America has a BIG weight problem with big dollars being thrown at it. Yet, we are not getting much in the way of positive results for all the money that gets spent. Being overweight or obese is defined as you weighing too damn much for your height. Body Mass Index (BMI) is used as a screening tool to determine if you’re overweight or obese. There are serious physical, emotional, mental and financial costs associated with being overweight or obese.
In 2008, according to The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we spent an estimated $147 BILLION on obesity-related medical costs in the U.S. Being obese definitely adds to the cost of doing business. According to the CDC, obesity-related absenteeism cost U.S. businesses between $3.38 billion and $6.38 billion in 2008. That breaks down to between $79 and $132 per individual with obesity.
If you want to get in on the business of helping people lose weight, there’s money to be made. In 2014, consumers spent $64 billion trying to lose weight. That’s a ton of spending when you consider that Americans are still getting fatter every year. Today, more than 2/3 of Americans are overweight or obese. In the ongoing battle against the bulge, there is an effective and inexpensive ally that most times gets overlooked. It’s not some trendy diet, miracle pill, or exercise “guaranteed” to melt fat away. You probably have one gathering dust somewhere in your house. Look down and there it is-the lowly, bathroom scale.
SELF-MONITORING
One of the most successful things you can do while trying to lose weight is to monitor your progress. Checking your weight frequently is a form of self-monitoring. As a Certified Health Coach, our literature tells us that “Finding ways for the client to self-monitor is not only imperative to successful behavioral change and maintenance but also for promoting self-reliance” (Burke et al., 2011). Checking your weight frequently has proven to be an invaluable form of self-monitoring and therefore, a very valuable tool for weight loss.
I’m no stranger to frequently weighing. When I was a high school wrestler, I had to lose 30 pounds and keep if off, in order to wrestle in my weight class. The scale and I became friends and adversaries on a daily basis during wrestling season! It sometimes mocked me and my efforts because like they say, “the scale don’t lie!” I still had to get on that sucker whether I liked it or not. My reward was “making weight” and getting to participate in a sport that I loved.
Yea that’s me gettin' that boy in a “chicken wing!”
I know that my clients will not be successful in losing weight unless they change behaviors. When clients monitor their personal progress and like what they see, it builds confidence. As a result, they start to “own” whatever has been blocking their success, and ultimately make better progress and stick with their weight loss goals.
WHY WEIGHT YOURSELF FREQUENTLY?
To weigh frequently or not to weigh frequently is an ongoing question around losing weight. Those who oppose frequent weighing believe that it discourages people when they don’t like the results. I’m here to make a case for frequent weighing if you’re trying to lose weight. The reason is simple. People who are trying to lose weight and who check their weight frequently, lose significantly more weight than those who don’t, and they keep it off far longer.
Along with exercise and a low-calorie, lower-fat diet, self-weighing was identified as a core weight-control strategy, in the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR). Established in 1994 by Rena Wing, PhD. from Brown Medical School, and James O. Hill, PhD. from the University of Colorado, the NWCR is the largest prospective investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance. The Registry is tracking over 10,000 individuals who have been successful in losing significant amounts of weight and who have kept it off for long periods of time. On average, registrants have lost about seventy pounds and have kept the weight off for years. Their secret weapon? Frequent self-weighing. 79% of the folks in the Registry weigh themselves on at least a weekly basis.
As I stated earlier, self-monitoring is crucial for success no matter what your wellness goals are, including losing weight. In his book, How Not To Diet, Dr. Michael Greger says, “Self-weighing is merely a feedback tool to allow for personal accountability and to offer reinforcement, both positive and negative, for whatever strategies are being employed.” Dr. Greger goes on to say that, “Among those adults needing to lose weight, self-weighing seems to be associated with less depression, less disordered eating, and less body dissatisfaction, but this may be confounded by the fact that regular self-weighing improves weight loss.”
The Journal of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2015 concluded that, “Weighing every day led to great adoption of weight control behaviors and produced greater weight loss compared with weighing most days of the week. This further implicates daily weighing as an effective weight loss tool.”
In May 2020, Obesity A Research Journal had this to say about self-weighing: “Results demonstrate that consistency of self‐weighing may be more important than total frequency for preventing weight regain after the end of a weight‐loss program. Further, results suggest that a high level of consistency (self‐weighing for ≥6 d/wk or 7 d/wk) may be necessary to promote successful weight‐loss maintenance.”
This is just a small sampling of the research supporting frequent self-weighing!
PURCHASING A BATHROOM SCALE
You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get an accurate bathroom scale. One can be purchased for under $20. If you want your scale to talk to your smartphone and measure stuff like BMI, bone and muscle mass, water percentage and total body fat, you’ll pay more. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. Do it at the same time every day. For a link to some of the highest rated bathroom scales for 2020 click here. I don’t get paid a damn penny for these recommendations (wish I had enough pull that I did) so do with them what you will.
HERE’S THE DEAL
Here’s the deal, don’t be afraid to check your weight. It is what it is. Right?! Whatever you weigh is just your starting point, and don’t be discouraged if it fluctuates day to day. As long as your weight in moving in the right direction over time, you’re doing fine. So go on and get on that scale and weigh yourself every day. If you can’t stand to do it daily, at least weigh yourself weekly. Knowing if you’re making progress in your weight loss efforts is invaluable. If your weight isn’t moving in the direction, adjustments need to be made. Perhaps it would be time to hire a
Certified Health Coach (hint, hint) who will help you refine your efforts and be your accountability partner. Instead of seeing your bathroom scale as something to be avoided, think of it a valuable, inexpensive tool to help you obtain a higher level of health, longevity and enjoyment out of life. After all, isn’t that what getting to a healthy weight is all about?
Thanks again y'all for taking the time to read my blog. Remember, you can subscribe to the Z Spot Blog by signing in at my website and subscribing. You will be notified when a new post comes out. As always, here's to health and happiness!
Zo
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