Daily Weighing Will Help You Lose Weight

Should you weigh yourself every day or not?

There's that old question. Some people say that you shouldn't weigh yourself too often. Why?

Because weight goes up and down all the time.

So one day you are a pound lighter. Good!

So the reasoning is that you will get discouraged. So they say weigh yourself on a schedule, once per week.

My story

Here's an example that happened to me. A few years ago I had put on about 10 pounds or so. That happens to me when I start to work out harder. If I lift weights I tend to gain weight. Now, most of it is muscle, so I am stronger and I like that.

But some of that extra weight is fat, and I don't like that.

See, I go between two weights, one where I am about 5 pounds lighter and look the best, and one where I am 5 pounds heavier and I am stronger and I feel the best.

But I was on my "up" phase and I decided to take off about 10 pounds. I gave myself about 3 months to take it off. Any faster than a pound a week and I feel weak, my heart races and I am hungry all the time.

But a pound a week is fine. I increase my exercise a little, cut out a few of my treats, and the weight comes off. And I don't feel hungry.

Anyway, I was working on taking off the 10 pounds, right? And I was weighing myself everyday. Did I lose weight?

No!! I got 2 weeks into the program and I was 4 pounds over where I started!! I was way above where I should have been.

I didn't change anything

But I knew I had a good program. I was following it. And I knew that the scale goes up and down. So I stuck with it. I didn't make any changes. What happened?

The third week I dropped 7 pounds. In one week. BAM! It just all dropped away all of a sudden. Same program. No changes.

By the fifth week I was exactly on schedule. The weight just melted off smooth as can be.

But we were talking about scales, right? How often you should weigh yourself?

Weight goes up

Here's the point. When you keep a graph (and you should keep a graph--it is one of the most important things you can do to help yourself lose weight) you are going to see that your weight goes up and down.

You know what? That is normal.

It is normal for weight to go up and down.

Your weight can go up 3… or 4… or even 5 pounds a day!

But hold on! I don't want you to worry about that. It's not fat!

When you are up 5 pounds in a day it's not fat.

What is it? It's mostly water. And it's the food you just ate.

But it's not fat.

Weight goes down

Of course you feel better on the days when you take off 3… or 4… or 5 pounds a day.

But I have to tell you--that's not fat either. Sorry. It's mostly water weight.

Up a day. Down a day. Sometimes it's up for several days.

But then it will come down again.

So here's the point about the scale:

When you are on the scale you are facing the problem.

See--if you're not doing anything else, at least you're on the scale.

Avoid the big shock

What happens if you don't weigh yourself?

A year goes by. Your clothes don't fit. You haven't weighed yourself in a while.

You're shocked. You're up 10 pounds… 20 pounds… even 30 pounds. You know what I am talking about. It's a terrible shock.

But it doesn't happen if you are weighing yourself every day.

At least you got on the scale. At least you are keeping an eye on things. At least you are still facing the fact that you have to do something about your weight.

And that is a first big, really big step. You are facing it. You are doing something.

So yes--weigh yourself. Weigh yourself everyday. And you'll be on the road to having the body you want!

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