Self-delusion is pulling in your stomach when you step on the scales.
-- Paul Sweeney, economist
To weigh or not to weigh? That is the question. Well, it's a question that many of us face on a daily basis.
I've been a member of a popular point-counting eating program off and on since my early 20s. It's a sound plan.
One of the things that keeps you honest when working that program is the weekly weigh-in. But it can be painful, especially if you've worked the plan religiously and still didn't lose an ounce. Or you gained!
I had good group leaders who reminded us, time after time, that the numbers on the scale should not be what makes or breaks our weight-loss efforts.
A week or so ago I ran across an article on MyFitnessPal.com titled "How Often Should You Weigh Yourself?" It's written by registered dietitian Paige Smathers, a wife and mother of two who believes that the mental side of food and nutrition is just as important as the physical side.
Weight fluctuations, she says, are common because our weight is determined by a variety of factors. Those include how hydrated we are, what we ate recently, the climate and exercise.
A few pounds of weight fluctuation here or there are usually not a result of fat gain, but a result of our body doing exactly what it needs to do to regulate physiological functions.
Smathers writes that the first question we need to ask ourselves is, "Will weighing myself (daily, weekly, periodically, etc.) help me or harm me?"
But there is no magic answer. The main thing is that we try to figure out what is helpful and motivating for us as individuals.
Many people find that weighing daily provides a sense of accountability and gives them a good idea of where they are with their progress.
If you are able to look at the overall trend and not stress out over the fluctuations, weigh yourself daily. If daily weigh-ins powerfully affect your mood and behavior, then you may want to reconsider how often you weigh.
The number on the scale should not have the power to dictate our mood, the events of the day and the overall quality of life.
Smathers says that the weekly weigh-in has advantages in that it allows us to track progress while still having six days not to focus on our weight.
For best results, pick the same day each week and weigh in the morning. Look for trends, but don't get caught up in the small stuff. Weekly weighing can help us feel accountable without making us ride an emotional roller coaster.
Some go for an occasional weight check-in. They step on scales every so often at home or rely on the scale at the gym or the doctor's office.
Still others never weigh. They prefer to focus on how they feel in their clothes, the balance of their meals and snacks, and how they perform when exercising. This can be a valid way to approach health as there is so much more to it than the numbers on our scale.
Smathers recommends that we not weigh multiple times a day. Obsessing over the numbers can become a problem, disturbing the peace and happiness in our lives.
The bottom line is that the scale should be a tool that helps, not harms us. Find what works and stick with it.
I am weighed at the doctor's office on one of those scales with the sliding bars. I tend to avert my eyes while trying to stand still. And hold my breath. And suck in my stomach.
Email me at:
rboggs@arkansasonline.com
ActiveStyle on 06/06/2016