What time of day is best to weigh yourself?

You’ve been sticking to your diet plan to the letter but when you get on the scales the numbers seem to be all over the place. It’s easy to get demoralized but read on to discover what is the best time of day to weigh yourself in order to get a realistic idea of your progress.

Only once

First off, the best time is precisely that – one time. Once a day. If you’re getting on and off the scales at various points in the day – stop! Weight can fluctuate by as much as three pounds over the course of the day and there’s nothing like a higher reading to see you reaching for the ice cream. Just drunk a pint of water after exercising? Then it goes without saying that you are weighing that too. Winter clothes or work boots on? That can add another pound or two in a flash.

Read also: How to stop stress-eating

Only you

When you get on the scales you don’t want to be taking these variable extra weights with you. They interfere with your reading and you won’t get a steady picture of change day on day. In addition to identifying the best time of day to weigh yourself you also need to create the right conditions: undressed, and before you’ve ingested any foods or liquids that might swell the numbers on the dial.

So, when is the best time to weigh yourself during the day?

The best time of day to weigh yourself then is first thing in the morning, right after you’ve visited the bathroom. This way you can be absolutely sure that the only thing you’re weighing is yourself!

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Still not seeing the results you hoped for?

It is worth remembering that our bodies are living, breathing entities in flux – not fixed objects. There may be times when you weigh more and simply have no idea why: this may be due to the fact that our bodies can retain fluids at certain points in the month, or perhaps if you are following an exercise program you are actually building muscle, which weighs more than fat even though it looks sleeker. Try to look at the bigger picture – your results over time – and don’t let each morning’s number dictate how your day is going to be!