My light, scales, tell me and tell me the whole truth: how to weigh yourself correctly

A common problem that many girls face. Spoiler: it needs to be solved as a whole. All methods are simple - read the material and choose yours.

The human body contains about 60% water, which is important for all biological processes. It is recommended to consume a sufficient amount of liquid every day - about 2.0-2.5 liters. But many people note water retention, which causes weight gain and swelling. We give detailed instructions on how to remove fluid from the body quickly.

Swelling or excess water: what's the difference?

Correcting body weight by removing excess fluid is necessary for professional athletes and bodybuilders, for whom it is important to meet a certain weight category or improve their appearance.

Excessive water retention, which forms edema, is another problem. Although in most cases they are harmless, persistent swelling can be a symptom of serious medical conditions such as heart, liver or kidney disease. Women experience fluid retention during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and during pregnancy.

Our material contains advice for healthy people and athletes. If you have severe swelling in your legs or arms, see your doctor. It is important to exclude kidney pathologies and serious endocrine metabolic diseases.

Regular exercise

This is one of the best ways to reduce weight quickly and safely. Any form of exercise increases sweating, which means the body loses water. The average fluid loss during one hour of training is 0.5-2 liters per hour, depending on the temperature in the room and clothing. During exercise, the body also transfers water to the muscles. This helps reduce the amount of fluid under the skin, improving the appearance and eliminating pastosity (swelling of the subcutaneous tissue).

When worrying about how to remove excess fluid from the body, we must not forget about adequate water consumption during exercise. Otherwise, serious dehydration may occur and you will feel worse. A sauna helps increase moisture loss and eliminate swelling. It activates sweating with fluid loss through the skin. If you go to the sauna after class, the effect will increase.

What are the harms of weighing yourself frequently?

Dooming yourself to depression by frequently weighing yourself is the same as eating only buns, dreaming of losing weight. But this is only one side of the harm of too close “friendship” with Libra.

It is much more dangerous to become psychologically dependent. And not even from the result, but from its imitation. Remember the two poor women who could no longer live without constant weighing?

You can only lose weight and not gain weight if you consume no more calories than you burn. And bathroom scales have nothing to do with it. But kitchen tools, together with a “calculator” in your head, should always be at hand.

That is, if you are wondering how to lose weight faster, then you need to see directly at the table when you are eating too much. Only by removing an extra spoonful of potatoes from your plate can you lose weight. If weight loss is not conscious, then grief and reproaches “after” have no fat-burning power. Like weighing yourself after binge eating. There should be a focus on long-term and permanent, and not on immediate and temporary results.

How often should you weigh yourself?

Despite the fact that recording volumes is a much more visual and reliable way to measure results when losing weight, weighing yourself, of course, can and should be done from time to time.

Some experts call observation once a week the most effective, some insist on two weeks. During this time you can really see the real numbers. But I recommend taking measurements twice a week. Practice shows that this is optimal for all psychotypes: both for those who are inspired by the “carrot” and for those who need the “stick”.

And during the week we eat differently: on weekends there is a possibility of some overeating, and during the week those losing weight have more control over their diet. Therefore, weighing on Monday and Saturday mornings is optimal because:

• on weekdays, those losing weight take more care of themselves, so at the end of the week a visible result will be noticeable, which will inspire optimism and motivate;
• After the weekend, you need to pull yourself together and slightly rearrange your diet, adjusting it depending on the scale of food violations that occurred over the weekend.

How to make yourself happy without weighing yourself

What should you do if you still want to enjoy the feeling of losing weight more often, without weighing yourself too often?

Try one easy and enjoyable exercise. It is better to do it just before falling asleep, in a state of half-asleep.

• Take two A4 sheets of paper and write in large bold marker on one of them your last real weight, and on the second - your real desired weight. The difference between the numbers should be chosen individually, experimentally: for some, 5 kg is enough, but for others, 10 kg may be intangible. When performing the exercise, you need to feel physically that there is a difference.
• Place a sheet of paper with a real weight written on it on the floor and stand on it with your eyes closed, feet without shoes, but in socks. Listen to the sensations.
• Now place the second sheet - with the desired weight. And stand up too.

Did you feel the difference? Now enjoy it until next time and remember how good it feels to lose even a little weight and actually feel it. Be healthy, slim and happy!

Olga Fomina

Getting enough sleep

Scientists have proven that adequate sleep is important for metabolism, along with physical activity and diet.
During sleep, the sympathetic nervous system activates the kidneys, which regulate the amount of sodium and fluid in the tissues. Adequate sleep regulates fluid levels and reduces water retention by subcutaneous tissue. On average, you need to sleep about 7-9 hours a day.

Stress Reduction

Constant stress increases the concentration of the hormone cortisol in the blood plasma. One of its effects is water retention in tissues, which causes swelling. This is because the stress hormone stimulates the activity of ADH (antidiuretic hormone), which retains fluid. The basis of the work of ADH is signals to the kidneys about salt retention, which automatically provokes retention - less urine is released, water remains in the tissues and subcutaneous tissue.

Eliminating stress helps normalize the functioning of ADH, relieves its negative effects on the kidneys, allowing urine to be produced more actively, removing excess moisture.

Correcting Electrolyte Imbalances

If the body does not receive enough electrolytes - ions that have an electrical charge - a fluid imbalance can occur. Positive ions are especially important - potassium, magnesium and sodium, negative chlorine. If the concentration of electrolytes in plasma or cells sharply increases or decreases, this provokes a violation of fluid flow. Swelling inside cells or in the intercellular space is possible.

How to remove water from the body during edema, if the cause is an imbalance of ions

It is important to correlate salt intake with fluid intake; if there is a lot of moisture, more salt is needed, and vice versa.

When playing sports or living in a hot climate with high air humidity, it is necessary to consume additional portions of electrolytes to replenish the loss of salts during sweating.

If a person consumes a lot of salt in food or supplements, it is necessary to drink enough water. Otherwise, the salt will attract, retain fluid and cause swelling.

Taking extra magnesium

Another key mineral needed to maintain fluid balance in the body. It not only regulates the volume of water in plasma or intercellular fluid, but also normalizes the functioning of the nervous system and the transmission of impulses between cells. In the human body, magnesium is involved in 600 different metabolic processes, reducing body weight and the severity of PMS in women, relieving stress.

It actively interacts with sodium and potassium, controlling the filtration of fluid by the kidneys and its reuptake (reabsorption) under conditions of dehydration. Taking supplemental magnesium helps in weight control by removing water and suppressing stress reactions.

How to weigh yourself correctly

LibraWeigh in

How often do you step on the scale? Can you fall in love with this item? It usually makes you want to throw it away (not a bad idea, by the way). In fact, you need to weigh yourself correctly, because sometimes weight fluctuations during the day reach 2-3 kg. How to measure your true weight and get rid of stress?

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Here are some rules for measuring weight and some personal experience. Remember: weighing yourself is not the only way to assess health, and it’s definitely not the decisive one. If you are going to lose weight, lose weight positively and body-positively, with self-love, not with hatred. And don't panic at the numbers on the scale. They depend not only on fat, but also on muscle, water and other factors, and can change throughout the day. On the other hand, growing weight does not always correlate with an expansion of the waist; it happens that you fit into your favorite trousers, although the scales say otherwise.

So what's the best way to weigh yourself?

Of course in the morning

In general, it is no secret that you need to weigh yourself before eating and drinking immediately after waking up.

“Weighing yourself in the morning is most effective because you have enough time to digest and process your food during your overnight fast.” Your morning weight won't be affected by what you've eaten or haven't digested yet, says Lauren O'Connor, nutritionist and owner of Nutri Savvy Health.

What can affect the number of kilograms in the morning? A hectic day the day before, alcohol at night, overeating or, for example, a lot of watermelon before bed, which could cause swelling.

Without clothing

Better at all or in the lightest underwear you have. Sometimes hundreds of grams have an effect on the psyche, for example, when the weight is on the border of ten (do you prefer to weigh 69.8 kg or 70 kg?). Please note that your feet should not be wearing socks - for accurate weighing you need good grip of your feet on the surface of the scale.

After the toilet

This is an important condition. First, get rid of everything that is unnecessary and no longer “yours,” and then get on the scale.

How to handle scales?

Place the scales on a flat, hard surface, such as tiles, as they may show inaccurate readings on soft laminate or uneven parquet floors. Place your feet exactly on the sides of the screen with weight indicators; if you shift your center of gravity, the measurements will be incorrect. And, of course, do not squat or stand on your toes during the weigh-in.

How often should you weigh yourself?

Optimally - once a week at the same time. Even if you can’t resist and step on the scale every day, always do it in the morning.

“There is no reason to weigh yourself more than once a week. Due to daily fluctuations in water, body weight can change dramatically from day to day,” says Rachel Fine, nutritionist and owner of To the Pointe Nutrition.

And don’t be masochists: if the day before you had a cheat meal or a wild party, you shouldn’t step on the scale the next morning.

Why not weigh yourself at the gym?

It's certainly interesting to measure sweat weight loss after an intense workout. But, as a rule, after drinking water, you gain it all back, and after sports you do a lot of things to gain weight (eat, for example). In addition, it is impossible to determine how correctly someone else’s scales are calibrated. They may show arbitrary numbers that have nothing to do with you. The scales in your home are in any case calibrated relative to you and show your weight on a constant internal scale.

Can I throw away the scales?

Sometimes it's even necessary.

People with eating disorders or disrupted eating habits do not need a scale at home. Weighing in can be left for appointments with your doctor so you can focus your energy on other things that make you healthy and happy.

Use the number on the scale as one way to measure your health, not the only way. In addition, it often depends not only on weight.

What about “smart” scales?

Give it a try. But often their testimony has no relation to reality. Perhaps, if you purchase the latest models that work through an application and are highly accurate, you will be able to find out how much fat, water, bones you have and what your body mass index is. The main thing is that you know how to further manage this information. For example, if we saw an increased percentage of fat, we would change the diet in favor of fiber and add training. If you don’t plan to change anything because of the readings on the scale screen, you definitely won’t need “smart” ones.

How to weigh yourself correctly was last modified: August 4, 2021 by Irina Obraztsova

Taking Dandelion Extract

Common dandelions are a medicinal plant that has a natural diuretic effect. Infusions and decoctions of dandelion root are used at home to introduce excess moisture to reduce the severity of swelling.

The active substances in the decoction signal the kidneys to more actively filter water and salts, increasing the volume of urine excreted. Over the next 5 hours, the work of the renal glomeruli intensifies, filtering more urine. It is important to consult your doctor first. There are certain restrictions - pathologies of the kidneys, heart or liver.

How to weigh yourself on electronic scales?

1. Always weigh yourself on the same electronic scales, in the same place (scales have errors in different places). By the way, the cheaper the scales, the higher the error.
2. Weigh yourself at the same time, in the morning, on an empty stomach.
3. Must be on a flat floor, not on carpet. Another error.

Can I weigh myself with my clothes on? Not recommended. It is better to stand on the scale completely undressed (or undressed). If it doesn’t work out, weigh yourself in the same thing every time, in light pajamas, for example. Without shoes!

Photo from https://pixabay.com/ru/

Consuming more regular water

This helps eliminate fluid retention in tissues and cells. The body strives for an ideal balance - optimal intake and elimination. If a person is constantly suffering from dehydration, the body will regularly turn on mechanisms to retain fluid so that metabolic processes do not stop.

If a person achieves optimal balance, the body actively removes excess water through the kidneys and through the skin, which eliminates swelling and prevents its occurrence. Consuming enough water is not limited to preventing edema. This is necessary to activate the breakdown of fat and proper brain function.

• Reference point - feeling thirsty

  . It is important to drink a few sips of plain water every time the urge arises, but you do not need to drink 1-2 glasses at a time. In hot weather or during exercise, fluid consumption increases.

• Another landmark - urine color

  . If it is pale yellow in color and transparent, it means that the body receives the optimal amount of water and the tissues are fully hydrated.

Signs of weighing addiction

Do the scales outweigh common sense?

Sometimes they bring you indescribable delight.
Sometimes they provoke terrible depression. They are your moral judge. Who are they? We're talking about regular scales. Depending on the day and your mood, Libra can be your friend or your foe. We often hate their readings or argue with them, but we still step on the scale again and again every time. A scale, when used correctly and understanding why you are weighing yourself, can be a truly useful tool in the process of losing or maintaining weight. However, for many people, scales are more than just a device that shows your current weight. They magically influence the very personality and behavior of people, very often lowering self-esteem. Unfortunately, many of us overestimate this simple measuring device.

So, when the scales outweigh common sense:

You constantly think about weighing yourself

When you're trying to lose weight, it's normal to feel some fear or doubt before weighing yourself once a week. Of course you want to see the numbers go down! Only the weight you lose will show you that all your efforts were not in vain. We all want to receive praise or a reward for our efforts and can get upset if we did everything right and nothing changed for the better. However, if you constantly think and worry about what the scales will show today, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, then your dependence on the scales is too great.

You weigh yourself more than once a day

Nutritionists recommend weighing yourself no more than once a week. Why is it not recommended to do this more often? Your weight is constantly changing - from day to day and even throughout the day. There is no point in forcing yourself to follow this galloping process. We do not weigh the mass of fat, but the total mass of the object placed on the scale, including the water accumulated in the tissues, the contents of the bladder, the contents of the intestines, the weight of clothing and other things. Let's say right away that two situations are fundamentally possible: 1. Despite the fact that fat mass decreases or, at least, does not increase, we can see an increase in weight when weighing ourselves. 2. Fat mass has not decreased or decreased very slightly, while the scales show a fairly decent result.

You remember and can name weight changes up to tens of grams

This is a sure sign of “weight addiction.” A person who can tell not just his current weight, but also the grams lost, is very dependent on the scale. There's nothing wrong with seeing weight loss, even if it's just 100 grams, but remember that weighing is done to track the overall trend (up or down). Therefore, today your -100 grams can turn into +200 tomorrow. And so on.

Libra determines your mood throughout the day

And the most important! When the scales show weight loss, you flutter and joy knows no bounds. If the weight has increased (or stopped), then your mood is spoiled, and the day will pass in a bad mood. This state of affairs is the worst that can happen, it is called addictive behavior. Should you allow the scale to influence your mood and life? Far from the best solution. How will you feel if you miss the weigh-in that day? What other ways to determine self-esteem besides weight?

If one (or all) of these situations apply to you, then it's time to step off the scale. Stop weighing yourself. Or at least do it less often.

What should a person who has become a victim of “weight addiction” do?

Instead of letting the scale dictate your life, use more authentic and reliable ways to measure your progress. Losing weight should not be an end in itself, but the result of a healthy life and healthy eating and exercise habits. When you step on the scale and the numbers that appear don’t match what you expected, ask yourself: am I doing everything right? Am I following a healthy living program? Do I exercise regularly? If you do all this, the result will not take long to arrive. If not, correct your mistakes and weigh yourself next week.

Weighing is undoubtedly a useful and necessary procedure.
Just make sure you don't overestimate this measurement. It is just one of many ways to evaluate the result! After all, there are many other ways to measure progress, as well as a huge number of other body measurements. Articles

Eating Selected Healthy Foods

The easiest way to remove water from the body for weight loss is to eat more foods that regulate fluid balance (especially those rich in potassium)

. This mineral stimulates the kidneys to excrete excess sodium, and with it, water.

• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Beans
• Bananas
• Avocado
• Tomatoes
• Yogurt or other dairy products.

Magnesium supplements or products containing the following substances help in the fight against edema

• dark chocolate;
• dark green leafy vegetables;
• nuts and whole grains.

There are a number of herbal products that have a mild diuretic effect:

• corn silk;
• horsetail;
• parsley;
• hibiscus;
• garlic;
• fennel;
• nettle.

Although fluid retention does not cause bloating or discomfort, limited consumption of foods that cause flatulence is also beneficial for edema. The dangerous group includes highly processed foods with sufficient fiber content, beans and dairy products (with lactose). It is worth choosing low FODMAP foods for a while to see the effect.

How often should you weigh yourself?

Every day, once a week or more often?
It may be hard to believe, but how often you step on the scale can influence your efforts to change your weight. You need to know this! Question: I am following a weight loss program. How often should you weigh yourself?

As a rule, those who are trying to lose weight, from the point of view of weighing, can be divided into two categories: the first diligently control their weight every day, the second only occasionally step on the scale, anxiously looking at the numbers through their fingers.

At first glance, this may seem like a matter of personal preference, but there are studies showing that the rate of weight loss depends on how often a person steps on the scale.
So which method is more effective? Point one: reason for weighing

From day to day, your weight can be affected by numerous factors, such as the foods you eat the previous day, the amount of fluid you drink, sodium intake, stress and different sleep times, and the number of times you go to the bathroom the night before and the day before. Moreover, weight fluctuations can be quite significant. For example, today the scale arrow shows weight loss, everything seems to be fine, you are happy, HURRAY! And the next day an increase is possible again. If you are the type of person who experiences any such surges acutely, this can ruin your mood, lead to unnecessary stress and even a breakdown.

So is it better to weigh yourself less often, for example once a week? A study of psychological reports has shown that weekly weighing is the most popular method; it is the one chosen by the majority of people losing weight, as it more clearly demonstrates the difference in results, and also eliminates the frustration and ambiguous readings of daily weight fluctuations. [1]

However, checking your weight only once a week will not allow you to take into account factors that can further influence the overall process of losing weight, which will ultimately slow you down on your path to your goal. In addition, long intervals between weighings will not allow you to more accurately regulate your diet, leaving foods that affect weight gain unnoticed.

Did people achieve the expected results when weighing themselves weekly? Certainly! But there were also those who were upset by the small change in weight, many of them despaired and stopped fighting. This is exactly what needs to be avoided.

Advice for beginners and beyond: if you are going to monitor your progress, get ready to step on the scale more than once in a while.

Point two: direct weighing

By recording your daily weighing results over time, you will notice that your weight is not static. He fluctuates constantly. On the other hand, there are situations when weight remains unchanged for some time. But if you look at the weekly and monthly averages, you can see the general trend of whether you're moving in the right direction. This is certainly more clearly visible with several weigh-ins per week than with just one.

But does the frequency of weighing affect the result? Yes, there are studies showing numerous cases where weighing yourself daily helped people lose weight more effectively than those who weighed themselves less frequently. For example, a study published in PLOS One looked at the relationship between frequency of weighing and weight loss over time. [2]

Over a long period of time, researchers have looked at whether there is a connection between how often people weigh themselves and their weighing results. They found that those who weighed themselves daily lost significantly more total weight (compared to groups with weighing intervals of 1-6 days, 7-29 days, and more than 30 days). That is, people with longer intervals between weigh-ins lost extra pounds much more slowly and in smaller quantities.

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published the results of the study, which looked at symptoms of depression, body condition, changes in behavior, eating and hunger in people who weighed themselves every day and those who weighed themselves less often. The results showed that those who weighed themselves more often lost more weight, but no significant differences in psychological well-being were found. [3]

People who monitored their weight daily showed better food restraint, were less sensitive to hunger, and had increased vitality. [4] Other studies also confirm these findings. [5-8]

Do you still not believe? Let's look at a group losing weight under the supervision of professionals. The National Weight Control Registry tracks thousands of people who have lost more than 30 pounds and kept the weight off for at least a year. More than 44 percent of respondents said they weigh themselves at least once a day. Also, 79 percent of respondents measure their weight at least once a week. [8]

Put it all together and you'll see that weighing yourself every day is an integral part of many people's long-term weight loss success.

Verdict

Can daily weighing show unexpected results? Definitely. Often times, people will see weight gain on a certain day and will severely cut back on their diet or make other similar drastic decisions. But with the right approach and nuance, a daily weighing habit can be a useful tool. Just remember, the number itself doesn't mean that much. Look at the trend over time.

So now you should weigh yourself every day without exception? Not certainly in that way. Although there are positive results in studies of daily weighings, it is not always necessary and not everyone needs to do it that often. Among the main reasons, people have blind faith in the readings of scales.

The fact is that weighing is only one of many components of progress. Physical activity, appearance, body size, energy, fat percentage - all these indicators are also important, but they cannot be measured as easily as weight. There is an opinion that for people who are not sufficiently enlightened in the field of fitness, scale readings are too important and scale readings can greatly demoralize them.

If you feel the strength not to react to jumps in the scale readings when weighing yourself every day, this will be healthy and useful for you, you will achieve success faster - this is proven by statistical science. If you react sharply to slowdowns and even to the periodic deviation of the scale needle in a direction that is unnecessary for you, then it would be wiser to weigh yourself 2-3 times a week or even less often.

But you should understand that sometimes the weight stays the same for several days or even weeks, but at the same time important changes occur in the constitution of the body and in strength indicators. If this is the case, it is important not to get depressed, continue to exercise and eat a healthy diet. Make sport an integral part of your life and the numbers on the scale will sooner or later show the expected result!

Notes

1. Heckerman, C. L., Brownell, K. D. & Westlake, R. J. (1978). Self and external monitoring of weight. Psychological Reports, 43(2), 375-378.
2. Helander, E. E., Vuorinen, A. L., Wansink, B. & Korhonen, I. K. J. (2014). Are Breaks in Daily Self-Weighing Associated with Weight Gain? PLOS One, 9(11): e113164. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113164.
3. Steinberg, D. M., Tate, D. F., Bennett, G. G., Ennett, S., Samuel-Hodge, C., & Ward, D. S. (2014). Daily self-weighing and adverse psychological outcomes. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 461), 24-29.
4. O'Neil, P. M. & Brown, J. D. (2005). Weighing the evidence: benefits of regular weight monitoring for weight control. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 37(6), 319-322.
5. Jeffery, R. W., Bjornson-Benson, W. M., Rosenthal, B. S., Lindquist, R. A., Kurth, C. L. & Johnson, S. L. (1984). Correlates of weight loss and its maintenance over two years of follow-up among middle-aged men. Preventive Medicine, 13(2), 155-168.
6. Jeffery, R. W. & French, S. A. (1997). Preventing weight gain in adults: Designed, methods and one year results from the Pound of Prevention Study. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 21, 457-464.
7. Klem, M. L., wing, R. R., McGuire, M. T., Seagle, H. M. & Hill, J. O. (1997). A descriptive study of individuals successful at long-term maintenance and substantial weight loss. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 66(6), 239-246.
8. Butyrn, M. L., Phelan, S., Hill, J. O. & Wing, R. R. (2007). Consistent self-monitoring of weight: A key component of successful weight loss maintenance. Journal of Obesity, 15(12), 3091-3096.

Reducing carbohydrates

Another option for removing excess water from the body. Simple sugars are stored in the muscles and liver in the form of glycogen, which also retains water in the tissues. For every gram of glycogen in the body, there are 3-4 grams of water. This explains why people immediately lose weight when they switch to a low-carb diet, which reduces glycogen stores.

Carbohydrates also stimulate an increase in insulin levels, which increases sodium retention and water reabsorption in the kidneys. Low-carbohydrate diets cause insulin levels to decrease and excess sodium and water to be introduced into the kidneys. Try changing your carbohydrate intake and see how the swelling goes down.