How Often Should You Weigh?Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites Does it Really Matter?Experts advise weighing once per week while many so-called weight loss gurus say less is more. We say - hop on the scales and weigh any darn time that pleases you - no matter if you weigh yourself 10 times per day.
Whatever you do - don't let a lot of time fly by without hopping onto the bathroom scales. It's very difficult to know what the accurate reading will be - and we may find that we're packing on pounds while assuming that we're losing. Belts, pant's and shirt tops as well as other things can assist in letting us know that we need to cut back on the amount of calories in our daily diet or we may need to purchase a new wardrobe. Not in a smaller size - rather in the opposite direction. And this certainly isn't the direction that we want to follow. Why Knowing is ImportantIn fact, knowing the varying levels of your weight can help tremendously with your Weight Loss Maintenance Phase - that 'eternal phase' of managing your new, healthy recommended weight. While I can't tell you how your bathroom scales will vary - I can give you an idea of how mine typically do: Weight is lowest in morning upon arising after that first void. Take note of what you're wearing because if it's a housecoat and slippers, you may be seeing several false pounds being registered.
It's best to weigh in the buff - but if not in that form, then wearing as few clothes as possible. This will render the most accurate day-to-day reading. Weight may go up 2-3 pounds during the day as food and liquids are consumed. Weight may go up to 4 pounds more when a lot of fluids OR excess sodium is consumed. If pounds are related to sodium, it may take a couple of days (or more) for the bathroom scales to stabilize as pent-up water is naturally flushed out. Unexplained Weight Gain & Possible ContributorsHave you ever hopped onto the scales to discover a several pound increase - or decrease from the day before? It's something that happens to most of us. Here are a few things to keep in mind when the scales go wacky: - Keep in mind that our bodies are made up mostly of water and water weighs heavily. Something as simple as too much sodium can shift the balance, thus reflecting weight gain or weight loss on the scales. Don't panic should you experience a weight gain! Do watch what you eat until the numbers on the scales stabilize - just in case you are experiencing a true weight gain. For some reason, it's a lot easier to get off 'fresh weight' than trying to lose weight that is packed on over a period of time. Weight loss, particularly if it continues or if it is unintentional, should be a concern and something that you'll need to meet with your doctor about. Good Reasons to Weigh RegularlyHere are a few of Dieter Chester's reasons: When the family took a vacation to a fun theme park loaded with lots of fun rides, Chester soon discovered that he couldn't fit in most of them. That wasn't fun at all. And when they went to the movies, he was finding that the seats were getting smaller and smaller. There was barely room for his bucket of hot buttered popcorn, that was topped with extra butter. Even Chester's car had gotten smaller, so small that he had need of trading it in for one of the new-fangled vans that had recently hit the market. Here is a short list of how he polished his daily diet and dropped 75 pounds: He cut out all snacks until he had only 25 pounds left to lose. He switched from whole dairy products to skim which contained less fat and in turn, less calories. He refused second helpings. He walked for 10 to 15 minutes straight each day. Sugary beverages were replaced with water and calorie wise beverages. He traded his container of cooking oil for Pam. Reasons Why People Quit WeighingFear of an increase in the number on the weight scales. An increase in weight may create frustration. The feeling that if one avoids weighing, they avoid gaining weight. No news may equal good news in this case. So don't fear those weight scales - take control of them! Is it easy? No weigh (pun intended)! And there are so many great reasons why we should take control of those weight scales.
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