What Is the Best Time of Day to Weigh Yourself?
Woman stepping on scale.
Losing weight isn’t easy. If you’ve committed to healthily losing weight, you’ve likely had to change the way you eat and drink and are probably devoting more time to working out than before. When you put in the effort, it’s natural to want to see proof that your hard work is paying off. For many people, that means tracking how much they weigh on the scale.
If you weigh yourself regularly, you might have noticed the numbers on the scale fluctuating—even over a day! According to doctors who specialize in weight loss, there are practical reasons why this happens and it’s why they recommend weighing yourself at the same time each day to track your progress consistently. But what time is best? Keep reading to find out.
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How Many Pounds It’s Safe to Lose a Week—and the Best Way To Do It
Many people with a weight loss goal want to lose as much weight as they can as quickly as possible, but in most cases, this isn’t healthy to do—and it’s not likely going to lead to long-lasting weight loss anyway. Dr. Mert Erogul, MD, a Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at SUNY Downstate and the Medical Bariatrician in the Maimonides Medical Center Division of Bariatric Surgery, says that a good weight loss goal to aim for is one to two pounds a week. “Very low-calorie diets are associated with greater early weight loss, but no difference in the long term,” Dr. Erogul says.
Related: 10 Real People Share the One Change They Made That Finally Helped Them Lose Weight
Since overly restrictive diets don’t tend to lead to lasting weight loss, Dr. Erogul says that the best way to lose weight is to eat nutrient-rich foods instead of depriving yourself and going through life hungry. Additionally, Dr. Neil Floch, MD, FACS, a bariatric surgeon at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut, says it can be beneficial to prioritize protein-rich foods such as beans, legumes, fish, eggs and lean meat. Besides prioritizing nutrient-rich foods, exercising regularly can also contribute to weight loss. This is because it can help with maintaining a calorie deficit.
If you are considered medically obese and want to lose weight, both doctors say it can be beneficial to meet with a bariatric surgeon to discuss weight loss medication or surgery.
The Best Time of Day to Weigh Yourself
If you are tracking your weight loss progress by weighing yourself regularly, both doctors say it’s important to always weigh yourself at the same time of day. “Weight can fluctuate during the day, so, it’s good to pick the same time each day to weigh yourself,” Dr. Erogul says.
Both doctors say that weight fluctuates throughout the day for a few reasons. One is that we eat and drink throughout the day, which can lead to a higher number on the scale versus when we haven’t eaten in several hours and the stomach is empty. Related to this, Dr. Floch says that having a bowel movement can also result in the number on the scale going down slightly.
Regarding the best time of day to weigh yourself, both doctors recommend doing it in the morning because this is when most people tend to weigh the least. “When you wake up in the morning, you’re dehydrated because you haven’t been drinking during the night. Then, you go to the bathroom and pee out the fluid. If you have a bowel movement, you could lose another quarter of a pound to a pound from that. So this is when you will be at your lowest weight,” Dr. Floch says. “Then, once you get dressed, eat breakfast and have something to drink, your weight is going to go up slightly.”
Besides just going by the number on the scale, Dr. Floch says that there are other ways to track your progress. For example, if your clothes are fitting looser than before, that’s a clear sign that your efforts are paying off. It’s also helpful to think about how you feel mentally. Do you have more energy? Has your mood changed? Eating healthier and exercising regularly should lead to a boost in both areas.
Remember, the scale is just one tool to use when tracking weight loss progress. What’s even more important is how you feel mentally and physically. If you are going to use a scale to track your weight loss progress, be consistent and weigh yourself at the same time of day each time you do so. And don’t sweat over small fluctuations—there are plenty of completely natural reasons for them!
Next up, check out this list of the best exercises for weight loss according to trainers.
Sources
Dr. Mert Erogul, MD, Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at SUNY Downstate and the Medical Bariatrician in the Maimonides Medical Center Division of Bariatric Surgery
Dr. Neil Floch, MD, FACS, bariatric surgeon at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut