Use the scale

Dieting Facts:
about 1 in 3 American adults are on a diet.
majority will regain some or all of the weight lost
people who used a scale were more successful at hitting ideal weight
regular weigh in but not daily weigh ins are key
66.3% American adults who are overweight or obese (National Institutes of Health)
71 million: Americans who go on a diet in a typical year (Calorie Control Council National Consumer Survey, 2004)
$101 billion: American spending on "low-calorie" food and beverages in 2007(BBC Research Inc)



Losing excess weight is often easier than keeping it off. New research says stepping on a scale every day, while all along making changes in eating and exercise habits accordingly, can go a long way in helping dieters maintain weight loss and keep it off. Research is showing that daily weighing in is critical and has great benefits. To notice a drop in weight does not mean to go and binge. Some may point out that weighing in every day may be inaccurate due to facts all ranging from water retention to salt intake.

Study: "314 successful dieters who'd lost at least 10 percent of their body weight – averaging nearly 20 percent of their body weight or 42 pounds – within the last two years, into a control group and two intervention groups." Women in the control group received newsletters in the mail four times per year on the importance of eating right and exercising.
Women in the intervention groups were taught – either in face-to-face group meetings or via an online program – techniques known to prevent weight gain.
Advice included eating breakfast every day, getting an hour of physical activity and daily weigh-ins.
Women who remained within 3lbs of starting weight fell into "green zone" and were encouraged to keep it up. Women gaining 3-4lbs fell into the "yellow zone" prompting advice to tweak diet and exercise habits. Gaining 5+lbs, these women were in the "red zone" and were told to restart a new weight loss effort.