Lucy Mecklenburgh, 26, and Samantha Brick, 46, debate whether ditching the scales like Kate Winslet is doing more harm than good
Following the Oscar-winning actress' confession to shunning the scales, we debate the pros and cons of a daily weigh in
HER hourglass figure is famous but how does Kate Winslet keep in shape?
By never weighing herself.
The screen star, 41, says she hasn’t set foot on a pair of scales for 12 years.
Here, two women debate whether scales are more harmful than helpful when it comes to staying in shape.
Yes
Says Fitness Guru Lucy Mecklenburgh
THE former Towie star, 26, runs fitness website Results With Lucy. She agrees with Kate that using scales can breed negativity.
Lucy says: "MY fitness mantra has changed over the years and I am a firm believer in staying away from scales.
"I focus on measurements and how I feel within myself. If you listen to your body, you will know you are fitter, leaner and healthier.
"Weighing yourself can very easily become an obsession. You slowly become more and more frustrated that results aren’t happening if the numbers don’t decrease.
"But there is so much more than your weight when it comes to dress size and fitness.
"If you rely on the numbers and have a need for instant gratification, it can lead you down unhealthy routes to losing weight.
"You’ll end up turning to crash diets, which can sometimes give you results in the short term but as soon as you stop, everything you lost comes back.
"Constant weigh-ins create a negative energy from the get-go. Focusing on the numbers means you are setting yourself up to fail.
"A common misconception is that if you lose inches, you should lose weight too. But that isn’t the case.
"If you are working out and toning up, you will be gaining muscle. Inches are lost but muscle weight is put on.
"The reduction of fat can be masked by the increase of muscle.
"Despite making real progress, the scales don’t show any difference so you think you’re getting nowhere. This can be so demotivating.
"Women are prone to daily weight fluctuations, usually caused by fluid retention around certain times of the month.
"Again, this increase on the scales is not a true representation of weight loss. Stop trying to reach that “ideal weight” and concentrate on how you feel. That’s what I do.
"Focus on performance. If I need a break from training, I take it and never obsess over it.
The benefits of listening to your body will greatly outweigh looking at the scales every day. How do your clothes fit? How do you feel?
"Do you feel stronger and healthier? Do you have more energy? Have your self-confidence and body image improved?
"Put the scales away, like Kate.You will be pleasantly surprised with the results – and
the new mind-set that comes with them.
No
Says author Samantha Brick
THE writer, 46, disagrees with Kate Winslet and has relied on the scales for years to keep herself trim.
She says: "For the last 20 years, I have weighed myself every morning. That’s why I shuddered when I read that Kate Winslet hasn’t bothered to weigh herself for 12 years.
"While she has the figure of a goddess, she is wrong to project her approach on us mere mortals.
"Just last month, the University of Pennsylvania released the results of a two-year study in which female participants who weighed themselves every day lost weight WITHOUT dieting.
"The boffins concluded that the numbers on the scales help us make better choices. And I totally agree.
"I have a set of scales outside my bedroom door which I step on every day after I’ve been to the loo and when I’m starkers.
"It’s why I weigh the same today as I did in my twenties.
"I spent my childhood and early teens overweight. Back then, there was no way I would have gone near a set of scales. I was too frightened of what the numbers would reveal.
"Baggy jumpers and forgiving jeans could hide ten pounds – but the scales wouldn’t.
"They would force me to confront what my love of crisps and chocolate was doing to my body.
"When I lost weight, after discovering boys and the gym, it seemed like the best idea to know what I weighed and stick to it.
"When you hit the weight you should be, the world takes notice. That’s why every woman should do herself a favour and weigh in daily.
"You maintain a much tighter grip on your figure, for starters. I know my own hormonal fluctuations and when they add on the pounds at various points throughout the month. I even chart them on a calendar.
"If you’ve indulged the night before, weighing yourself the following morning is a sharp reminder to stick to smaller portions and resist snacking for the next few days.
"In short, to be a grown up about your weight.
"I recently went to stay with my best mate.
"She’s a mum and was complaining about her weight gain. I marched her to a supermarket and picked her up a set of bathroom scales.
"She was amazed by how much bigger she was. Some might call my present harsh but I disagree. She’s already lost a stone.
"Need I say more? An elasticated waistband lies. The digits beaming out at you every morning don’t."
