Using A Scale Every Day Vs. Weighing Once A Week Or Month
Whether you’re trying to lose or maintain weight, you need to be aware of how much you weigh currently. Some say you must weigh yourself every day to stay on top of your weight goals, while others claim that you must weigh yourself every week or month. Both options are completely acceptable, but you need to choose one based on your fitness expectation and state of mind.
However, to determine which is the best for your situation, you must understand the pros and cons of each choice. To help you with this, CG Training has compared using a scale every day vs. weighing once a week or month. Keep reading to see how they contrast and which is better for you.
a. Weighing yourself every day
The primary advantage of weighing yourself every day is getting to see the body’s normal fluctuation pattern. You’re never the same weight every day. It goes up and down, depending on factors like your sodium, water, and carb intake.
Another advantage of weighing yourself every day is that you can see the work you did reflect on the scale, and once you understand the normal fluctuation, you can start to see the weight go down. You could plot it on a chart, and that chart would go up a little bit and then back down and up a little bit and then back down until you see a nice downward trend.
An advantage I like about this method is that if I change my diet, it will reflect on the scale. If I overeat, it will also reflect on the scale, so I learn what foods work best for me not to cause weight gain.
Despite the above advantages, I think the primary disadvantage or roadblock to daily weighing would be having a negative number and then having a bad day because of it. Sometimes, it’s challenging to handle that mentally, and it can decelerate your fitness progress.
Another downside to weighing yourself every day is that the scale could go up, and there is no explanation. This could also be a deterrent, especially if you have not been doing daily weigh-ins long enough to realize that it is not a plateau. It is just part of the weight loss process.
b. Weighing yourself once a week or month
Some people get deterred from exercise if they see the scale go up and down, then up again. If you feel the same, you won’t want to see your weight every day. What you can do is wait for a month or week to see a bigger number that will encourage you.
Similarly, if you are a busy person, weighing yourself might take time. It may also take a significant chunk of your day to overcome your emotions with the inconsistent readings about your weight. So, if you weigh yourself every week or every month, it may feel more manageable to you. Going to see a personal trainer involves getting weighed as well. This usually happens every two to four weeks, after the completion of a specific training program. You will be weighed to determine whether the program is working for you and if tweaks need to be made to your exercise or diet plan. Getting weighed in this way could help keep you motivated to exercise regularly.
That said, the primary disadvantage of weighing yourself sporadically is that you can lose track of your goal because you don’t see the work you’re doing reflected on the scale every day. Secondly, if you do not know how to exercise correctly, you may not get the results you want at the end of every week or month. But, if you have a personal trainer, who you could book an appointment with every two to four weeks to get weighed in, it can help you stay on track.
Bottom line
I feel that if you have an immediate goal, a goal for a wedding, a significant weight goal, or any goal healthwise that requires you to lose weight, you can consider weighing yourself every week. On the other hand, weighing yourself every day may encourage you if you enjoy accountability. It should motivate you to keep going and push yourself further.
But, before choosing either option, one factor you should consider is if you do a daily weigh-in or a weekly or monthly weigh-in, how mentally prepared are you to achieve your goal. For example, suppose you have always been a bigger person. In that case, the thought of losing weight and getting attention may be a deterrent because you are just trying to focus on yourself and don’t want everyone paying attention to you.
I personally always have little goals going on, and so I do daily weigh-ins. I find it really helps me to maintain my weight and notice when the scale goes up so that I can change something in my diet or routine to get back down. If I’ve done good, I look forward to that weigh-in the next day. If I didn’t do well, then I know I still have to weigh-in that day, so I might try a little harder not to eat poorly. For me, I need that accountability, and I have a partner that I text my weight to, and she sends hers back to me. This is my way of staying motivated and accountable for my fitness.
If you need a helping hand to stay accountable for your health, fitness, or weight loss, reach out to CG Training today! I am a female personal fitness trainer in Windsor, Ontario. I am also a Canfitpro Personal Trainer Specialist and a Level-2 fitness kickboxing specialist, and I offer quality training at non-gym prices. I have the expertise to help you exercise well so you can safely achieve the results you want. I offer personal and private one-on-one, partner, and group personal training in a private, relaxed environment. That way, you can focus on yourself and feel confident about exercising.
To learn more about my services, please click here. If you have any questions about weight loss, weighing yourself, diets, fitness, etc., feel free to contact me by clicking here.