10. When you’re happy with how you look, feel and function. If you look good, feel good and are in good health, who cares about a stupid number?
This complete article can be read by going to: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/do-you-make-these-10-common-mistakes-before-weighing-yourself.html
My take on when to weigh is whenever you feel like it and whatever works for you. People are different and react to weight loss and/or gain. I see the scales, not as my friend, but as my monitor just like I take my glucose reading each morning. I have the highs and the lows on both of my “guides to better health”. I don’t panic; I adjust! This is what I recommend to everyone; take the scales and other monitoring equipment as a gauge to see how you are doing, but realize the above factors can affect the outcome. If weighing once a week is best for you; weigh once a week. If you are a curious soul like me; you are going to step on those scales in the morning. What is the actual truth of weighing is to weigh on a regular basis and if that is once a week or once a day, it does give you a reason to celebrate or eliminate! Healthy eating and happy weighing.
Until we eat and read again……Arline Miller, author and blogger.
(C) 2012-2015 Arline Miller with source references for 3rd party articles and all rights and permissions reserved.
