To Weigh Or Not To Weigh...

Using the scales as the sole indicator of success for your weight loss program is not the best idea. After all, weight can fluctuate almost daily, and exercises like resistance training, for instance, can actually raise your bodyweight as you become thinner (that's because muscle is more dense, and weighs more than fat). That's why tracking your bodyfat percentage (see this article for more details) is a much better indicator of success than a complete reliance on the bathroom scales. However, researchers have found that using the bathroom scales may indeed help your program...

For instance, a study led by researchers from the Minnesota found that when it comes to weight loss success, the bathroom scales do play a big role. For instance, researchers found that people who weighed themselves daily lost two times the amount of weight as those who weighed themselves only occassionally. Those individuals who never weighed themselves actually gained weight during the study (Ann Behav Med, 30:210-216, 2005).

So, while the scales aren't perfect, they do play a role... it seems they certainly keep focused on the task hand -- your diet and weight loss plan!