Weigh-Ins effective weight-loss technique

You might be able to save a few dollars and still lose a few pounds.

A study in the journal Obesity suggests that a daily weigh-in on your bathroom scale can be an effective alternative to other more intensive weight-loss programs. Ninety-one participants who had been identified as overweight or obese were divided into a six-month weight-loss program which involved instructions to weigh themselves daily and a weekly email involving encouraging and helpful information, or a control group. The test group was not given any dietary or physical activity instructions.

On average, the control group fared much worse than those instructed to weigh themselves daily. The study group, on average, lost significantly more weight than the control group; over six months the intervention participants lost an average of 6.55 per cent of their body weight. The control group lost on average only 0.35 per cent. Those involved in the intervention also ate fewer calories, even though no dietary instructions were given.

“[We] found that an approach that included daily self-weighing along with a weekly e-mail that included tailored feedback and skills training can be effective for producing clinically meaningful weight loss.” wrote the authors of the study. “Our results indicate that daily self-weighing can be an effective self-monitoring strategy that warrants inclusion in weight loss interventions.”

Although weighing yourself will certainly not itself help you lose weight, it seems to be a viable addition to any weight-loss plan, intensive or otherwise, and provides an important and simple benchmark for tracking progress.