Weighing Yourself for the First Time in a While

Are you thinking of starting a weight loss program? Are you going on a health kick? Is diabetes facing you? The first step can be weighing yourself.

In this article:

• Be kind to yourself before weighing.
• Weighing yourself can help with weight loss.
• You can use your first weight as a starting point for weight loss.

But that can be scary. Who knows what the first weigh-in after a while will show. You may find out that you weigh more than you thought. Here is some advice to get you through that moment. Then you can start working on weight loss.

A Good Friend No Matter What

Take a deep breath. Let it out. Then give yourself a pep talk. You can tell yourself the following:

• Weight does not measure your value as a person
• Today's weight does not need to be tomorrow's weight
• The weight you see today is a starting point that you never need to see again

What would you think about a friend who was going to weigh herself? Maybe you would find her brave. You might want to give her a hug if she was nervous. You would let her know that you have unconditional love for her no matter what she weighs. Do the same for yourself. Mayo Clinic reminds you to be kind to yourself.

Your Weight Is Confidential

It is normal to feel embarrassed before weighing yourself for the first time. If you feel nervous, remind yourself that your weight is confidential. It is between you and your scale. A digital health coach such as Lark can let you get personalized weight loss coaching without sharing your weight with a live human being.

The Need for a Starting Point

Are you ready to get healthy? Is it time to lose weight? Here is some news for you: you need a starting place. You cannot make progress without knowing where you are to begin with.

Your weigh-in is not a judgment. Instead, try to think of your first weigh-in as the first step in your journey. It will tell you where you are. It will let you know how far to go. And it can give you confidence about how to get there.

Evidence suggests that weighing yourself can spur weight loss. In one study, people who weighed themselves less than once a week and weighed themselves more often lost more weight. Those who weighed themselves daily lost the most weight. The study is in Obesity Science and Practice.

First Step of Many

A reason why it can be hard to get on the scale is if you are afraid of what comes next. No one wants to think about dieting. Does weight loss mean you have to give up your favorite foods? Must you avoid parties, stay away from restaurants, and become a gym rat to lose weight?

Not at all! Do not worry about making sacrifices. Small changes can help you lose weight and improve health. For example, any single one of the following daily changes can be enough to lose a pound a month. 

• Choosing water instead of a 12-ounce can of soda
• Having a bowl of plain Cheerios instead of granola
• Walking briskly for 20 minutes once a day
• Having 1/2 cup instead of 1 cup of pasta or rice as a side dish
• Squeezing mustard instead of spreading mayo onto a sandwich

Harvard Medical School has other easy ideas.

For many people, losing a pound a month can total 5% weight loss over a year. That is enough to lower health risks. It is the goal in Lark DPP for lowering the risk for type 2 diabetes.

Big Gains with Small Changes

How much extra weight do you have? Are you 10, 30, or 100 lb. overweight? Is your goal to lose all of the excess weight? Then you may feel like you are fighting a losing battle before you even start. And that can keep you from getting started.

There is no need to worry about losing a lot of weight quickly. Instead, smaller goals can be helpful. If you have been gaining weight recently, a first goal might be to stop gaining weight. Next, you might want to try to lose a bit of weight, such as 2 to 4 lb. in a month. The most important thing is for weight to be going in the right direction (down). How fast you lose weight is not that important.

Room for Improvement

Do your joints ache? Do you have trouble climbing stairs? Does your significant other complain that you snore at night? Have you been told that you have prediabetes or are at high risk for type 2 diabetes? Mayo Clinic says being obese can cause all of these and more problems. 

The higher your weight, the more likely you are to have consequences. It can be good news if your starting weight is high, even if it is not what you want. A high starting body weight means that losing weight will almost certainly improve obesity-related concerns. 

Tracking weight loss is part of the weight loss journey. It requires a good scale. The best scale for tracking weight loss is accurate and easy to use. It can be your partner as you monitor progress and stay accountable.

A digital scale that connects to your phone can make tracking simpler. That way, you can see your weight history and trends. A weight loss tracker and coach can use your weight data to help you lose more weight. Lark Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) connects your weigh-in data with diet, exercise, and other choices. You can get personalized coaching.

The Lark DPP and a connected scale may be available at no cost to you if your health insurer participates! Click here to find out if you may be eligible for Lark. You could be minutes away from losing weight and improving health.