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Page Love consults about nutrition,
wellness and fitness issues with women, men, and children
of all ages. Over the years, she has come up with some
great Top Ten lists that help to answer recurring questions
about many topics. Here are some of the most popular
ones, aimed at providing some concise advice!
Top Ten Reasons Not to Weigh Yourself
By Page Love, MS, RD, LD
What we weigh on a scale can be one indication of how our bodies are doing physically. When trying to change our weight, it’s not a bad idea to step on a scale periodically (once a month) to get an idea of cumulative changes. However, weighing in daily or even more than once a day doesn’t really tell us anything. Here are some reasons to avoid overusing the scale:
- Weight fluctuates from day to day, which is not a significant indication of overall weight change.
- Daily weight changes often are due to water weight, which naturally rises and falls.
- Weighing in frequently can sometimes sabotage a healthy weight management plan. You should be focused more on your energy level and how your clothes fit.
- Seeing a change we don’t like on the scale may make us feel negative about ourselves and our bodies.
- Focusing on weight tends to correlate with other negative behaviors that we want to avoid.
- The scale seldom says what we want it to say.
- How we feel about ourselves is more important than the number on the scale.
- The scale does not consider body composition (the ratio of muscle, fat, and other tissues). For example, as we exercise and gain muscle, we might look trimmer and more fit but actually weigh more, as muscle is heavier than fat.
- We should not let a machine determine how we feel about ourselves.
- Weight is not a measurement of self worth.
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