Let’s face it losing weight is NOT easy! It requires working out consistently and eating a healthy balanced diet. No doubt after all our hard work, we want to see results, and we look to the scale to give us a reason to keep going. Wrong!
When that scale stops going down or we cheat for a few days, low and behold we’ve gained 5 pounds! AHHH! Repeat this scenario a few times, and sadly you’ve given up working out and you’re back to your unhealthy habits.
I’ve broken up with my scale long ago, and URGE you to kiss constant weigh-ins goodbye!!! Here’s what the scale won’t tell you.
You’re Losing More Than Just Fat!
Your body has three main components: fat, lean body mass, and water. A standard scale only measures your total body weight, it doesn’t measure how much lean muscle mass you’ve lost, or muscle. Obviously we want to lose only body fat, but a scale won’t tell us that, and most likely we’ll lose a little of each.
How much you lose depends on how much fat you have to start with. So the heavier a person is the more fat they have to lose, compared to a thinner person. If you’re busy burning fat into muscle, the scale may not change (in fact it may go up) but you will obviously look and feel leaner.
Your Losing Inches!
I LOVE to judge my weight loss by the way I fit my clothes! Muscle is about 18% more dense than fat, so you may drop a few sizes without even budging the scale. Using your favorite jeans or that cute little top that’s gotten a little tight, is a way better guide than weighing yourself every morning.
Dropping Fat Takes Time!
As we discussed, you can’t expect to lose 10 pounds in a week because you will lose more than just fat. At best you can only lose 1-2 pounds of fat a week, so if you’re busy focusing on that 3-digit number, you aren’t looking at what’s most important; your body fat percentage.
Ever wonder why that person weighing 125 pounds and is considered naturally skinny, still struggles with obese related health problems? That’s because despite the number on the scale, their body fat percentage can be 30% or higher, pushing them into the obese category. Just another reason not to focus on that number on the scale!
Your Retaining Water Because of Salt Intake!
Salt (or sodium) is super hard to avoid, it’s pretty much in everything delicious! According to a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, the average American consumes about 3,400mg of sodium a day. That’s about double the recommended daily amount!
When you eat a lot of sodium it can cause your body to temporarily retain water until balance can be restored. This means that when you eat a healthy balanced diet, and you cheat for a day or two, you flood your body with more salt than it’s used too, and you will see your weight increase. This doesn’t mean that all your hard work was for nothing, just that your retaining more water weight.
Don’t Let the Scale Trick you!
Bottom line: there are SO many things that affect the weight on your scale, so don’t get into the habit of weighing yourself everyday! If you insist on weighing yourself, look for gradual changes every 3-4 weeks. If you aren’t seeing any weight changes in that period of time, then take a look at your diet and exercise and make some adjustments.
Because your weight can fluctuate for many different reasons, it’s best to keep track of your body composition. Personally, I love the Body Composition Scale by Nokia, because it tracks your weight, BMI, total body fat, water percentage, plus bone and muscle mass. That way you can look at your whole body and assess your goals, instead of focusing on that annoying 3 digit number.
Thank you so much for reading! If you’ve enjoyed this blog please share it on your favorite social media app by clicking one of the icon bubbles on the right =)
Mahalo!
