Maintaining a normal weight improves the quality of life; weight gain is a risk factor for serious conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and joint pain. By weighing yourself regularly and monitoring your weight loss rate, you can achieve great long-term results.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Weigh yourself
Step 1. Weigh yourself regularly
Studies have shown that controlling your weight on a daily basis helps you stay steady towards your weight loss goals. It is a method of giving an account to oneself of one's life choices.
- Step on the scale every day to get an idea of which training and nutrition plan is best suited for your situation.
- Alternatively, you can do this once a week, which is still an effective option if you don't want to weigh yourself every day. Research has shown that a daily scale test is not a sufficient stimulus to maintain motivation, on the contrary, you may feel frustrated if you don't see results as quickly as you would like.
- If you've been suffering from eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia, don't weigh yourself every day, as it could trigger a relapse.
Step 2. Assess your weight at the same time every day
Most doctors recommend proceeding in the morning, since weight tends to fluctuate in the following hours; weigh yourself first, right after being in the bathroom.
- Don't drink or eat before weighing yourself, even a glass of water can interfere.
- Always wear the same clothes when you step on the scale. The best thing to do is to proceed without clothes as heavy shoes, sweaters or other items of clothing can lead to inaccurate results.
Step 3. Buy a scale
If you want to weigh yourself every day at home, you must have the appropriate tool; the most common models are digital, ie equipped with a small display that presents a numerical value as soon as you step on the platform.
- There are also column models, but they are taller and more voluminous and are not the most comfortable choice for a normal bathroom at home.
- You can buy one at most supermarkets or even online on sites like Amazon.
- If you don't want to buy your own scale, you can use the one at the gym (if you have a membership) or at the pharmacy.
Step 4. Weigh yourself
Climb onto the platform of the instrument, remain in an upright position with your feet parallel and aligned with your hips; wait a few seconds, the scale shows a number on the display that indicates your weight in kilograms.
Write down the value immediately to avoid forgetting it; you can insert it in a chart or simply write it down on a sheet of paper or a diary
Method 2 of 4: Create a Table in Excel
Step 1. Open a new Excel document
It is a great spreadsheet program that is compatible with Mac OSX computers, PCs and mobile devices that have an iOS operating system. It allows you to perform calculations, create graphs and tables based on the data entered.
- Move the cursor to the two columns at the top left of the spreadsheet. Name the first column with the "Date" category and the second with the "Weight" category; in the cells below it shows the date of the day you weighed yourself and the relative value. Don't worry if you only have information for a day or two.
- If you just need to keep track of your body weight and measurement date, these two columns may be enough to see your progress.
- If you don't have the Excel program, you can use Google Sheets (from Google Docs) which is available for free online. You can find it by typing "Google Sheets" into the Google search bar.
Step 2. Develop a weight loss line chart
If you want to use the data you entered in the date and weight columns and turn it into a line graph, you can visualize the fluctuations during the weight loss journey.
- Open the appropriate ribbon by clicking on the "Insert" section and then "Graph"; this displays a series of chart templates in the upper left corner of the spreadsheet.
- Select "Line" from the various options in the menu; once clicked on it, a series of different styles appears, choose "lines and points".
- At this point, assign names to the abscissa and ordinate axes; find "Select option" in the menu bar to define the columns from which to extract data. You can also assign names to the "x" and "y" axis at this stage.
Step 3. Customize the chart
The advantage of this tool is that you can add different values. If you want to measure extra parameters such as heart rate, waist circumference, blood pressure or a mood assessment, you can.
Method 3 of 4: Download a Weight Loss Chart
Step 1. Do a Google search for "weight loss spreadsheet"
If you don't want to make a custom table with Excel, you can download ready-made templates to track your progress.
- Type "weight loss spreadsheet" in the search engine of your choice and click on the "search" button; you should see a series of results.
- You can download these Excel sheets directly to your computer. All you have to do is enter the data (such as your weight, height and the dates you weighed yourself) in the respective columns.
- If you don't want to fill out these digital sheets, you can download and print them and then manually note the results.
Step 2. Update your spreadsheet regularly
After downloading it, remember to continue using it even after opening it for the first time; set a reminder on your mobile or computer to not forget this task.
Step 3. Save your work
If you are working on a downloaded program, you must regularly save the data entered. You can also transfer the file to a "cloud" service such as Dropbox or Google Cloud; this way, your data won't be lost even if your computer gets damaged.
Method 4 of 4: Track Weight Loss with Online and Mobile Tools
Step 1. Find a website where you can track your progress
Many online pages allow not only to note the weight, but also the calories present in food, mood, eating and training habits.
- Fit Day, My Fitness Pal and Loseit are the most popular solutions.
- Weight loss sites often have other functions to connect various users, such as message boards and blogs where everyone can find support and motivation.
Step 2. Use a mobile application
Perhaps you use your cell phone more regularly than your computer or a paper diary; studies show that these online programs are moderately successful in helping users lose weight.
Depending on your mobile phone's operating system (Apple or Android), you can use iTunes or Google Playstore to search for these applications, including My Fitness App, Locavore and Endomondo
Step 3. Optimize your needs
The advantage of websites and applications is that they allow you to monitor different aspects of weight loss and not just the kilograms lost or gained. If you have only one "place" to write down all this information, you are even more aware of your actions.
Advice
- While some studies suggest that regular weight monitoring is helpful for long-term weight loss, not all research comes to this conclusion.
- If you have an old version of Excel, you can use the quick menu to create the chart. You can open this feature by clicking on the graph icon in the toolbar; once opened, follow the instructions carefully, as it is a self-guided procedure.
