If one of your primary goals is weight loss, one habit that is easy to implement and can boost your results is weighing yourself daily. Prescribe FIT patients who weigh-in every day lose 2.4x more weight compared to those who do not.
In previous posts, we’ve covered many simple lifestyle changes that can have a big impact on your health.
Whether your goal is to move more often or drink more water, these habits are most effective when incorporated into your routine and practiced every day.
The benefits of weighing yourself daily
- Several studies have found 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 also be a powerful self-regulation tool.
Research has found that daily weighing leads to practicing more weight control behaviors, such as avoiding impulsive eating.
3. According to one expert opinion, people who are actively trying to lose weight can also benefit from the daily information that a scale can provide.
“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 patients in our program to weigh themselves each day.
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 October 4, 2022
