After a long holiday break or weekend we always dread hopping on the scale wondering what crazy number is going to appear. The anxiety level goes up, the not-so-distant memories of all the food/drink we put in our bellies, and the lack of exercise we did enter into the equation as we look down at the number. Sometimes we’re surprised, other times we have a look of horror on our faces.
I tell all my weight loss clients to toss the scale out the window! OK, not really, but I make it a point to insist they don’t use the scale every day, and, if they do use it, 1 time a week is more than enough. Weight scales can give us pretty arbitrary numbers based on many different outliers. Here are a few of the factors that play into our actual weight:
- Time of day
- Level of hydration/dehydration
- Last time went to the bathroom
- Last time we ate
- How much salt/processed food we ate (retains water)
- Last time exercised(lost water weight in sweat)
- Clothing
- Muscle gain vs. body fat loss
I have found that a digital scale can offer completely different results each time I weigh myself, so I’m not completely sold on them. However, if you are willing to invest some money into one, reviews indicate they are reliable. If you have a digital scale that measures body fat, hydration, and weight be sure to weigh yourself under the same conditions each time so that you have a comparative baseline to work from each time you weight yourself. There are even some scales that can upload your data to your phone and/or computer. Here is a great review by DC Rainmaker. Same rules apply to your basic scale -same time, same scale, under same conditions.
I tend to advise my clients that instead of using a scale, base their weight loss on how their clothes fit.
- -Are your jeans fitting better?
- -Is that shirt a little tighter around the chest and more wiggle room around your mid-section?
- Are you able to fit into your ‘summer jeans’ easier.
These are great qualitative measures for success!
