Healthier 901 is currently on a mission to help Mid-Southerners lose one million pounds in just three years. 

So far? We’re off to an inspiring start!

More than 5,000 people have already joined the movement to make a Healthier 901, and already, Healthier 901 members have clocked over 349 million (whoa!) steps and 149,000 miles traveled on the road to a healthier, higher quality of life.

The problem?

We’re forgetting to log in and enter our weight—and without those numbers, we can’t effectively assess our progress toward success!

Many of our Healthier 901ers are syncing their fitness trackers (smart phones, smart watches, Fitbits, etc.) to update the (completely free!) Healthier 901 app in real time. If you have a digital smart scale through Fitbit Aria, iHealth or Withings, you can actually sync to the Healthier 901 app for easy weight updates. Otherwise, Healthier 901-ers must manually enter their weight for progress to be tracked around total pounds lost.

The good news?

Everything you enter into the Healthier 901 app is completely private and confidential to you. Big (total) numbers—miles logged, pounds lost, minutes exercised, etc.—are calculated across all users and reflected as one big sum, but your personal deets are for your eyes only (we got you!).

Wondering how often you should hop on the scale to check your progress?

That’s an answer that can vary from person to person, as we know there’s no “one size fits all” approach to weight loss, nor weight management.

In general, studies done by the American Heart Association and other reputable health organizations suggest that daily weigh-ins may be beneficial, as routine behavioral tracking helps with accountability and gives us natural, immediate feedback about the positive changes that can result from sticking to a plan.

That said, it’s also important not to get too focused on the scale—especially if weighing daily leads to obsessive thinking or has a negative impact on your motivation.

“Tracking your progress is important when working toward living a healthier life,” says Laura Shultz, PsyD, ABPP at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “Focus on your improvement in overall wellness trends – energy levels, improvement in mood, sleep quality, clothing fit – and don’t get hung up on a number on a scale. Small wins lead to big gains over time.”

As for WHEN to weigh-in, experts recommend using the same scale around the same time of day (ideally first thing in the morning, when a.m. weigh-ins are possible).

Just remember—our weight will fluctuate based on everything from hormones and activity level to fluid intake and monthly cycles. And for those of us working to build up muscle mass, keep in mind that losing one pound of fat and gaining one pound of muscle is TWO positive changes, not “breaking even”!

The most important thing is to stay focused on our end goal of creating a Healthier 901. If you haven’t joined the Healthier 901 movement and want to see what a healthier lifestyle can do for you, visit www.healthier901.com to learn more.

And for those who HAVE joined the movement and are moving and grooving their way to a healthier Mid-South … be sure to track your weight in the Healthier 901 app so every pound you lose gets counted as a WIN for our community!