The weighing scale can either become a friend or a foe during your weight loss journey. While it does help track your progress, some individuals do not see any change on the numbers on the scale even with crash dieting and intense exercise. Not seeing any difference on the scale can be a big let down. Working hard and feeling stuck can make people lose hope and consider giving up. The weighing scale is a useful tool for tracking weight loss progress, but it’s not always straightforward. Weight fluctuations can occur despite your efforts, influenced by various factors like the time of day and when you last ate. Staying positive and understanding these fluctuations can prevent disappointment with the numbers on the scale. Understanding fluctuations, understanding natural body changes, and maintaining a positive mindset would help to avoid getting disappointed by numbers on the machine and offer a more accurate view of your progress. So, here are 6 Times To Avoid Weighing Yourself.
1. The Day After a Big Cheat Meal:
Cheat meals, all yourself to indulge in guilty foods once a week, outside of your diet plan. Often people tend to pick calorie-dense, carb-rich foods that can slightly impact the numbers on the scale. The excess carbs are stored in the form of glycogen in muscles along with 3 gm of water. After a carb-rich meal, you could gain up to 4 kgs in water weight alone, albeit temporarily. Additionally, a meal high in sodium can lead to water retention, potentially causing a temporary increase in weight overnight. Heavy meals can also cause bloating which too can add up. So, do avoid standing up on the scale after a big cheat meal, you would surely be disappointed by the numbers. Also read: “12 Possible Reasons That The Weighing Scale Isn’t Moving.”
2. During Periods:
During menstrual periods, hormonal fluctuations can cause bloating and water retention. These changes can cause temporary weight gain and might reflect higher numbers on the scale.
3. Evenings and at Random Times Through the Day:
Your weight fluctuates through the day and you tend to weigh your heaviest in the evening. Also, avoid the urge to stand scale every few hours to see if your weight has come down. Your weight can fluctuate up to 2 to 2.5 kgs, and it can happen due to build up of fluids and also depend on what you ate the entire day. It would be ideal to weigh yourself every morning after going to the washroom. That’s when you’ll get your most accurate weight because your body has processed and expelled whatever you ate and drank the day before. Also read: “5 Reasons Why Maintaining A Food Diary Would Help you Lose Weight.”
4. After Sleeping for Just 2 to 3 Hours:
Studies say that sleep deprivation for even 5 days in a row can lead to temporary weight gain. Sleeping for just 2 to 3 hours can lead to bloating and water retention also. Most importantly, your body would not have had enough time to digest or process whatever you ate the day before, so it would be prudent to get quality sleep of at least 7 to 8 hours before weighing yourself.
5. After an Intense Workout:
Our body tends to hold more water to repair muscle damage and it might just add up on the scale. Avoiding stepping on the scale a few hours after an intense workout or even the day after.
6. The day after a festival – Diwali, Christmas, New Year:
Our festivals all about celebrations and feasting. Calorie-dense foods like deep-fried snacks, sweets, and other elaborate spreads which are often carb rich and may impact the numbers on the scale. In fact, indulge yourself during festivals but remember to get back on track right after. Remember consistency is the key!
In the journey towards weight loss, the scale plays a tricky role—it’s a tool to track progress but doesn’t always reflect efforts accurately. However, do understand that weight fluctuations are normal and can be influenced by various factors. To avoid getting disappointed and to maintain motivation, knowing when not to weigh yourself can provide a clearer and more accurate view of your progress. For more such weight loss tips and elaborate diet plans, subscribe to the Rati Beauty app.
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