How to weigh yourself correctly

The scale is a tool to help assess your weight loss progress, but you should not obsess with it. Besides indicating your weight, a number does not necessarily reflect being healthy or unhealthy but nevertheless it is a good indicator of progress through your weight loss journey. The surgeons at Mexicali Bariatric Center have some recommendations to weigh yourself the right way.

Choose the right scale

It's important to always be weighed on the same scale, so it is advisable to purchase or get one that is well calibrated. Keep in mind that before purchasing a scale you may be able to give it a test run and find out if it is right for you, here is a quick way to know if it is calibrated:

1. The scale should read the same number every time the same weight is applied
2. Lean back and forward while on it and find out if the number changes, if it does, it needs calibration.
3. The scale should start on zero before weight is applied.

If your scale doesn't pass those simple tests, problems other than calibration may be affecting its accuracy.

Tips to weigh yourself correctly

- The best time of the day to be weighed is in the morning after urinating so that the body has not retained liquids.

- Wear only underwear and be barefooted.

- Remove rings, pendants, glasses and everything that can modify the weight.

- The most recommended day to step on a scale is on Monday because you may see part of the results from the weekend behavior, this can encourage you to take care of yourself the rest of the week. If you notice that there are weight variations during the week, remember what you ate and see how that affects your weight increase or decrease.

Attitude is key

Attitude is very important when you weigh yourself, because you need to know how to face the result the scale will provide. A weight gain can always be fixed. Weighing yourself should never be something that demotivates you or your weight loss journey, if you don't like the results, do not torment yourself, on the contrary, the result should be an instrument to promote the necessary changes, which can be achieved with determination.