Get a good scale. Get on and off it at least three times to see that it gives a consistent reading. Put it on a level, hard surface at home. Don't worry if your scale shows a weight different from other scales?-you are only interested in change. Weigh at the same time under the same conditions every day. Most of us are lighter immediately after voiding when we get up in the morning. The bottom horizontal line shows the days of the month. The left vertical line will show a range of your | |
weights. Write in your first weight next to the third line from the top. List successive weights up and down from there, one pound per line, higher weights at the top. Each day, go up the line above that day until you are on the same horizontal line as your weight that day, and make a dot. Connect the dots with a solid line. The example shows someone who started graphing on the 10th of the month at 178 lbs., weighed 178.5 on the 11th, 177 on the 12th, 177 on the 13th, 177.5 on the 14th, 177 on the 15th, 176 on the 16th, etc. The beginning of a weight loss effort is when weight graphing is most fun?-a good time to start the habit. At any time, though, your graph will show ups and downs because of changes in fluid balance, differences in fluid intake from day to day, level of physical activity, and weight of undigested food. You will learn to understand these variations and use the overall trend to guide your weight control plan. The individual data points are just to show you your trend. Remember, today’s weight is an important bit of information but not an indication of the success of yesterday’s weight control efforts. Fat weight changes much more slowly than does water weight, so water weight changes will overshadow fat changes on a daily or even weekly basis. Your weight may go down the day after you overeat, or up the day after your diet and exercise were perfect. In the long run, this can be the single most important part of your weight control efforts. It will show you whether you’re heading in the direction you wish. It only takes about 10 seconds. If you weigh and graph consistently for the rest of your life, you will be more successful at long-term weight management.
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