You MUST learn how to weigh yourself correctly every time.
Many of you might be thinking, “I'm not that stupid, Josh! I think I can figure out how to step on a scale.”
Well, I'm not just talking about the part where you step on the scale. Anyone can do that, right?
I want to discuss the optimal times for weighing yourself, the type of scale you should have, the accuracy of the scale, and even where the scale should be placed.
Most people will be able to learn something from this page.
Learning how to weigh yourself is a little more complicated than you might think.
Weigh Yourself Weekly When Using The WLC System
I only want you to weigh yourself once per week during your WLC weight lifting program.
Obviously, you can practice more to help as practice does help. And you'll see the large variances that can occur due to your body conditions throughout different parts of the day.
You will record this weight in your weight lifting log book along with other data you will need to make weekly decisions regarding your WLC diet.
I'm going to need you to follow a few guidelines for weighing yourself so that you make the best decisions for your diet plan.
You must have already decided on a goal for your WLC cycle. You're going to have to decide to either build muscle or lose fat.
If you've decided you're going for muscle gain, I want you to make sure you're gaining weight each and every week of your cycle. If you've decided to go the fat loss way, I want you to ensure that you're losing weight each and every week.
There are a few exceptions to these rules, such as beginners may be able to lose fat while body weight weight slightly increases, but for now we will be talking in general terms for the purpose of this information.
How To Weigh Yourself Under The Same Conditions Each Time
So, we need to know how to weigh ourselves properly each week to ensure that we're either gaining or losing weight.
I want you to pick a day in which you're not going to be rushed in the morning after waking up.
I don't want you to forget this important step.
Next, I want you to weigh yourself as soon as you get up in the morning. This will ensure that the similar conditions are met each and every time you weigh yourself.
If you have to empty your bladder every morning, make sure you've emptied your bladder before weighing yourself for each weekly assessment.
Ensure that you do not eat anything before you weigh yourself in the mornings. I only want you weighing yourself in the mornings and never later in the day.
You'll have nothing for comparison purposes if you weigh yourself later in the day. I've weighed as much as 5 pounds different from morning to night on the same day.
Depending on the person, your weight could vary even more than that. So, I hope you see why it's important to weigh yourself under the same conditions.
How Precise Should Your Scale Be?
Well, I'd like for you to have the most precise scale possible, but many people including myself do not want to spend a lot of money on very expensive scales.
Most scales will do the job.
Just don't go really cheap and end up getting false measurements all the time.
Since many of your decisions while on WLC depends on your weekly assessment, I would get myself a decent scale. One of the more important characteristics to look for is a scale that increments by a half pound or less.
I bought a scale that increments a half pound at a time. I've had it for a long time and it still works great for me.
I might look into getting a better scale soon, with increments by the tenth of a pound.
UPDATE: Recently I bought one that increments by 0.1 pounds and this is a MUCH better choice for everyone.
I've became pretty good at figuring out when I'm between the half pound marks, though, as the scale will oscillate back and forth between the 1/2 pound and full pound measurements.
Just get the most accurate and precise scale that is reasonably priced to fit your budget.
Other Notes About Scales
Also make sure to always weigh yourself on a level surface.
Carpet isn't a great place for your scale. Hard wood flooring, concrete, or level ceramic tile would be a good location for your scale.
Put it in a convenient location for your weekly assessments.
Do not get a scale in which the zero mark can be adjusted. Someone in your family will come along and adjust it and you're weekly measurement will be tainted.
Some people like to adjust it backwards to make them feel like they haven't gained any weight. So, please watch your zero adjustment if you buy a scale that has that option.
I prefer digital scales that are always calibrated to the zero mark. These scales are not too expensive any more, so you really have no excuse not to get one. A good scale will be a good investment for you.
How to weigh yourself wasn't as easy as you thought, huh?
Body Fat Percentage Scales
These scales are really not worth the time. You'll spend more time figuring out how you gained 10 pounds of fat in one day or how you gained 10 pounds of muscle in one day than you will for using the body fat percentage from the scale.
I've had one of these scales for a long time and I only use it for the weight measurement.
Trust me, you cannot get an accurate measurement no matter how hard you try. Even under the exact same conditions, the scale will fluctuate way too much.
Learning how to weigh yourself is a very important part of the WLC System, so please take the time to read this page thoroughly. You'll need accurate measurements to make decisions every week.
There will come a time when your results slow… that's when you need to make adjustments based on the WLC System guidelines. That's why measuring your results is so important.
And that's why you need to take accurate and precise body weight measurements.
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