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> The idea is to track everything you take in and track what you spend through exercise. Wouldn't it just be easier to weigh yourself once a week, and if your

by smegel 12y ago

> The idea is to track everything you take in and track what you spend through exercise. Wouldn't it just be easier to weigh yourself once a week, and if your weight goes up, eat less calories the following week and/or do more exercise? Unless your memory is that bad, or your eating patterns that random, it should not be hard to cut out things you know are high calorie and you can do without.

beisner 12y ago
The problem with weight loss and other sorts of large, daunting projects is that morale and focus tend to evaporate pretty quickly when you don't hold yourself accountable and don't see immediate results. Whether it's weighing yourself every day or keeping a food journal, these sort of small, incremental data points help you keep focused in the short term. Tracking them over larger time frames keeps you focused in the long term. When you want to learn a new language, you can't just say, "I'll look over some words this week, and if I'm not happy with my progress I'll do more next week," - you have to have a day-to-day plan to go over X number of flash cards, or talk for X number of minutes with a native speaker. Small, manageable, tangible goals are the key to weight loss, and tracking ones weight and intake meticulously allows you to set such goals.
Throwaway823 12y ago
I'm trying to gain 10 or 20 lbs, because I'm on the slim side. The problem, weighing yourself once a week is open to random fluctuations. For example, let's say I'm trying to gain 15 lbs this year. That's 0.28 lbs per week, or 1.25 lbs per month. My weight might go up and down a couple of pounds throughout the day, depending on the amount of water in my system, when I use the washroom, etc. So, I weigh myself today, and let's say I had a little extra water in my system. Now, I weigh myself in a month, and I'm slightly dehydrated that day without realizing it. I might have reached my goal and gained 1.25 lbs that month, but the scale is showing I weigh 1 lbs less than when I started. That's a problem, because I stuck to my goals, my routine, and I get slapped in the face with results that say I'm going in the opposite direction. I might incorrectly make changes to my calorie count, that don't need to be made. This is why tracking is useful. You step on the scale on a regular basis, and you can see the overall trend over time. In the above scenario, I can see although the scale shows 1 lbs less, it's an off day, and looking at the forecast, I'm on target and did average a gain 1.25 lbs that month. Now, I don't even have a scale, but that's why I'd like to get one, so I can step on it throughout the day, and see a graph to better summarize what's happening.

by smegel 12y ago

beisner 12y ago

The problem with weight loss and other sorts of large, daunting projects is that morale and focus tend to evaporate pretty quickly when you don't hold yourself accountable and don't see immediate results. Whether it's weighing yourself every day or keeping a food journal, these sort of small, incremental data points help you keep focused in the short term. Tracking them over larger time frames keeps you focused in the long term. When you want to learn a new language, you can't just say, "I'll look over some words this week, and if I'm not happy with my progress I'll do more next week," - you have to have a day-to-day plan to go over X number of flash cards, or talk for X number of minutes with a native speaker. Small, manageable, tangible goals are the key to weight loss, and tracking ones weight and intake meticulously allows you to set such goals.

Throwaway823 12y ago

I'm trying to gain 10 or 20 lbs, because I'm on the slim side. The problem, weighing yourself once a week is open to random fluctuations. For example, let's say I'm trying to gain 15 lbs this year. That's 0.28 lbs per week, or 1.25 lbs per month. My weight might go up and down a couple of pounds throughout the day, depending on the amount of water in my system, when I use the washroom, etc. So, I weigh myself today, and let's say I had a little extra water in my system. Now, I weigh myself in a month, and I'm slightly dehydrated that day without realizing it. I might have reached my goal and gained 1.25 lbs that month, but the scale is showing I weigh 1 lbs less than when I started. That's a problem, because I stuck to my goals, my routine, and I get slapped in the face with results that say I'm going in the opposite direction. I might incorrectly make changes to my calorie count, that don't need to be made. This is why tracking is useful. You step on the scale on a regular basis, and you can see the overall trend over time. In the above scenario, I can see although the scale shows 1 lbs less, it's an off day, and looking at the forecast, I'm on target and did average a gain 1.25 lbs that month. Now, I don't even have a scale, but that's why I'd like to get one, so I can step on it throughout the day, and see a graph to better summarize what's happening.