There's a lot of debate about how often is too often to weigh yourself. I've talked to many people about this issue, and there seem to be two distinct types of folks- those who weigh themselves frequently, and those who weigh themselves once a week at most. But is one better than another?
Monitoring your weight is, of course, a good idea. But if it becomes an obsession - if you are weighing yourself several times a day and feeling upset about the natural fluctuations in weight, then it isn't healthy. Eating salty food, drinking a lot of water, time of the month... these can all contribute to daily fluctuations in weight that can amount to as much as two or three pounds! If this is going to send you into a tailspin, then don't go for daily weighing.
I confess that I'm one of those "daily weighers." It's a habit - like brushing my teeth, or combing my hair. I hop on the scale most mornings as part of my morning ritual. It helps me keep an eye on things, and lets me know if I'm slowly creeping up to a weight that's not right for me. What I do, however, may not be right for you. Some people greatly prefer the weekly weigh in... and that's fine. The important thing is to find a schedule that works for you, and to stick with it.
If you have reached your goal weight, however, there IS evidence that daily weighing will help you maintain it. In a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine titled "A Self-Regulation Program for Maintenance of Weight Loss," researchers examined how successful dieters maintain weight loss. They looked at three groups of people: the first group got quarterly newsletters with maintainence information, the second group got face-to-face intervention, and the third group got internet-based intervention. Both intervention programs stressed daily weighing and self-regulation as well as frequent contact with the group. The end result? Daily self-weighing was associated with a reduced risk of gaining back the weight. So, if you are trying to lose, then weigh yourself as frequently as you are comfortable with, but if you are trying to maintain a weight loss, then consider weighing yourself daily to keep track.
