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WEIGHT

Another very important guideline for CHF that goes hand-in-hand with your low-sodium diet is that you have to weigh yourself daily. It’s important because when you gain weight suddenly, it means that your body may be holding on to too much liquid, which can be a sign that your heart is not working like it should. This could be an indication that your CHF is getting worse.

You should weigh yourself every day and write down your weight. If you notice that you gain two pounds in one day or three pounds in five days call your doctor right away. Weighing yourself is another lifestyle change that may take some time to get used to, but it’s very important that you do it EVERY day.

There are some tips that you can follow to help with weighing yourself:

First, you should use the same scale every day and you should place it on a hard, flat surface – like your bathroom floor, not a carpet or rug. Make sure your scale has large enough numbers so that you can see them while you’re looking down. If you don’t have a scale, talk to your doctor about how the VA can help you get one.

When you weigh yourself, try to wear only your underwear or nothing at all, and you should wear the same thing every time you weigh yourself

Weigh yourself in the morning, after you wake up and go to the bathroom, but before you eat breakfast.

Keep a notebook or piece of paper and a pen next to where you keep your scale. You should create columns for your date, weight, and any other comments. Write down your weight as soon as you get off the scale. If you miss a day, leave a blank space and write down your weight the next day in the next space. You should bring this weight chart to your doctor appointments.

Don’t be embarrassed if you gain weight – it happens! With CHF, weight gain may mean you are holding on to extra water so it’s very important to let your doctor know. If you see that you gained two pounds in one day or three pounds in five days, call your doctor right away. If you call when the weight gain is small, you may be able to be treated over the phone or seen in the clinic. If you wait until the weight increase is significant, you may well need to be hospitalized again.