Does Checking The Scale Help With Weight Management?

It's a source of common, often emotionally charged, debate:  will weighing yourself help you to lose and/or manage your weight?

When it comes to stepping on the scale, what is the truth:  does it help or hinder weight management?

I'm an all-cards-on-the-table kinda woman when it comes to fitness stats;  spare me the wishful thinking and give me the true story.  So I've  pretty much had the habit of weighing in to help track and monitor fitness.  Thank goodness I  no longer "OC" about it, as in the old days!  Now it serves compatible purpose.

At any rate, it's high time someone did some research on this one and it's finally happened.

Earlier this year, results were reported by The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

[Reference: Int J Beh Nutr Phys Act. 2008 Nov 4;5:54. The Impact of Regular Self-weighing on Weight Management: A Systematic Literature Review. VanWormer JJ, French SA, Pereira MA, Welsh EM]

Here's the study prompt: Admittedly, self-weighing has received "conflicting endorsement" in the obesity literature – from both researchers and practitioners alike!  Some recommend it is a key strategy for weight management.  Others caution that self-weighing can be an emotionally loaded practice that can cause negative consequences, psychologically speaking, with weight management failure.  The purpose of the research by the IJBNPA was to evaluate the evidence. That is, evidence regarding the use of regular self-weighing for both weight loss and weight maintenance.

The Study

The study consisted of, primarily, a literature review.  That means, the researchers reviewed previous studies on self-weighing.  Interestingly, 11 of the 12 studies reviewed indicated that more frequent self-weighing was associated with greater weight loss or weight gain prevention.  The reviewers admit that the studies were not perfect.  And believe me, from my experience in research in is darn-tootin' hard if not next to impossible to have "perfect" research when it comes to human behavior – too many variables.

But the researchers concluded – their findings from 11 of the 12 reviews conducted – that there does not seem to be, after all is said and done, anything bad about weighing yourself.  As a matter of fact:  

Conclusion

Based on the consistency of the evidence reviewed, frequent self-weighing, at the very least, seems to be a good predictor of moderate weight loss, less weight regain, or the avoidance of initial weight gain in adults. More targeted research is needed in this area to determine the causal role of frequent self-weighing in weight loss/weight gain prevention programs. Other open questions to be pursued include the optimal dose of self-weighing, as well as the risks posed for negative psychological consequences.

Truthfully? I find that the scale DOES help me stay on track.  Yet I also am quick to caution women on these elements of the "weigh in":

1. added muscle can mean added weight that benefits you;  at the same time, inch loss with a stable weight is a powerful indicator of increased and maintained muscle mass;  something you definitely want!
2. weight can fluctuate somewhat "wildly" (we tend to freak out about 2 – 3 lbs) from day to day depending on hydration, sodium intake, carbohydrate intake, hormonal profile, and other dietary or pharmaceutical factors.  It is the averages over the course of weeks that is a more true indicator.
3. it is possible to cultivate a detachment from the numbers that allows you to use it objectively FOR your purposes of weight management!
4. no one is forcing you to weigh here!  Personal preference take precedence – but at the same time, an objective look at fears and denial may be helpful.

And of course, if you know yourself that you are managing your weight to your satisfaction without a scale in radar's distance, thank you very much, then the truth is, keep doing what you're doing!

© Lani Muelrath, M.A.

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