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Are you someone trying to lose weight? The first thing most people do when they start their journey to weight loss is to weigh themselves. But Nutritionist Nmami Agarwal that it is the best thing to do. In her latest video on Instagram, she has suggested that you should ditch the scale and focus more on measuring your body fat. Weight loss is a long process and depending on one number that is subject to fluctuate is probably not the best idea for you. In the video, Agarwal said, "If you're trying to lose weight, then you need to stop weighing yourself and start measuring your body fat. Now, this is a better way to assess how well you are responding to the changes you have made to your diet or lifestyle."
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According to the American Heart Association, even the amount of salt you consume can affect your weight. From the day you weigh yourself to the occurrence of your period, everything can affect your weight. Considering all this, it is not the smartest idea to let a number deviate you from your goal or demotivate you. Here are some reasons why ditching the weighing scale is good for your mental and physical health.
When you focus too much on how much you weigh, you hardly focus on what your body is trying to tell you. You might even end up ignoring your body's signals of hunger, exhaustion, and stress. You should focus on mindful eating and exercising regularly, and don't let the weighing scale tell you what you should or shouldn't do.
A minor fluctuation in your scale can have a direct impact on your mood. If you see a positive change, you might remain happy for the rest of the day and might even overeat. On the other hand, if your number is higher then you might end up making sudden changes to your diet or workout more than usual, which your body might not be able to take. It is better to pay attention to the internal cues of when you are and are not hungry.
Looking at the weighing scale every day can be a trigger for someone with an eating disorder. These disorders involve emotional challenges, an unrealistic body image and an exaggerated fear of gaining weight. This behaviour can go unrecognized and even lead to health problems.
The number on the scale doesn't determine your overall health or fitness, which makes it a pretty unreliable source. Instead of relying on the scale, focus on eating nutrient-rich foods, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and do not stress.
Studies suggest that some overweight people are healthy, while those with normal weight are unhealthy. It all depends on what your weight is comprised of. Body fat percentage tells you exactly that and helps you determine the per cent of your total body weight that is fat and the part that is lean muscle mass.
While there are several ways to measure body fat, a tape measure is one of the easiest ways to do it, but it is not always the most accurate. It is always a better idea to get it measured by a professional. For this method, take a soft tape measure to record measurements of different types of the body. It is recommended that a man should subtract his neck value from the abdomen value and a woman should add your waist and hip measurements and then subtract the neck measurement to determine your circumference value. Take the measurements and plug the numbers into an online calculator to know your body fat percentage.
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