To Use the Scale or to not Use the Scale, That is the Question

Posted by Lisa Newton on April 5, 2008 at 4:01am

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There is a great deal of debate about whether to weigh oneself daily, once a week, or to give up the scale altogether, and use other ways to measure weight-loss such as using a tape measure.

Over the years, weighing yourself often has been blamed for a lack of weight loss, depression, and overeating. How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh, the scale is lying, I know I lost weight.” Or how about, “I’m ready to throw the scale out the window!” Or even, “Well, I’m upset. The scale tells me I didn’t lose any weight, so why should I keep trying?”

One reason

According to the University of Minnesota, frequent self-weighing is not associated with depression in women.

Researchers examined data from a survey of more than 4,650 women between the ages of 40 and 65. After adjusting for BMI levels, the association between self-weighing and depression was not significant.

A second reason

The National Weight Control Registry, is tracking over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time.

Researchers found that registry participants weighed themselves frequently: 75% of participants weighed themselves at least once per week, and many weighed themselves daily.

Frequent weighing may therefore serve as an "early warning system" for these people. I suspect that when they have gained a few pounds they implement strategies to prevent further weight gain. Although this possibility represents speculation, many participants told us that they have a plan for what to do if the scale reaches a certain number.

A third reason

Other studies have found that self-monitoring predicts success in long-term maintenance of weight loss.

Determining how often to weigh yourself is a personal decision.

The evidence that weighing yourself on a regular basis helps not hurts people with both initially weight loss, but also with weight-management, by helping them to keep weight off.

How often do you weigh yourself? Do you use other methods to monitor your weight loss? If so, what are they?

Because, after all, it’s about a healthy lifestyle!

Tags: research, scales, weight

Comment by Ask The Dietitian on April 5, 2008 at 6:41am: Love the pic!

Comment by Jessica on April 5, 2008 at 8:09am: I used to weight myself everyday in the past but I became too much obsess about the scale. Now, I weight myself only 2 times a week. One for mid week so I know I'm heading the right way, and one for weekly result.

Comment by Serenity on April 5, 2008 at 9:58am: Yeah, loving the pic too! lol
I think weighing has its place.
I stopped weighing along with all exercising etc and didnt realise I had put on 8lbs!
Clothes felt tighter so I figured it must a coupla pounds but 8 is plenty. Now I'm gonna weigh at least once a week so I have a better idea of what I'm doing to myself.

Comment by Metroknow on April 5, 2008 at 11:16am: I've definitely come full-circle on this. I grew up "enslaved" to the little needle on the scale (and then those ominous red digital numbers), and ultimately was really frustrated. Enough so that I stopped weighing myself for a few years, and, in turn, put on about 10lbs a year.

Now, I weigh in once a day when possible, and at other times every other day. The trick for me was doing enough research and spending enough money on a scale to buy one that is accurate. Even the one I have now is not 100% accurate (unless I'm capable of losing or gaining 6oz by holding my breath), but it is within a pound. Despite my daily measurement, I'm measuring my success on a Monthly basis, not daily. But a daily weigh-in is helping me to retrain myself on what foods work for me and which ones do not. Almonds work, but cashews do not, for example, which I know because I'm combining how I felt (hungry with the cashews) with the knowledge that the scale provides (no results after a few days of cashews).

Thanks for the article - its a really important subject!

Metroknow
http://www.almostfit.com

Comment by David on April 5, 2008 at 11:53am: @ everyone, is weighing oneself on the scale like checking your bank account or investments? Your never going to be happy with it, IMO. Or is it different?

Comment by Christine Braun on April 5, 2008 at 12:39pm: I often think my scale is lying to me. I have trouble even believing it when it says I have lost more than I thought I would. I weigh myself at the same time every morning. It does help me to stay on track. I just have to be careful that I don't start obsessing about it. If I start to do that I will have to go back to weighing only once a week.

Comment by Cynthia on April 5, 2008 at 7:43pm: I'm with Metroknow... accurate scale and daily weighing. Mine goes to .2 pounds I think. It's a Tanita and also corresponds well with my doctor's balance beam. Further, it's my second Tanita and it weighed me the same as the old Tanita, which went to my local animal shelter thrift shop as a donation. They are good scales.

However, I don't generally get too incensed over a "bad" weigh-in. I binged a bit a couple days ago, carbs, so I *knew* my weight would go up. And it did. And seeing that just motivated me to keep back on track and do better. Naturally, by the next day, I'd shed the extra water from the carbs. Tomorrow, I expect to see a higher number. Why? Just did a hard (for me) bodyweight training routine with my TRX trainer. That almost always has my muscles retaining water like mad. No biggie.

Weighing daily, you really get to know your body and what affects it. So I do that... but what I look at really is the month to month results.

However, for anyone who is going to get depressed by seeing a higher number, then it's probably NOT a good idea to weigh daily! Some are best off measuring inches lost and never touching a scale.

I need to do my girth measurements... those are another way I measure progress and I also use an Omron body fat monitor. Again, I'm not looking so much at the daily readings, but the trend. If it's going downward each month, I'm on the right path.

The other thing is not to just focus on body stuff. I like to keep an eye on how I feel, energy levels, improvements in my exercise, all that good stuff as well. It's not all about pounds people!

Comment by Metroknow on April 5, 2008 at 8:09pm: @Cynthia: What is an Omron body monitor? (I'll look it up of course, but I'd love to hear your impressions.)

Comment by Cynthia on April 6, 2008 at 11:12am: The Omron HBF-306 is a bio-impedance device... hand held as opposed to the bio-impedance scales like Tanita that you stand on barefoot. Basically, you input your info, including height and weight (so you still need a good consistent scale) and age and activity level and it puts a tiny electric current through you to measure your body fat.

I have the Tanita body fat/hydration reading scale, but the body fat readings on it REALLY jump around with hydration level and are also about 10-11% higher than what I was measured at by a trainer at my gym. The Omron was very close to my caliper measurement at the time and is more consistent I think, or at least the swings are less wild. However, that may, in part be, because I have a consistent scale, and I do try and keep as consistently hydrated as I can. I use it first thing after I weigh mornings, and I am sure to update to my current weight.

Some friends who have it also seem to think it is more consistent, some seem to have wild fluctuations, but that might be due to inconsistent scales or differing hydration levels. It's just easier for me than a calipers, because I have just not been able to learn to pinch myself consistently.

Comment by Cynthia on April 6, 2008 at 11:14am: I also like the Myotape Body Tape Measure for girth measures... very easy to use when you have to measure yourself!