What’s the best time to weigh yourself? This seems to be a very common question plaguing most people who are watching their weight. Believe it or not, your weight can dramatically fluctuate based on the time of the day you weight yourself. Read on to learn when, how and how often you should weigh yourself….
There are different schools of thought on when and how frequently you should weigh yourself. It ranges from once a day to not more than once a month. No one talks about the how part though. What you are going to read in this article is the method that has worked extremely well for me.
| | When I would say you should weigh yourself 1st thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. That’s when your body is the lightest and your weight is not influenced by whether you had a light or heavy meal in the day. This way you are not only being consistent by sticking to the same time but are also going to start the day feeling happy coz that’s the least you will weigh in the entire day! How This is something most people find really amusing when I tell them. I say, strip down completely and then weigh yourself. No clothes, no accessories. You are interested in knowing what your body weight is. Why do you want to add the bulk of your clothing or jewelry? |
What you wear will really sway your weight as your winter sweatpants are definitely heavier than your summer shorts leading you to believe you have probably put on weight in winter. So to determine your true weight, weigh yourself naked. Your immediate reaction would be – That’s ridiculous! I can never do that. But, trust me, once you get into this habit, you will never want to step on that scale with clothes on!
How often
This really depends on what stage of the weight loss journey you are in. If you are just starting out, I would recommend weighing yourself everyday. This will help you monitor your weight loss more closely and the rare fluctuations won’t put you off. Weighing yourself nude everyday 1st thing in the morning is especially important if you are a beginner, as you are generally obsessed with your weight loss, and this really boosts your morale.
If you have already reached your weight loss goal or are very close to it, I would say weighing yourself once a week should suffice. At that stage you are less obsessed with your weight and a pound here or there doesn’t bother you much. As long as you are within a couple of pounds of your target weight, there is no reason to worry.
Consistency
Remember consistency is the key. Stick to the same time, pattern, frequency and of course, the weighing scale. Yes, there are slight differences in weight from one scale to another and you don’t want to get an incorrect picture of your progress. So, if you haven’t done so already, buy a weighing scale. It need not be digital. A simple analog one will do but it has to be the one you climb on every time you check your weight.
Be happy
Whatever you do, always stay cheerful. Once you have made a commitment to lose weight, you are definitely going to succeed. A little obsession when you have a long way to go is unavoidable but don’t get overly concerned. Also remember, on certain days of the week your body tends to be heavier than others for no apparent reason. Given that this is just a blip, don’t lose sleep over it.
Summary:
– The best time to weigh yourself is 1st thing in the morning.
– The best way is to step on the scale completely bare
– If you are just starting your weight loss journey, weigh yourself every morning
– If you have reached your goal, weigh yourself once a week
– Use the same scale to measure your progress.
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Great post! I agree with what you are saying. But there are times when you have to weigh yourself with clothes on like at a doctor’s clinic. I would like to know how much weight I should take off when weighing with clothes on. Thanks!
Hi Claudia,
Thanks for stopping by. I do agree that it may not always be feasible to weigh yourself nude. I would say you can take off about 1-2 pounds easily depending on the kind of clothes you have on. If you are wearing jeans and sweatshirt, then you can even take off 3 pounds from the weight noted.
Regards,
FitnChic