By Michael Krueger
I recently saw some research that once again said that people who weigh themselves daily lose more weight than those who don’t. The data shows that if they continue to weigh in daily, they’re also more likely to keep it off over the next five years, which is a big deal.
Having a scale that monitors your body fat and hydration along with overall weight is a valuable tool to keep you on track to achieve your weight and body fat goals. I’ve found that if you write the results of each weigh-in in your fitness log, it also helps make the numbers more real. You can’t realistically expect to keep a week’s or a month’s worth of statistics in your head.
My question is, is it the act of weighing yourself that helps with weight loss and maintenance or is it more complicated than that?
Personality
If you’re the type of person who is willing to get on a scale at the same time every day and then write it down, you are probably also the type of person who will stick to a diet and exercise program. Having the numbers to look at day after day isn’t for everyone. The daily fluctuations can make even the most dedicated fitness fanatic a little crazy.
If you understand what the moving numbers mean (and don’t mean) on a day to day basis, it can in fact be interesting and perhaps even a bit entertaining. Seeing your weight go up when you’ve indulged in salty food and understanding that it is water retention rather than fat gain is a reminder to avoid those salty foods. Knowing full well that you didn’t gain three pounds overnight gives you a little perspective but might also stir your curiosity as to what you ate and drank to make the scale report back such odd numbers.
If you don’t mind seeing occasionally inconsistent data, and if you are willing to keep good records for a long period of time, you may gain a lot of useful information from weighing yourself every day. On the other hand, if you are going to celebrate every “lost” pound and lament every pound “gained” without applying any perspective, then daily weigh-ins may not be for you.
Maintaining Consistency
I do think that regularly hopping on a body composition monitoring scale is a good idea for anyone with a weight goal. This goal may be overall weight loss, fat loss and muscle gain, maintaining adequate hydration levels, or just staying where you are. For most people, a weekly date with the scale is sufficient, provided you do something with the numbers provided.
It’s best to weigh yourself on the same day and at the same time each week. It just removes a few variables. For most people, weighing in on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday works best. So, it’s either before the weekend, after the weekend, or in the middle of the week, depending on your dietary and exercise habits. Also, doing it the first thing in the morning is a good idea; that way, you haven’t had any breakfast or any coffee. Regardless of when you weigh in, the important thing is to be consistent.
You’ll find that hydration is a big part of your total weight. Water is heavy, is easily and quickly consumed, and can cause a multi-pound shift in your scale weight. Water is considered by scales to be “lean mass,” so when your hydration goes up, your body fat percentage goes down. That is why if your scale tells you that you weigh 175 pounds and are at 12 percent body fat and have a hydration level of 60 percent, you would look completely different than if you were at the same 175 pounds and 12 percent body fat but your hydration level was 50 percent. Body builders dehydrate prior to a competition to remove subcutaneous water so they look more “cut.” They also occasionally pass out from severe dehydration. The pros generally have this water manipulation under control, but newbies and amateurs frequently run into problems.
For the rest of us, maintaining stasis is what we are after. We don’t want big swings in body weight or hydration levels. Maintaining consistent levels of hydration is particularly important for firefighters, since you may be put into a situation where your water/mineral loss through sweat can be quite astounding. After a while you will learn at what hydration percentage you feel and function at your best. Once you find this point, always work to maintain that level of hydration.
People who are trying to lose weight will often lose almost exclusively water weight in the first week of dieting. They are thrilled that the scale says they have lost four, five, or more pounds, but all it means is that they are dried out. A body composition monitor will make that painfully obvious and often causes the jubilation of the scale loss to turn to sadness when they realize they need to drink a few glasses of water to get back to normal. This is why it’s so important to understand what the numbers on the scale are actually telling you.
It’s Not Really Complicated
When you get a body composition monitoring scale, read the directions on its use and on interpreting the data. Each scale is a little different, so even if you’ve used one before it is a good idea to read the directions.
The next thing is to never weigh yourself on any other scale ever again. Don’t get on a scale at your friend’s house or the gym; only weigh in on your scale and on your schedule. In my opinion, even if you go to your doctor and he wants to weigh you, you should respectfully decline and offer your own data. If he gets insistent (he shouldn’t, but you can never tell), face away from whatever display your weight comes up on and tell him you do not want to know what it says. The reason for this is that odds are the numbers are going to be different than your scale at home. It doesn’t matter if the other scale is more accurate or less accurate. The problem is that it’s going to be different. If you are on a weight loss program and the doctor’s scale says you’ve lost two more pounds that your home scale, you will be happy. Of course, if it says you weigh three pounds more than your home scale, you will be sad. The only way to avoid this is to avoid any scale other than your scale.
On a side note, when you go to your doctor, take your weight/fat/hydration log book with you. Show it to him and explain your reasoning for not wanting to get on the scale. Rather than being upset with you, the doctor should be thrilled that you have taken control and responsibility for your health and be nothing but encouraging. If he isn’t, you might want to ask why.
The End Result
After a few months of weighing in on schedule and logging and analyzing the data, you should have a very good picture of how your body reacts to your diet and exercise programs. If you have also kept a good food log during this time, you will have a perfect blueprint to your way of processing the foods you eat. You will be able to see what foods tend to cause you to retain water, store or use fat, and whether or not your training program is effective.
Daily or weekly weigh-ins in and of themselves won’t cause you to lose weight; it’s the action you take once you step off the scale that will make all the difference.
Michael Krueger is an NSCA-certified personal trainer. He got his start in fitness training while serving in the United States Coast Guard. He works with firefighters and others in and around Madison, Wisconsin. He is available to fire departments, civic organizations, and athletic teams for training, consulting, and speaking engagements. He has published numerous articles on fitness, health, and the mind-body connection and was a featured speaker at the IAFC’s FRI 2009 Health Day in Dallas, Texas. E-mail him at MKPTLLC@gmail.
