If you want to lose weight, one habit that can boost your results and is easy to practice is weighing yourself daily. Prescribe FIT patients who weigh-in every day lose 2.4x more weight compared to those who don’t.
The benefits of weighing yourself daily
1. Science shows that people who weigh themselves daily lose more weight than those who weigh themselves less frequently.
For example, one study found that individuals who weighed daily lost a significant amount of weight, whereas those who weighed weekly or not at all lost no weight.
2. Stepping on the scale each day can help you regulate your eating behaviors as well.
Research has found that daily weighing leads to practicing more weight control behaviors, such as avoiding impulsive eating.
3. According to one expert opinion, weighing-in daily can help you detect weight changes sooner.
“It helps you detect patterns and trajectories sooner so that you can intervene sooner,” said Gareth R. Dutton, professor of preventive medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
With these benefits in mind, Prescribe FIT recommends our patients to weigh-in every day or at least 5 times per week.
To get the most accurate reading, weigh yourself at the same time each day. Ideally, this is in the morning after you go to the bathroom and before you get dressed for the day.
Don’t forget the non-scale successes, too
While weighing daily has real weight loss benefits, it’s important to remember that the number on the scale is not the only measure of good health.
It’s just as important to tune in to other signals that your body is sending you. Other good signs of success include increased energy, reduced pain, and greater mobility.
In addition, it’s common to lose weight slowly and/or plateau over time. In fact, this is a sign that you’re on the right track. Research suggests that slower weight loss is more sustainable and longer lasting than rapid weight loss.
Overall, weighing yourself daily in addition to practicing other healthy lifestyle changes is a simple adjustment that can promote healthier behaviors and help you lose more weight.
Published on March 7, 2023
