Healthy Living
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Is your scale lying to you?
user
Ever step on the scale and have a hard time believing its
accuracy? Now, I'm not talking about delusion or denial...but
more about the fact that you honestly can't pinpoint why the scale
is reading a three pound increase in your weight. It
happens...it happens to all of us, and it can be very confusing,
let alone frustrating.
Believe it or not, there are reasons that the scale may be
telling a 'white lie' to you...not intentionally of course, but
many things factor into your weight, besides your caloric
intake. Here is a look at a few magical, or for that matter,
deceptive reasons that the number on your scale can be
misleading:
- Salt Overload and Water Retention:
Eating salty foods causes your body to 1) crave liquids and 2)
retain water. This water retention can add up to numerous
pounds over the course of a couple of days.
- You haven't Pooped: In all seriousness,
if you are constipated or haven't pooped in a day or more, the
weight adds up. Although this may vary by person, you should
aim to go at least 1 time a day, although it is ideal to go once
per meal (3 times a day). Eat lots of fiber to keep things
moving.
- PMS/Menstrual Cycle: For all of those women
out there, PMS can cause your body to retain sodium and water
(Kathy Egan, R.D.). To avoid this, eat potassium-rich
vegetables and fruit(E.g., asparagus, bananas, strawberries
and melon). Potassium can help balance sodium levels in your bloodstream and
allows your system to flush out excess fluid, reducing bloat.
- Delayed Reaction: Weight gain is not
attributed to the weight of your food, it is attributed to the
calories you consume. So, if a couple of days ago you had a
bit extra, you might see a slight delay on the scale. The
calories have to be digested and absorbed to actually gain the
weight. Depending on the type of food you ate, it could take
more or less time to finally show up on the scale.
- Different Time of Day: If you normally
weigh yourself in the morning and then randomly you weigh yourself
at night, you'll probably see a different weight on the
scale. This is often attributed to the liquids and food you
consumed throughout the course of the day that hasn't been expelled
by the digestive tract (urine and/or bowel movement).
- Unbalanced Scale: Every once in awhile,
a scale can become 'unbalanced'. Make sure it is on a level
surface and registers 0 prior to weighing yourself.
Have you had any other reasons you think your scale was
'fibbing'? Do tell!
Relevant Topics:
Related: wellness, weight loss, weight gain, scale accuracy, nutrition, healthy living, diet
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Posted by carvergirl616 Tue Oct 7, 2008 9:26am PDT
These are the exact reasons why I don't weigh myself on a daily basis. It's easy to get obsessed with weighing yourself, and then be too hard on yourself when you've gained a couple of unwanted pounds. Instead, I try to focus on how my clothes fit and how good I feel, along with the food I've been eating. I just hope that other people realize not to get too hung up on the number you see on the scale. For a great prevention blog on keeping track of your weight, check out the link below. This tool is free and can help keep you on the right diet path.
http://buzz.prevention.com/community/az-mama/using-the-tools-available
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Posted by Jezabel Wed Oct 8, 2008 8:13am PDT
Also if you have an electric scale make sure the battery is still good, when they are about to go they throw out some pretty funky numbers, once replaced, back to normal.
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Posted by mb Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:11pm PDT
Don't forget that certain scales measure your weight at different points on your feet. Make sure you stand steady and balanced.
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Posted by mb Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:23pm PDT
Three times a day?!?
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Posted by Cheryl K Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:25pm PDT
I have a Healthometer Physicians balance beam scale and it is very accurate (unlike those step on scales where you step on it 3-5 times in a row and get 3-5 different weights).
Sure I knew all those things they mentioned.
I do not agree with people who say you shouldn't weigh every day. First of all some of us need to see the progress. If you wait a week and are not dieting you can gain a lot in that week. My doctor actually recommended weighing every day. You have to be able to live with the small flucuations. If you are not dieting and never weigh, weigh once a week or once a month you might be in for a shock at how much you can gain in that time period (unless you are the rare person who never gains). Someone said go by how your clothes fit. Well I can gain up to 20 lbs. and my clothes still fit. Unless you are a small person and wear tight non-stretchy clothing I don't think this is a good judge.
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Posted by Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:27pm PDT
Wow, thats very helpful. But does it count for Wii Fit when you are on a carpet? I think so.
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Posted by JimmyS Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:28pm PDT
#4 is ridiculous. 1/2 lb of food cant turn into 2 lbs of fat in your body a few days later.
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Posted by JimmyS Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:29pm PDT
and striving to "poop" 3 times a day? c'mon.....
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Posted by Chris Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:30pm PDT
And also, take into account the weight of your clothes. If you normally weight yourself in just your underware and then deside to weight yourself with the full day's attire, it'll be more... same for if you weigh yourself with clothes but no shoes and deside to weight with shoes or a different type of shoe/boot than normal.
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Posted by terriep Thu Oct 9, 2008 3:32pm PDT
MENOPAUSE. Its impossible to lose weight when you're struggling with menopause.
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