Recently I read an interesting report on the advisability of weighing in daily as a fat loss tactic. For at least one group of people, adolescent females, this is not a good idea, the report said. A good number of these young women were likely to cause themselves to vomit if they did not like the reading on the scale. And forcing oneself to vomit is definitely not a healthy habit. In fact it can be devastating to overall health.
But weighing in daily or on a regular basis has been shown to be an excellent fat loss tactic for many other people.
This little disciplinary habit certainly has worked for me personally. My greatest fat loss mentor, Clarence Bass, author of The Lean Advantage (I and II), Ripped and other classic books on losing fat and staying lean healthfully, has diligently weighed himself daily for decades, and he is a grandmaster of healthy, strong leanness. I follow his leadership and it has paid off for me.
For the past year, I have made it a habit to weigh in daily and I have lost 18 pounds I did not think I had to lose. Now I know I was kidding myself. I was packing an 18 extra pounds and I feel fantastic now that I am no longer lugging them around.
Here are reasons I have found weighing in daily works so well for me. See if any might work for you.
1. Because I eat daily. And because I tend to eat a lot, weighing in daily keeps me honest. My mindset here is if I can eat daily and never miss, then I can weigh in daily and not miss, too. It pays off.
2. Weighing in daily keeps my fat loss and fitness program a top priority. Because I have a big appetite and I particularly love fattening foods, I must keep on my program, keep it one of my top priorities. I have to keep my focus. I can gain weight very easily. You may know this one. I sure find it a lot easier to gain weight than to lose it. Checking my weight daily helps.
3. It is harder to overeat when I know I will be weighing in. Absolutely. I am like those adolescent females mentioned above. I want the reading on my scale to give a good report, right around 190 pounds. Without forcing myself to vomit! When I am within a pound or two of my ideal weight, I am happy. With that happy feeling in mind, I find it a lot easier to push away from the table after a satisfying meal, and not overeat.
4. I find it harder to miss exercise when I know I will be weighing in. I find this absolutely true, even though I rarely miss exercise, because I really enjoy it. Mini-tip: I almost always weigh in after exercising and before eating in the morning. I tend to get the lowest reading possible. Makes me happy.
5. Weighing in gives me clear, instant, unambiguous feedback. I need this kind of in-your-face feedback. No bull, no punches pulled, just those three digits on the scale say all I need to know, good, neutral or bad. And I adjust accordingly.
6. It helps me to know myself. This is the long-term payoff of weighing in daily for me -- I have really gotten to know myself better weighing in over a year. I came to see I eat a lot. I am okay with that, now that I can simply look at it, and admit it. And I am okay with it. Appetite is a good thing, it is how our bodies say feed me, I need fuel and nourishment. And I enjoy spectacular health and fitness eating my plant-based diet of whole, fresh, natural foods, emphasizing fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and lots of them.
Finally, it is a healthy habit and habits are all-important. It is what we do daily that is crucial. Weighing in daily is my habit, one I rarely miss, and it serves me well. It keeps me on track, keeps me honest and works like any good habit does.
Try weighing in daily. It can be a great tool in your fat loss and fitness arsenal. It really works well for me.
