How often do you step on the scales to check your weight? Do you do it after every meal? Do you do it all throughout the day? Do you do it every time you’ve treated yourself to a takeaway or a meal out? Or do you weigh yourself on all of the above-mentioned occasions?
If you are weighing yourself this often, you could be causing yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and disappointment. Why? Because your body weight changes throughout the day, yes that’s right your weight can fluctuate anywhere between 2 – 4lbs during the day. The scales will not tell you the same thing in the morning, as they will at night.
Continue reading to get some do’s and don’ts when it comes to weighing yourself. Taken from U.S. News Health.
How To Weigh Yourself For More Accurate Results
Do keep in mind the importance of consistency. To accurately track the amount of weight that you are losing, it’s best to weigh yourself at the same time (preferably in the morning) every week, on the exact same day of the week. Write down the number, and at the end of four weeks, calculate the average of these numbers. Subtract that from your starting weight, and you’ll get a very precise measure of how much progress you’ve made.
Don’t jump on the scale after a big night out. You’re just torturing yourself. Rich, decadent restaurant cuisine is full of salt, fat, and sugar—things that make the meal taste so good! Keep in mind that it’s virtually impossible to gain weight after one large meal. If you get on the scale and see your number go up, it’s simply because your blood volume level has increased due to the large quantity of food that you’ve eaten. The high sodium content in certain prepared foods also causes the body to retain fluid, thus causing a higher number on the scale.
Do take fluids into account. It’s tough to measure fluids accurately, but two 8-ounce glasses of water can translate to about one pound of weight. This means that if you’ve just finished a giant bottle of H20 and decide to hop on the scale, the chances are you’re not going to like the outcome. Don’t fret. It’s only water. Our bodies are highly equipped to efficiently use fluids as needed and excrete what we don’t need. In fact, if you decide to avoid fluids in an attempt to lower that value on the scale, you’re in for a big surprise. Your body will actually do the opposite and retain fluid, causing you to show a “gain.” Drinking alcohol is also a key culprit in skewing the numbers. No matter the libation, all alcohol causes frequent urination and may increase perspiration. This leads to even more dehydration, which will cause the body to retain more fluid. It may seem contradictory, but be sure to add in plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages (such as water) to counteract the fluid imbalance. Read the full article and get more weighing advice here.
So, the next time you weigh yourself take the above mentions into consideration, and if you are someone who obsessively weighs yourself, stop now because you’re only causing the scales to lie to you, which could result in you binge eating and truly gaining weight.
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