10 Times When You Should
Avoid The Scales:
1. Most Days. In
most instances, weighing yourself every day is unnecessary and unhealthy. And
often leads to obsessive thinking and behavior. Weekly weigh-ins are adequate
for most people in most situations.
2. When you’re at
someone else’s place. It’s best to weigh yourself on the same scales each
time. That way – even if the scales are not perfectly calibrated – you will get
a more accurate indication of what’s actually happening with your weight.
3. When the scales
cost ten bucks. As a rule, the cheaper the scales, the less accurate they
are. Most domestic bathroom scales are inaccurate – usually on the light side.
For the last twenty years, I’ve listened to people complaining about how
‘heavy’ the scales are at my gym. Sadly for those clients, the scales are very
accurate.
4. When it’s 8pm and
you’ve eaten a cow for dinner. Under normal conditions, we’re all heavier
at the end of the day. Not fatter, heavier. Natural variability means that
somebody like me can easily weigh 6.6-8.8lb more at night time. Which is why
it’s best for us to step on the scales at the same time of day each time.
Preferably, first thing in the morning.
5. When you’re
wearing hiking boots. Clothes can weigh as much as 8.8 pounds, so weighing
yourself in the buff is the preferred option for accuracy. If that’s not
possible, wear as little clothing as possible and wear the same clothing each
time.
6. After you’ve just
completed a strenuous workout – unless you’re measuring pre and
post-workout hydration levels. It’s easy to shed more than 2.2lbs of water
weight during a one-hour sweat session, so don’t delude yourself with a
temporarily low reading on the scales. Water ain’t fat. By the way, one litre
of H2O (or sweat) = one kilo. Exactly.
7. When the scales
are sitting on carpet. Make sure the scales are on a solid surface (tiles,
timber, concrete), otherwise your reading could be inaccurate.
8. Certain days of
the month (you can skip this one boys). I know you girls don’t need me to
spell it out for you but, yes, for menstruating women there will typically be
somewhere between two and seven days per month when your weight is temporarily
inflated due to increased water retention. Probably best to avoid the scales
during this time.
9. When the thought
of weighing yourself puts you in a state of anxiety. Stepping on the scales
means whatever you decide it means. If you think and believe it will be a stressful
experience, it will be. Weighing yourself can be a simple data-gathering
exercise or it can be a traumatic event. If you can’t master your fear of the
scales then you might want to use another evaluation tool for a while. Weekly
girth measurements, monthly body-composition testing and monthly fitness
testing are all reasonable alternatives.
10. When you’re happy
with how you look, feel and function. If you look good, feel good and are
in good health, who cares about a stupid number?
Source:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/do-you-make-these-10-common-mistakes-before-weighing-yourself.html
Yeah.. I generally avoid the scale.. because I do overthink it, and I get really hard on myself because I don't see the results that I "Think" I should be seeing.
ReplyDeleteThat's a big part of why I'm only looking to lose 1 lb a week, its easier and if I lose more it feels really good. Not like trying for 5 lbs and missing the mark by a pound and feeling like you have to fight harder to make up for it. I also told myself that if I lose 2 lbs one week and nothing the next I'm still in the green. and that's a big deal to me. Anything in the green is good. :)
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