I'm well-known for telling my clients that the only way a scale promotes weight loss is by carrying it around all day, because that way they'll be getting more exercise and burning more calories! Research has shed new light on the scale dilemma, however, making me rethink my approach.

Daily weighing helps people lose more weight According to a study of over 3,000 people in weight loss and weight maintenance programs conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota, daily weighing is an effective strategy. Of those studied, 20 percent reported never weighing themselves, while 40 percent said they weighed themselves daily or weekly. Those who weighed in daily lost 12 pounds on average versus an average of 6 pounds for those who weighed themselves weekly, while those who skipped the scale gained 4 pounds on average.

Lead researcher Jennifer Linde, associate professor at the University of Minnesota, states that daily weighing is independent of diet and exercise techniques that promote weight loss. She suggests that it may be easier to make small, daily corrections in activity levels and food intake rather than trying to compensate after a larger weight gain over a period of days or even weeks.

Participants in the National Weight Control Registry, made up of more than 4,000 people who've lost ‑- and kept off ‑- at least 30 pounds, often weigh themselves daily. According to Rena Wing, PhD, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown Medical School, daily weighing helps alert people that they're heading into the "red zone" of gaining more than five pounds. If someone notices early that they're on a weight gain trend, they can take immediate steps to stop the weight gain.