Your Healthy Relationship with the Scale
Your Healthy Relationship with the Scale – If the number on your scale constantly goes up and down, don’t worry too much about it. Learn how to have a healthy relationship with the scale in this video.
Expert: Karen Ansel, MS, RDN, CDN Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Transcript
When you step on your bathroom scale, you probably use that NUMBER to tell if you’re in good shape or not. But scales can’t tell you the ENTIRE truth about your health or even your weight.
A typical bathroom scale doesn’t measure your muscle mass, percentage of body fat, or tell you how much water you’re retaining. It simply gives you a snapshot of ALL these things…and that picture can vary greatly depending on when and how often you weigh yourself, so it’s important not to get too thrown by day to day changes. Instead think about getting a clear picture of what’s normal for YOU, so you can interpret your various ups and down in a healthy way.
It’s best to weigh yourself first thing in the morning–before eating and after going to the bathroom–for the most accurate results. Use the SAME scale at the SAME time of day. And wear the same clothes–or none at all. Also, try to weigh-in only once a week. You may want to weigh yourself daily, but it’s perfectly normal to see daily weight fluctuations of a couple of pounds. If you’re trying to lose or maintain weight, these added pounds could be needlessly discouraging.
Water retention is NOTORIOUS for weigh-in issues. After a big, salty meal, your body retains water, causing the numbers on the scale to go UP. And, it’s true, muscles are heavier than fat. So if you’re strength training, you may see your weight increase, or stay the same, as your lean body mass increases. Don’t worry, this is a good thing! But it just goes to show you that weight is about MORE than just numbers. For more information on a a healthy approach to weight management, watch the other videos on this site.
Last Modified: 2014-04-02
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Category: Health and Nutrition, Videos
