Weight loss scale

On the weighing scale

Shoes off. Clothes off. Exhale completely. Step on Scale to check if your weight loss efforts worked. Open Eyes. Peek Down. You jump off with excitement – Down 2 pounds! …Or sigh with horrible disappointment.

Weighing yourself frequently for weight loss – is this a good idea?

Using the scale wisely can be a great help, but not so wisely, it can be troublesome. Weighing too often is generally the problem, yet avoiding the scale when one slips is also common.

The primary disadvantage is that ups and downs unrelated to your behavior can generate strong feelings, and these feelings can derail a weight loss program.

REMEMBER: The scale can be a powerful influence in your weight loss efforts – both positive and negative; so think seriously about how often you and the scale should communicate. This is where your judgement must prevail. Weigh yourself as often as you see fit.

I recommend no less than once a week and no more than once a day. One problem with paying too much attention to the scale is that it can lead to undeserved euphoria…or disappointment. The scale should be a general guide about progress, not a day-to-day index of how well your weight loss program is working.

As for me, I choose to weigh once a week. With my shoes off.

Learn what Chad has to say about BMI as a fitness gauge.