Actress Han Chae-ah (43) revealed her weight management secret.
In a recent video posted on her YouTube channel, Han Chae-ah shared her daily routine for becoming healthier.
As soon as she wakes up in the morning, Han Chae-ah steps on the scale and says, "I will start my day by checking my weight as usual today." Han Chae-ah, who is 164cm tall, weighs 47kg. At this level, she has no excess weight, not even for her middle age.
The next day, Han Chae-ah devoured marinated ribs during a lunch appointment with friends. To feel full before the meal, she took a packet of olive oil, and after the meal, she continued her management by sweating it out in hot yoga.
That evening, Han Chae-ah weighed in at 46.34kg. She expressed her delight, saying, "What is happening? I lost 1kg!"
Han Chae-ah stated, "When I was younger, I relied on my age and didn't really manage my weight. So I think I am healthier now," emphasizing the importance of eating good food, taking supplements, exercising, and the habit of checking her weight in the morning and evening.
We looked into how checking weight in the morning and evening, like Han Chae-ah, can help with weight management.
Why is measuring weight in the morning and evening helpful?
The habit of weighing oneself in the morning and evening, as revealed by Han Chae-ah, is not just a simple number check. It is one of the common traits of people who have succeeded in weight management, known as 'self-monitoring', and research has shown that it induces behavioral changes that help with weight loss and maintenance.
▲Immediate feedback changes behavior = The most powerful weapon in weight management is quick feedback. If you quickly detect a trend of weight gain, it becomes easier to adjust your meal portions, snacks, and activity levels. In fact, several studies have shown that the more frequently you weigh yourself, the better your weight loss and maintenance results will be.
▲Comparing morning and evening creates response data for your body = Weighing yourself twice a day allows you to understand not just how much you weigh today, but how your body reacts to different factors. For example, if you ate salty food the day before, your weight will likely increase the next morning, and if you had a late-night snack and consumed too many carbohydrates, that weight may persist until the next evening. Weight can also change due to lack of sleep, stress, and increased activity levels. If morning weight is the baseline, evening weight reflects the results of that day's meals, hydration, and activity. This accumulated data enables personalized management.
▲Catching rapid weight gain early (preventing yo-yo effect) = The scariest thing is not a sudden weight gain one day, but a gradual increase of 0.2 to 0.3kg. Research on weight maintenance explains that regular weight measurement helps catch weight gain early, preventing further increases. Especially in the weight maintenance phase after dieting, the less frequent and consistent the measurements, the greater the risk of weight gain.
▲Weight measurement creates an automated routine = Weight loss and maintenance are influenced more by habits and systems than willpower. People who weigh themselves frequently tend to establish it as a routine for managing their lifestyle, which increases the likelihood of naturally regulating their meals, exercise, and sleep. Research shows that those who weigh themselves daily engage in more weight control behaviors, such as dietary habits and activity, than those who do not.
However, there is a point to be cautious about. Since weight can fluctuate by about 0.5 to 2kg in a single day, it is more effective to approach it as a tool for reading patterns of change rather than focusing solely on the number on the scale.
Additionally, experts say that while frequent weighing can help with management, it may increase anxiety, lower self-esteem, and raise the risk of eating disorders for some individuals. Therefore, weight measurement should be done within a range that does not harm mental health, and if anxiety or obsession increases, it is recommended to reduce the frequency or switch to other indicators such as waist circumference, body fat percentage, or activity level.
Tips for measuring weight in the morning and evening
How can you make weight measurement a habit that helps with weight loss and maintenance?
▲Morning weight as 'baseline weight' = Measure your weight in the morning after going to the bathroom, under the same conditions such as 'in pajamas at 7 AM'.
▲Evening weight for 'data only' = Evening weight is greatly influenced by meals, hydration, and activity, so it is more suitable for recording than for judgment.
▲Look at the '7-day average' rather than the number = Do not conclude based on a single day's figure; assess the trend over at least a week.
▲Setting a 'threshold' increases effectiveness. If your morning weight is +1kg above the baseline for 3 consecutive days, pre-determine behavioral changes such as reducing salty foods, stopping late-night snacks, or adding 30 minutes of walking to help with weight control.
