12 Mistakes Everyone Makes When Weighing Themselves

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2. If You Have a Digital Scale

Almost everyone has one of those cool digital scales, but did you know that their accuracy can vary depending on the temperature and humidity at the time you weigh yourself? It’s true! One study found that there was actually a 3.4-pound difference between readings depending on the weather. Other studies have found that even different brands of scale can give you different readings. One option here is to go to a department store, step on several different scales and choose the one that reads the least! This is why you shouldn’t take that scale reading too seriously. Digital scales tend to read higher in colder weather and in high levels of humidity. You can always switch to a doctors’ type of scale, but those are pretty bulky and not very stylish.

3. Weighing Yourself at Someone Else’s House

It is SO tempting to use someone else’s scale, isn’t it? Nothing can give you a lift like using a friend’s scale and finding you weigh 5 pounds less than you do at home! But what happens when you get home? This is why you shouldn’t use anyone else’s scale.

4. Don’t Weigh Yourself During the Day

Whether you are a gym rat, a bodybuilder, or just an average exerciser, your weight will vary throughout the day. This is due to various reasons, such as hydration, the meals we consume, and even our bowel movements: all affect our weight. This is why you should break the habit of weighing yourself several times each day.

5. Cheap Scales

Being thrifty is a good thing, but you get what you pay for. In this case, buying one of those bargain basement, $10 scales is going to cause you a lot of stress. Cheap scales are even less accurate than digital scales. Although they do tend to put your weight on the light side, this only makes you feel badly when you go to the gym and the scale there says you’ve gained 10 pounds.

6. If Weighing Yourself Makes You Anxious

Listen, when you step on that scale, it only means whatever you decide it means. If you believe that whatever number your scale says is too much, if it is going to be a traumatic event, if thinking about that number all day long is going to make you feel stressed out and anxious, then don’t do it. Seriously. If you didn’t step on that scale, would the world end? Of course not. So if your scale makes you anxious, put a big happy face on it that covers the numbers.

7. If You Ate Half a Pizza for Dinner

If you ate a huge dinner, whatever you do, don’t get on the scale. Everyone is heavier at the end of the day. Not fatter, just heavier. Most people weigh anywhere between 6 to 8 pounds heavier at night, more so if they just ate a huge dinner. Make it easy on yourself and save the weigh-in for the morning.

8. Certain Days of the Month

(Don’t bother reading any further, guys.) Ladies, you already know how bloated you can feel on certain days of the month. This is due to water weight and it is completely normal. This usually happens between two and seven days before your period. Make things easy on yourself and just skip the scale during this time.

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