Some people I know, like my mother, weigh themselves every day. They get up, get naked, step on the scale, then hop into the shower. That's their routine, every morning of their lives. These people tend to be disciplined, organized and left-brained.
Not me. I've never believed in weighing myself on a daily basis. I've had enough wild hormonal fluctuations and water weight gain in my life to know that this is a BAD idea. I get discouraged too easily and, besides, I can never remember to weigh myself at the exact same time every day. Besides, weight is only half of the story. Sometimes, I can better mark my progress by the way my waistband feels in my favorite pair of jeans.
The question then becomes, how often should you weigh yourself? Like the diet program you select, it's a matter of personal choice.
Since beginning this blog a month ago, I have been weighing in twice a week. I've now decided that is a bit too frequent for my taste. I would rather have a weekly weigh-in with, hopefully, a bigger net
loss to show for my efforts.
So, the NEXT question becomes, what day of the week should I weigh in?
Monday morning is out, for obvious reasons. Especially during the holidays when weekends are jammed with parties and other diet-defying events, you need a couple of days to right your nutritional wrongs.
Friday won't work because it's perilously close to the weekend. For instance, if you get up Friday morning and the scale shows a new record low, you might be tempted to go TGIF'ing at the nearest barbecue and beer joint. ("Yeehaw! I'm down three pounds! Ribs and fries all around!")
Thursday morning seems about right. By then, all systems are going again after the weekend. You've worked out, you've stuck to your program, and you're not yet using the "it's almost the weekend" excuse...at least, not until Thursday's lunch.
I'm open to suggestions. How often do YOU weigh in and when? Does weighing yourself every day help to keep you on track? Or is a once a week (or once a month) schedule more effective?
Go ahead, weigh in!!
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