If weight loss is your goal, then this might just be the key for you.

Some trainers and coaches will tell you to ditch it altogether, however it’s something I’ve urged all my clients to do over the last year or so, with great results for most. 

I introduced this based on a study whereby the participants who weighed themselves daily lost on average 13lbs more than those who weighed themselves less frequently over six months.

I’m hoping to convince you that the pros to this method outweigh the cons.

Let’s start then with the pro’s considering it’ll be a slightly bigger list.

1. You’ve got almost instantaneous feedback.
No matter which method of dieting you’re using this will give you a good idea on whether or not it is actually working. We know that a creating an energy deficit is the only route to fat loss, but practically speaking there are adaptations to dieting that fight and trick us out of this. Details of this in a further post. Suffice to say that if the scales isn’t moving in the right direction then a change in your approach is necessary.

2. You get to learn how your body works
Weight loss is rarely linear, yes there are 3600kcals in a lb of fat and creating a deficit of 500kcals per day in maths terms should lead to losing 1lb per week. The maths doesn’t always add up though. There are numerous reasons for this, adaptations to dieting, water retention, sleep and stress levels to name a few. Nevertheless there are also individual responses, you could do everything right and get a sudden drop in weight after a few weeks. Daily weighing will allow you chart trends.

3. You’re less likely to gain weight
According to the statistics, it is relatively easy to drop weight initially, maintaining that weight loss feels infinitely harder. The nature of course of weight gain is that, like dieting it’s a slow process over time, no one wakes up in the morning two stone heavier. Daily weighing will show you that trend and give you the ability to stop it in its tracks.

And here are the cons…

1. There’s a chance it may become all consuming
Here’s the most popular con. Depending on your personality type there’s a danger here of getting too obsessed with the number on the scale. If you think there’s a chance of that, or you have had a previously unhealthy relationship with food and weight then this method may not be for you. 

2. It’s only one number
Again, this is true, the number on the scales only tells us one thing. There are things that can manipulate that number, resistance training will effect this with a possible gain of lean tissue, water retention during times of stress (or menstruation), sleep deprivation can all have an effect on that number.

So that’s it for the moment, aside from how to do it properly, there’s really only you rule…

Weigh yourself at the same time each day (ideally first thing in the morning, after going to the bathroom)

You’re weight will fluctuate during the day with the amount of food and drink you consume, how much is sitting in your digestive system, bowel movements etc.

Daily weighing may just be the motivation that helps you achieve your weight loss goals.