Should I Weigh Myself Every Day While Dieting?

     It depends who you listen to. Although many respected experts on weight loss such as Weight Watchers do not recommend daily weighing, researchers at the University of Minnesota studied 1,800 people who were dieting and found the people who weighed themselves daily lost more weight over a two year period than the people who only weighed themselves once a week.

But, on the other hand, the biggest reason for not weighing daily is that it can lead to an unhealthy obsession with the scale and ultimately lead to eating disorders. So although for some people it may be beneficial to weigh themselves daily while trying to lose weight, anyone who has had an eating disorder shouldn't weigh themselves daily.

To help you decide if weighing yourself daily while dieting here's some pros and cons of daily weigh-in:

Pros
Can help a person stay motivated.

Can be a daily reminder to stay on the diet and stay focused with losing weight.

Can quickly show you when you are getting off your diet (several days in a row of weight gain are a tip-off and a sign to be more vigilant in with your eating and exercise plan).

Makes you more accountable to yourself

Cons:
Could lead to scale obsession and ultimately an eating disorder in some people.

Daily weighing can lead to discouragement because of fluctuations in weight that can occur on a daily basis from water retention, especially for women when their menstrual period nears.

Weight can also fluctuate during the time of day so if a person gets on the scale in the morning one day and then in the afternoon the next day, he or she may see a "false" weight gain. It's one of the reasons many experts recommend weighing yourself weekly, and also tracking your progress by noting how your clothes are starting to feel looser and by using a tape measure to take your measurements.

It's hard to see progress on a daily basis. A weight loss of about two pounds a week is considered healthy but unless you have a scale that shows your weight in tenths of a pound, you won't see that progress showing up on a daily basis.

Only you can decide how often to weigh yourself will work best for you. If you need a regular reminder of the goals you are striving for, you may want to weigh yourself daily.

If you think you will get frustrated and give up if you see a day where your weight does not go down or where it temporarily rises, you should probably weigh yourself once a week, twice at the most.

1. Prev:Can I Eat Some Fast Food And Still Lose Weight?
2. Next:Weight Training Exercise and Dieting