Hi guys, Kris from Custom Fitness here, your personal trainer in Amarillo. When is the best time to weigh? I find myself answering that questions often. Women’s weight can fluctuate 5 to 10 pounds on any given day. Men fluctuate around 4 to 8 pounds on any given day. It really depends on how much stress they are enduring, what they’ve been eating, whether or not they have worked out recently, etc. Today we are taking a look at when is the best time to weigh and the reasons behind it. If you questions about this blog or would like to get a more accurate read on your fitness, give us a call: 806-322-3188.
To start off with, understanding that fluctuation throughout a day is completely normal. Weighing at the same time every time you do it will be paramount for your motivation if your goal is to lose weight. Depending on what your life is like, you probably agree that what you eat varies drastically on the weekends than the weekdays. That suggests that depending on our eating habits we should weigh on the same day each time. I’ll give an example of this in just a minute. Realize everyday is a little different.
Your weight is a combination of what your body contains such as bones, organs, skin, as well as current fluid levels, current digestive levels (how much food is stored in the digestive tract at any given time) and more. Lots of different factors influence your weight, so the fact that it can vary so widely makes it less than a reasonable metric to see progress. For example, if you were to lay out 3 scales all of the same brand, battery level, and model, you would get 3 different weights.
Often we become obsessed with “How much do I weigh?” If the number on the scale doesn’t match the number in our head, we feel as though we have failed at something. That’s not how you want to respond to your body. If you want to use weight as a unit of measure, make sure you are weighing in at the same time on the same day every week.
One time I had a client who was generous enough to allow me to weigh her twice a week for 12 weeks. She’d come in Monday mornings and again Friday afternoon. Right before the weekend and right after. Also, morning versus afternoon. Her body responded differently to having a week behind her versus a weekend. Have a week’s worth of food versus the weekend snacking. I went ahead and charted it over the 12 weeks. She was consistently 6 pounds off. Every monday she was 6 pounds lighter and fridays she was 6 pounds heavier. How could that be if she was eating like crazy on the weekends? Comes down to the time of day she was weighed. Her digestive levels were heavier in the afternoon after she had eaten instead of when she first woke up and had yet to eat breakfast.
Despite having weekends that her weight tracked a little higher or a little lower, it seemed throughout the week she trended at a 6 pound difference. As she continued to lose weight over the 12 weeks, the 6 pound variance continued. Fridays were her heaviest and mondays were her lightest.
Recently, I had another client who had lost only 2 pounds over the course of a month. She was so frustrated. As my job as a personal trainer in Amarillo, I find it crucial to show clients the bigger picture. That’s why we don’t solely rely on weight as a unit of measurement. I did girth and several other measurements. I took her body composition to determine her fat and muscle. It turns out that she had actually lost 2 PANT sizes over the course of the month, but she didn’t realize it because she was so plagued by the number on the scale. She had lost fat, but the muscle had built up. Her body fat dropped by 3.5%!!! That’s huge! It took me a while, but eventually I convinced her that there was so much more to all of this than just a number. Once she came around to the idea, she was ecstatic by her progress – even if it was only 2 pounds.
I know it’s hard to change your way of thinking, especially as Americans – the media really emphasizes the a low weight equates to health. If you can take a moment to open your mind to alternative measurements and that there is success outside of that number. Consider that your weight is not you. It is a composition of what you are in that moment (hydrated, non-hydrated, food filled, muscles, etc). That number does not define who you are nor your success level.
When you look analyze success by metrics rather than how you look or feel, make sure you document the weight, the girth sizes and the pant sizes, the dress size, or the shirt size. If you are doing this in a professional setting, adding in body composition is a great way to have an overall view of where you are at health and fitness wise. This will aid you on the road to success.
Is there a right time to weigh? Yes. If you’re going to do it, do it on the same day at the same time every week. Wear the same clothes or be naked, but be consistent. Make sure every factor is the same to get an accurate weight. Remember, that number does not define you. Use weight as an addition to other metrics to get a bigger picture of your progress.
If you choose not to use metrics, take a before picture and an after picture on your mirror to visualize your journey. You can also add a “goal outfit” to your closet. A shirt, pants, or dress that is slightly too small. Every week try and put that outfit on, you’ll notice you will eventually slide right into it. This won’t’ be an instant change. You will notice that week after week the outfit goes from tight, to snug, to comfortable. With any luck, you’ll keep going and need to buy a new goal outfit. These little changes are what will get you to your goal.
If you would like more help on seeing the full picture, achieving progress everyday towards your goals, we would love to talk to you. Give us a call at 806-322-3188 or e-mail us at info@customfitness.biz. We can set you up with a consultation where you can come check out what it is we do here at the studio. At Custom Fitness, we are YOUR personal trainers in Amarillo, Texas. Have a great day!