So, how often should you weigh yourself – REALLY.
Okay, so you’ve made a commitment to yourself – THIS TIME you’re going to slay all your weight loss goals, you’re going to rock the shit outta your two piece swimsuit this summer and slide right into those TINY jeans you’ve kept folded up in the back of your closet for, like, the last 6 years.
THIS TIME FOR REAL.
You start kickin’ your ass in the gym – you’re so consistent the staff even know you by name…
You pee every 4 minutes because you are hydrated AF…
You’re religious about being rested – I mean the last time you consistently went to bed this early you were eight years old….
You’ve been eating a ridiculous amount of protein and veggies, literally you’re considering taking stock in Whole Foods…
The time comes to check in on your progress, so you step on the scale for the moment of truth, AND…
YOU HAVEN’T LOST A SINGLE POUND.
OMGAAAAHHHHHHHH
Panic sets in.
You’re fighting back tears and the urge to punch Jessica – the overly peppy front desk girl – square in her perfect teeth.
You’re frustrated.
You feel defeated, like a FAILURE, yet again…
You have been busting your ass and somehow the only thing you’ve gotten out of it was a body that’s so sore it feels like you’ve been run over by a Vespa AND a lifetime supply of protein powder and dirty Tupperware.
That’s it.
You’re OVER IT.
You can’t decide if you’re throwing in the towel and going to binge on chicken nuggets and a family size bag of Doritos OR attempt to survive on 4 blueberries and a protein bar a day, in an attempt to MAKE THIS WEIGHT LOSS HAPPEN.
Sound familiar???
The good news is this: you’re not alone.
I, myself, have had to fight the urge to throw a full blown temper tantrum after stepping on the scale.
Completely losing your shit is a completely normal AND totally reasonable reaction to a lack of “success” on the scale.
The thing is, weight loss AS PER THE SCALE can be a totally tricky thing to navigate.
SERIOUSLY.
The truth is this: weight fluctuations are common because your weight is determined by a wide variety of factors.
WHAT factors you ask?
Well, to name a few…
…how hydrated you are.
…how much sodium or carbohydrates you recently ate.
…whether or not you’ve pooped recently.
…if “aunt flow” is present for her monthly visit.
…are you under excessive stress.
Etc…etc…etc…
Here’s the reality of the situation – a few pounds of weight fluctuation here or there is usually not a result of FAT GAIN, but more so a sign that your body is doing EXACTLY what it needs to do to regulate its physiological functions.
Don’t stress boo – HIGHFIVE for healthy body functions huh?!
SO, getting back to the questions at hand:
HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU WEIGH YOURSELF, really?
Well, the first question you need to ask yourself is:
“Will weighing myself (daily, weekly, monthly, never) actually HELP me or is it doing more HARM than good?”
NEWSFLASH: there is no magic answer on this one homie.
What works for me and keeps me SANE, yet accountable may not work for you…
You gotta figure out what’s helpful, motivating and healthy behavior for you as an individual.
Let’s dive into our options, shall we?
WEIGHING MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY
QUIT. THAT. SHIT.
Like, RIGHT NOW.
SERIOUSLY….
Obsessing over a number on the scale isn’t helpful to you and it certainly doesn’t propel you forward toward any meaningful goal.
The number you see doesn’t define you.
AND in all reality the fluctuations you see throughout the day likely aren’t REAL WEIGHT GAIN or WEIGHT LOSS.
Maybe you’re dehydrated…
Maybe you need to poop…
I mean, who knows.
But what I do know is that hopping on the scale multiple times a day can lead to very problematic patterns and behavior and legitimately disrupt your self-image and self-worth.
IF you decide to weigh yourself AT ALL, the scale should be used as a tool that helps you and not harms you or the quality of your life.
YA FEEL MEH?
DAILY WEIGH-INS
Ok, so although I find hopping on your scale multiple times a week to be slightly obsessive behavior, for some people it provides a sense of accountability.
Cool.
To each their own.
If you’re able to see the number on the scale subjectively and look at the overall TREND of your progress without stressing about NORMAL fluctuations, then AWESOME – weighing yourself daily might just be for you.
BUT if you want to crawl up into a fetal position and swear off carbs for the rest of your life because the scale is showing a 0.6 pound weight gain, then NAAHHHHHHHH – you should prob skip the daily weigh in.
Here’s the bottom line: if the daily scale habit powerfully affects your mood – positively or negatively, then you might want to reconsider how often you step your awesome self on that scale.
Real talk.
The number on the scale should absolutely NOT have the power to dictate your mood, the events of your day or your overall self-image and quality of life.
IT’S JUST A NUMBER.
Remember that…
WEEKLY WEIGH-INS
Stepping your badass self onto your scale weekly can be totally legit…
Weekly weigh-ins allow you to track your progress while NOT being fixated on the number on the scale. WINNING.
To ensure the quality and consistency of your tracking, pick a specific day of the week you plan on weighing yourself.
Strip down to your birthday suit FIRST THING IN THE MORNIN’ and get busy getting schooled on your overall LBS.
The thing is, you’re looking for an overall TREND.
Recognize that it will take a few weeks to get a clear picture of what’s happening within your body and where you’re trend is heading…
BUT if you consistently see a bigger number on the scale after a few weeks OR vice versa than you can be pretty positive that you’re actually GAINING or LOSING lbs and you can adjust your diet accordingly.
CHEERS for being accountable SANS the daily rollercoaster of body fluctuations.
NEVER WEIGHING IN
COOL.
So you’ve decided that you won’t be identified by three little numbers on a scale.
I SALUTE YOU!
Maybe you’ve decided that it’s liberating to focus on your overall health, wellness, performance and RIDICULOUSLY AWESOME personality.
CHEERS TO YOU MATE.
It can be insanely helpful to focus on HOW your favorite clothes are fitting vs. what a scale says…
OR focus solely on the quality of the food you intake OR the way your body performs during exercise.
ALL OF WHICH are a legit gauge of health – remember there’s so much more to being HEALTHY than what your scale says.
YOU are a BOMBASS, magnificent HUMAN and the number on the scale is exactly that – JUST A NUMBER.
Regardless of how often you and your scale are meeting up – just be sure you’re proactively creating a HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP between you and your weight.
WORD UP.
Remember – you’re a babe. You’re a magical and totally authentic badass. OWN your awesomeness and LOVE YO’SELF.
Fuel your sweet bod with REAL food. Break a sweat. Drink your water. Floss your teeth. AND keep kickin’ ass..
XoXo
Tasha (the food coach)
