Best method of weighing

lucyholdcroft363

I have developed an awful fear of the scale. I went on a couple of weeks binging a couple of months ago and gained four pounds. Since then I have reigned it in a lot but I am so frightened of the scales and I was wondering what steps I should take to ensure accurate weighing. I lift weights a lot and partake in a great deal of cardio and so always convince myself that I 'cant weigh myself as ill be full of water retention'. What is the best way to minimize water retention before weighing yourself?

earlnabby

lucyholdcroft363 wrote: »

I have developed an awful fear of the scale. I went on a couple of weeks binging a couple of months ago and gained four pounds. Since then I have reigned it in a lot but I am so frightened of the scales and I was wondering what steps I should take to ensure accurate weighing. I lift weights a lot and partake in a great deal of cardio and so always convince myself that I 'cant weigh myself as ill be full of water retention'. What is the best way to minimize water retention before weighing yourself?

Without doing temporary (and unsafe) things like dehydrating yourself, taking diuretics, etc. The only things you can do to minimize water retention is to make sure you are drinking enough fluids and keep your dietary sodium consistently under the recommended 2300 mg.

EvgeniZyntx

Go listen to the podcast

http://psychologyofeating.com/numbers-ruining-nutritional-health/

You seem stuck on numbers.

bpetrosky

lucyholdcroft363 wrote: »

I have developed an awful fear of the scale. I went on a couple of weeks binging a couple of months ago and gained four pounds. Since then I have reigned it in a lot but I am so frightened of the scales and I was wondering what steps I should take to ensure accurate weighing. I lift weights a lot and partake in a great deal of cardio and so always convince myself that I 'cant weigh myself as ill be full of water retention'. What is the best way to minimize water retention before weighing yourself?

You can try to moderate your sodium and drink more water to regulate your sodium levels better. Diet sodas can be high in sodium, so you might cut back on that if you drink a lot.

Exercise does trigger your muscles to retain water in the muscle tissue as they repair, there's little that can be done about that.

You probably need to focus less on the number on the scale at any given time and look more at the trend over time. Personally, I weigh daily, but I only worry about the trend over 1-2 weeks since I know it can fluctuate dramatically during the day. If I binge out, I might see a bump that lasts as long as a week, so it takes time for any change to really show up on the scale.

pjedirg

Be consistent with when you weigh. My routine is right after I wake up in the morning, I pee then weigh. Do this every day and do not be too concerned about day-to-day variations; I find I might fluctuate +/- 1 lb or more, depending on what sort of food I ate the day before or whether I ate something with alot of salt in it ... true weight loss/gain can be discerned by looking at readings 7 days apart; don't get caught up with the day-to-day variations. And don't let your mind get scared of the scales, it's just data.

earlnabby

bpetrosky wrote: »

lucyholdcroft363 wrote: »

I have developed an awful fear of the scale. I went on a couple of weeks binging a couple of months ago and gained four pounds. Since then I have reigned it in a lot but I am so frightened of the scales and I was wondering what steps I should take to ensure accurate weighing. I lift weights a lot and partake in a great deal of cardio and so always convince myself that I 'cant weigh myself as ill be full of water retention'. What is the best way to minimize water retention before weighing yourself?

You can try to moderate your sodium and drink more water to regulate your sodium levels better. Diet sodas can be high in sodium, so you might cut back on that if you drink a lot.

Actually, diet sodas are very low in sodium. You get more sodium in your tap water if you have a water softener as you do drinking a diet soda.

From this website: http://www.livestrong.com/article/273911-sodium-levels-in-soft-drinks/

"The sodium level in regular colas is generally the same in both caffeinated and noncaffeinated varieties. Drinking a 12-ounce can of cola gives you around 12 milligrams of sodium. Low-calorie caffeinated diet colas can have up to 24 milligrams of sodium in 12 ounces. But usually noncaffeinated diet colas have about the same 12 milligrams of sodium as regular colas. Regular caffeinated pepper-type soft drinks have 36 milligrams of sodium in 12 ounces. If you prefer caffeinated low-calorie pepper-flavored soft drinks, you’ll get up to 60 milligrams of sodium, while noncaffeinated diet varieties have around 12 milligrams per 12-ounce serving."

Softened water has about 28 mg of sodium per 8 oz which equals 42 mg for the equivalent of a can of soda, which is almost twice the amount in a can of diet cola. ( http://www.merleswater.com/blog/bid/144148/Drinking-Softened-Water-How-Much-Sodium-in-Softened-Water )

bpetrosky

earlnabby wrote: »

bpetrosky wrote: »

lucyholdcroft363 wrote: »

I have developed an awful fear of the scale. I went on a couple of weeks binging a couple of months ago and gained four pounds. Since then I have reigned it in a lot but I am so frightened of the scales and I was wondering what steps I should take to ensure accurate weighing. I lift weights a lot and partake in a great deal of cardio and so always convince myself that I 'cant weigh myself as ill be full of water retention'. What is the best way to minimize water retention before weighing yourself?

You can try to moderate your sodium and drink more water to regulate your sodium levels better. Diet sodas can be high in sodium, so you might cut back on that if you drink a lot.

Actually, diet sodas are very low in sodium. You get more sodium in your tap water if you have a water softener as you do drinking a diet soda.

From this website: http://www.livestrong.com/article/273911-sodium-levels-in-soft-drinks/

"The sodium level in regular colas is generally the same in both caffeinated and noncaffeinated varieties. Drinking a 12-ounce can of cola gives you around 12 milligrams of sodium. Low-calorie caffeinated diet colas can have up to 24 milligrams of sodium in 12 ounces. But usually noncaffeinated diet colas have about the same 12 milligrams of sodium as regular colas. Regular caffeinated pepper-type soft drinks have 36 milligrams of sodium in 12 ounces. If you prefer caffeinated low-calorie pepper-flavored soft drinks, you’ll get up to 60 milligrams of sodium, while noncaffeinated diet varieties have around 12 milligrams per 12-ounce serving."

Softened water has about 28 mg of sodium per 8 oz which equals 42 mg for the equivalent of a can of soda, which is almost twice the amount in a can of diet cola. ( http://www.merleswater.com/blog/bid/144148/Drinking-Softened-Water-How-Much-Sodium-in-Softened-Water )

I stand corrected. I recall it being much higher. I don't drink diet sodas much anymore (no health reason, just lost the taste and prefer to spend the money on other things).

But, Diet Coke is 40 mg / 12 oz. Coke Zero is 70 mg / 20 oz. (I know the sizes are different, this is from Coca Cola's site below). I think the Livestrong site is not accurate.

http://productnutrition.thecoca-colacompany.com/