3 HUGE reasons why you shouldn't weigh yourself every day
So today I learned that weight naturally fluctuates in the human body by up to 1.3kg a day due to differing reasons and none of those have to do with actual weight gain.
For this reason, and to curb obsessive weighing which is unhealthy and inaccurate, it's best that you don't weigh every day. Here are a few reasons your weight may have fluctuated (assuming you've not done anything to cause it like eaten a huge meal):
Your fluctuation could be as simple as you worked out and your muscles are still full of blood and other fluids (post workout swelling) which make them heavier, or on the flip side you could have lost a lot of water weight from working out which you will be upset to see back later.
You could simply have eaten a banana or some broccoli or other food that may have temporarily bloated you or helped you retain water. That's not a good reason to avoid eating certain foods - broccoli can help you avoid cancer. I'd be bloated for that!
You're due for or on your period. As if it couldn't get worse enough, that time of month is actually the worst time to weigh yourself. Your body starts retaining fluids and bloating even if you don't notice it, and it makes you appear heavier on the scales. This fluctuation can go on for as long as a week, or as little as a couple of days.
You should be weighing once a week, in the morning, completely naked. You should also measure your height at this time too because your spine gets compressed through the day and by the end of it you could have lost a whole inch in height!
You should only weigh yourself in the early morning before showering or eating, as both of those can cause a fluctuation (wet hair/body can add a lot to the scales).
Your scales should be on a flat and even surface that is firm. Not on lino, not on carpet. On tile, concrete, or floorboards.
Always use the same scales. If they are slightly off it wont matter so much because it will be slightly off each time by the same amount and you will still know how much you have lost or gained.
Clothes can add as much as (or more than) 2kg to your weigh in, so never ever weigh with even socks on!
Don't get so hung up about weight that is not as low or is higher than expected. There's no point in feeling guilty or sad for more than an hour. So get it out of your system, shake it off, and get back on track and work hard!
Hope these lists help your weigh in's become more accurate and much more pleasant! We can do this!
