Common wisdom seems to point towards weighing during a diet program once a week. Having a quick look around, there are lots of different views but it certainly seems to be the case with the various groups offering weekly weigh-ins.
There are some practical reasons for this when meeting in town halls, but when you have scales in your own bathroom, why leave it so long (or not longer?). One reason is the short term fluctuations that are pretty much out of our own hands, which could knock confidence. I have also seen lots on the topic of muscle replacing fat and increasing weight. It makes sense that you could iron out ‘blips’ with longer intervals and see a more encouraging and consistent reduction.
For me, daily weigh-ins keeps the pressure on – this means it is relevant to every decision i am making – there isn’t a whole week to burn off a cheeky slice of pizza, i would have to answer for it the next morning. There will still be an over-riding trend, but this way, there is a clear and constant reason to stay on track. Already, in just 11 days, i have weighted the exact same (within 1 tenth of a pound), seen an increase and then dip, so this roller coaster will just be part of the package.
Daily readings means no where to hide and no excuses. It is because we bury our heads in the sand that we get into this position in the first place. Weight loss programs seem to all rely on some kind of ‘peer pressure’ and the responsibility of accepting what the scales are showing – so why not use it as much as possible.
Mid-Life Clarity, Not Crisis 