Over the years, there’s been some controversy over whether it’s a good idea to weigh yourself daily. Some believe it leads to discouragement and overly-critical thinking. Recently, there has been research to indicate that it would actually be helpful to track your progress every day. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons you may wish to get in the habit of recording your weight daily.
See Patterns
Weighing yourself daily lets you see any patterns that develop so that you can take action to address them. Seeing how the numbers on the scale go up or down on a regular basis gives you insight on what types of action to take. You might need to adjust your goal if you aren’t losing at the rate you’d predicted, or you may note that you lose more weight the weeks in which you exercise consistently.
Increase Motivation
Checking in daily to see your weight fluctuation can motivate you quite a bit. Seeing those numbers can increase your confidence and cause you to be excited about moving forward toward your goals when you’re losing weight consistently. Downward turns can be discouraging, but they also give you the opportunity to address any setbacks right away. It’s empowering to be proactive toward making change.
Gain Self-Control
When you’re aware of your daily fluctuations, you learn to address them with immediacy. This lets you practice making adjustments to your diet and exercise as needed. You’ll get in the habit of making proactive tweaks and gain more control over your weight.
Improved Attitude
Seeing the numbers on the scale fluctuate regularly can actually help lead to a healthier attitude. You’ll be able to realize that weight often changes, depending on various factors. The number itself can become less of a focus, and you’re likely to feel more in control when you have a general idea of where you stand from day to day. It feels good to be aware and to know you can take action when necessary.
Increased Weight Loss
Recent studies indicate daily weigh-ins actually lead to increased overall weight loss and greater chances of keeping the weight off. It’s thought that this practice allows individuals to show better restraint toward food choices, exhibit less impulsive eating, and engage in more proactive weight control activities. Weighing in every day can aid in your self-regulation abilities to make more healthy choices.
Hopefully, these benefits of weighing yourself on a daily basis will make you want to give it a try to see how it works for you. If you happen to find that you feel unhappy or pressured by seeing your weight every day, feel free to find another tracking method. Many have found, however, that this works quite well for all the reasons listed above.
