So, what do you do to reliably keep track of your weight? Of course, it starts with a
reliable weight scale. Secondly, it is important to choose a fixed moment. A good choice would be to weigh yourself every week on Wednesday. There are several reasons for this.
- By weighing weekly, you are able to compare your progress week-to-week.
- You choose a day that is not in or after the weekend. Weekends can wildly differ in calorie intake, while weekdays are often more consistent.
- If you weigh yourself every day, the change is not significant enough to be able to draw conclusions.
To make sure that you receive accurate results every Wednesday, you need to make sure that the conditions are the same every time you step on your weight scale. Therefore:
- Weigh yourself in the morning, before eating.
- Use the bathroom before you weigh yourself.
- Do not wear any clothes when weighing.
- Make sure the scale is on a flat, stable underground.
Finally, make sure to write down each week’s results so you have a clear view of your progress. That will allow you to evaluate whether your approach is having the desired effect.
Measuring more than just weight
If you are working out, weight can be very misleading. You may have a really accurate weight scale which you are using properly, but that does not mean you are getting a good picture of your health. Consider the following scenario:
What you see: You decide that you are too heavy. You have been exercising and have adapted your diet to be healthier. However, you do not see any change on the weight scale, which is demotivating you.
What is actually happening: since you have been working out and eating well, your body fat percentage has been decreasing. However, your muscles are growing, compensating for the weight lost in fat.
In the above scenario, it looks like you are not improving, while in reality you are making great progress in two different ways. Looking at the weight scale, you would have never known.
Do you want to properly track your health and progress? Then consider a body composition monitor. These use bioelectrical impedance technology to measure your body fat percentage, muscle mass and much more.