When To Weigh Yourself May 5, 2006
Your body weight probably fluctuates more than you realise throughout the day. Mine can vary by up to 4 kg (9 lbs) over a single day, depending upon factors like:
- food intake: Did I just eat a big meal? Or have I had nothing to eat since breakfast?
- fluid intake: Have I just drunk lots of water? Am I slightly dehydrated after some heavy exercise? Am I ‘retaining water’?
- digestive system: OK, it’s not very glamorous, but your stomach, bowels and instestines can hold a lot of waste which is only ‘removed’ relatively infrequently. Also, different kinds of foods produce different amounts of waste products, so diet can affect this factor.
- health: If you have an injury or get sick, you might get some fluid build-up that would temporarily increase your weight.
- medication: Some medications can cause you to retain or lose fluid for several hours after taking them.
- other stuff: I don’t know, there must be other factors! If you donate blood, for example, you must weigh less afterwards
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So when is the best time of day to weigh yourself in order to track your weight loss progress?
I like to weigh myself every morning before breakfast, for a number of reasons:
- It’s probably the lightest I’ll weigh all day. Let’s face it – I want to see low numbers! I haven’t eaten breakfast yet, I’ve just gone to the toilet, and I haven’t had anything to drink, so many of the variables that can add ‘noise’ to your weight statistics are taken out of the equation.
- It’s convenient. I take off my pyjamas, weigh myself, have a shower, then put on my clothes for the day. It’s a nuisance to weigh yourself later in the day, when you have to disrobe first, and then put the clothes back on afterwards.
- It motivates me to exercise in the mornings. If I go out for a run before weighing myself, I know from experience that I’ll lose maybe a half to one kilogram (1-2 pounds) from sweating. Some might call it cheating since you’ll put that weight back on as soon as you have a drink, but if it motivates you to exercise so that you can clock up a slightly better score, it can’t be all bad! I find this motivation is especially powerful if I gained weight on the last weigh-in.
- It puts my day in perspective. If I score a new low, I feel good for the rest of the day.
- It keeps me on track. If my weight has gone up slightly, it makes me conscious of my diet and activity for the rest of the day, making sure I get things back under control promptly.
How about you? What time of day do you weigh yourself, and why?
Technorati Tags: weight loss, scales, body fat, weight loss tips, motivation
- Posted in : Measuring Progress, Motivation, Theory, Weight Loss Tips
- Author : admin
Comments»
Staying Motivated to Exercise…
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Good tips! Totally agree with your tips above!