How often do you weigh yourself? Is it once or twice a day, once a week, or every other day? According to the latest studies, young women who weigh themselves frequently are more likely to become depressed. They also have low self-esteem and poor body image, which can affect their personal and professional life.
To Step on the Scale or Not?
Whether you’re on a diet or working out, it’s recommended to monitor your weight. Unfortunately, this habit has its price. Psychologists claim that daily self-weighing can cause depression and ruin your mood. In the long run, it can affect mental health and increase your risk of developing eating disorders.
What most women don’t know is that weight doesn’t necessarily reflect body composition. A salty meal, hormonal fluctuations, poor digestion, and even stress may cause fluid retention. As a result, the scale will go up.
Body weight is also influenced by the type of exercise you do. For example, women who engage in strength training or CrossFit are heavier than the average female despite having less body fat. An intense workout can cause your muscle to swell and hold water, which increases your weight. However, this doesn’t mean you’re getting fat.
What’s the Best Approach?
There is nothing wrong with monitoring your weight as long as you don’t obsess over it. In a recent study, about 80 percent of the women who self-weighed regularly were also engaging in dangerous weight-control behaviors. Most obesity prevention programs exacerbate these problems instead of helping patients gain self-confidence.
Instead of weighing yourself, measure your waist, neck, arms, and hips once or twice a month. This way, you’ll get more accurate results. The scale doesn’t always reflect the changes that happen in your body, such as building muscle and losing fat. Taking regular measurements is a much better way to track your progress.
