Special K "What will you gain when you lose?" campaign ad.
This past week I took part in an employee health fair at the hospital. Being so close to the New Year, it was the perfect time to have your cholesterol checked or sign-up for the hospital gym. I happened to be stationed right next to the Tanita scale which measures body fat. As people walked by the station, they’d be asked if they wanted their body fat tested. Since this health fair was only days after the holiday vacation most people declined with a chuckle.
What I realized was the only people that said “yes” were those that felt they had improved their percentage from the last time they stepped on. It dawned on me that most people know if they’ve gained or lost weight and the dreaded scale is not an 8 ball that you shake, cross your fingers and wish for the best future.
My advice on weigh-ins, reminded me of the great Special K Times Square ad. Don’t step on the scale each day and let it change your mood from happy to hopeless. You know if your pants are tighter, you stopped working out or you now regularly eat an entire box of cookies. If you need a starting point, step on the scale, get the number, step off and then get to work.
Stepping on the scale daily will drive you crazy especially since weight fluctuates based on the time of day you weigh yourself, when you ate last and hydration status. If you want to monitor your weight, step on the scale weekly or even better bi-weekly or monthly. If you know your weight hasn’t changed, don’t bother letting the scale change your mood. Make it a goal to do something differently (move more, eat less, both!), smile and check your weight on a “good” day.
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