Here’s a question that gets asked a lot:  “Should you look at the scale?”

I think absolutely you should* if fat loss is your goal. I know others will tell you to “ignore the scale,” but it is the most objective way to tell if you have your energy balance right for fat loss. When we add exercise to our regime, it is SO easy to overcompensate on the calories we think we are burning. We pour the cereal for a few seconds longer, we add just a little more peanut butter to our toast, we take just a few more noodles every time we have pasta– we don’t even notice it, but before we know it we’ve totally equalized or, worse, flipped the energy equation. Weighing and measuring food is one way to make sure this isn’t happening, weighing and measuring your body is the other.

It also bears mentioning that exercise has been proven to have more than just a physical effect, it also has a mental one. It improves mood, outlook and self esteem (all great things!) Unfortunately, what this can mean is that maybe we’re standing a little taller, looking at ourselves through different eyes, feeling great about ourselves and, thus, seeing some changes that might not really be there;  The scale and the tape measure are two totally objective tests that won’t lie to ya. Especially if we are getting fit for health vs vanity, we need to move beyond the mirror and put some numbers behind it.

*To preserve your sanity, I suggest weighing only once per week, at the same time of day, under the same conditions, otherwise the waterweight fluctuations will drive you batty.  If you insist on weighing yourself every day, use a tool like Google 15 to give yourself a running average and make adjustments to your program based on the average, not the day-to-day fluctuations.