Is your goal to lose weight? Surely day after day you look at the scale to calculate your weight with fear, thinking that you did not lose a single gram, or on the contrary, that you gained weight.
According to different studies, approximately 30% of people aim to lose weight, while other research determined that working adults gain an average of 1 kg annually. For this reason, daily use of the scale is of utmost importance.
However, some people say that using the scale every day can lower mood or cause bad effects on mental health and eating disorders.
Is it really true that using the scale is beneficial for your health? Discover 4 reasons to use the scale every day.
4 reasons to use the scale daily
1. Contributes to weight loss
Despite criticism of a tool as fundamental as the scale, claiming mainly that its use can produce low self-esteem and disordered eating habits, many recent studies conclude that the use of the scale is associated with greater weight loss .
An investigation was able to determine that those who weigh themselves daily can lose more than 6 kg during 6 months compared to those who weigh themselves weekly or monthly. In addition, it was also concluded that those who have this practice manage to develop a better self-control behavior when facing the consumption of harmful foods.
Another study of the same nature showed that people who weighed daily ingested approximately 350 fewer calories per day than those who used the scale between longer periods of time.
For this reason, when you weigh yourself daily you can develop a greater commitment to yourself, and at the same time you can also develop a kind of measure to keep a daily weight control .
If you are more of a perfectionist, opt for an electronic or digital scale that even determines the mg; in this way you can keep a daily control of how much weight you are losing, especially when you aim to lose large amounts of weight.
2. Helps increase motivation and improve self-control
Having a positive mind in the face of adversity and practicing self-control during the diet, even when the worst temptations come, will be decisive in your process of losing weight .
According to research conducted on several participants, it was determined that most people who stop weighing themselves daily tend to eat more calories, coupled with less self-control, especially when faced with foods high in sugar or saturated fat. In addition, weighing yourself daily will help you develop an awareness about the trend of your weight , that is, if you tend to lose or gain it over time.
Remember that one of the determining factors when it comes to losing weight is to form a clear awareness of your situation, therefore, having personal control (even if it is minimal) over your weight will form a better character and attitude in the face of the circumstances that may arise. introduce.
Make weighing yourself daily a habit; you will see how in a few months you will be proud of your weight loss progress.
3. Promotes weight maintenance
Did you know that using the scale daily prevents weight gain ? You are right; According to a study, it was determined that people who weigh themselves daily can maintain their weight for more than two years, while those who weigh themselves monthly tend to gain approximately 2 kg.
This is because most people, when they meet their weight loss goal, tend to lose control both on the diet and on the scale, generating progressive weight gain (consciously or unconsciously).
Therefore, weighing yourself daily helps you maintain your weight , especially because it improves your self-awareness and allows you to make the necessary changes even before gaining weight.
4. It does not produce negative effects on mental health
Although many people associate constant use of the scale with negative effects on mental health, such as low self-esteem, depression or anxiety, among others, recently several studies and investigations show the opposite.
The most surprising thing is that, to this day, there is a notion that weighing yourself daily creates risks in terms of eating disorders. However, several studies have found that constant weighing increases self-esteem and self-satisfaction, which means that using the scale regularly has positive effects.
However, this does not mean that all people react in the same way: there is a low percentage of people who project a negative image of themselves when using the scale. However, by changing your habits and seeing your progress, you will be able to project yourself better in the future.
Finally, if even with good results it is still difficult for you to use the scale and you feel that you are suffering negative effects from it, do not worry, the best thing for you is to look for other methods to evaluate your progress, such as measuring your percentage of fat, constantly compare photos of you, among others.
How to weigh yourself correctly to have excellent results?
As for the best time to weigh yourself , it is recommended that you do it in the morning when you wake up, after having gone to the bathroom and on an empty stomach. This is because in the afternoons or nights your body may be retaining fluids or food, while in the morning your stomach is usually completely empty.
On the other hand, you should also take into account some aspects when weighing yourself, for example the following:
- What you ate the day before.
- If you retain fluids.
- If you are in your menstrual cycle.
- If you have recently had intestinal problems.
The important thing about this is that you can keep track for a long period of time, and that after some period of time you carry out an analysis of the results obtained.
There are also Apps that can help you control your weight and guide you while you are meeting your weight loss goals. For the iOS operating system there is “Happy Scale”, while for Android users, a widely used App to lose weight is the popular “Libra”.
Conclution
In general, the use of the scale daily is essential to create an awareness of what your weight trend is. In addition, using daily weighing contributes to weight loss and weight maintenance, which is ideal if it is to improve your fitness.
Finally, remember that using the scale daily can help keep you motivated , especially when your goals are long-term. The results will speak for themselves, just be consistent and successes will follow soon. Dare to weigh yourself daily!
Reference
- Adda Bjarnadottir. “Why You May Want to Weigh Yourself Every Day.” For Authority Nutrition [Revised February 2017]
