The Weight of the Scale

Many people feel that the best indication of weight loss success is measured by the scale, however, this is not always the case.  When you are just starting out on your fitness journey, your weight may be the least important thing on which to concentrate.  There are so many differing factors and changes in our bodies when starting out, and a scale will not register those changes.

Our body composition changes.  When we exercise, we build muscle.  Fat does NOT turn into muscle, as some people may falsely believe.  A pound of muscle and a pound of fat both weigh….a pound, but the volume of muscle weights more than fat.   Muscle is denser but takes up less space than fat.  So, while muscle may register as heavier, it is smaller.  Exercise also raises your metabolism causing fat loss.  The scale will not always register fat loss but it will show up in measurements and how clothing fits.  2 people can be the same clothing size or weight but look totally different – it is a matter of their body composition.  It is important to track our measurements on a regular basis.  I track mine monthly.  I have free printables available for download, to help you track your measurements, but just jotting them down someplace consistent is beneficial.

Our cells change.  Just by exercising, our bodies learn to produce more fat-burning molecules.  We are learning that we need to burn that fat for energy, instead of storing it.  Again, this is something a scale cannot measure.

Our strength changes.  The more we exercise, the more strength and endurance we build.  When starting out, we may only be able to walk/run/lift/bike/etc. for a few minutes, but after a few sessions, we should be to do more and more.  A personal story:  A week ago, when I started on the Elliptical Torture Device (the ETD, as we call it here), I could only do 5 minutes, but I set a goal to do at least 6 minutes the next time I stepped onto the dread beast.  I did 7, then 9, now almost 13.  I still hate it, but I do it.   Our bodies adapt, but strength and endurance aren’t registered on a scale.

What we eat and how much water we retain changes.  There is a reason it has been suggested to weight yourself in the mornings.  We are usually dehydrated first thing in the day and have fasted overnight.  Then, we eat and drink and our weight can fluctuate up to 7 pounds from morning to night!  Likewise, eating a salty meal in the evening can cause excessive water retention the following morning.  Let’s not get started on what hormones can do!!

Weight does not equal health.   A thin person can be unhealthy just as a heavy person can be healthy, and vice versa.  We have all seen thin individuals, some celebrities come to mind, that are obviously unhealthy, just as there are some individuals, i.e. athletes, who are quite large but are obviously in amazing physical shape.  It’s about how the number on the scale is attained.  Weight is only one piece in the overall picture of your personal health.  If you really want a more complete view of your personal health, you should have a physical with bloodwork.

As I mentioned above, I now record my measurements monthly and that includes my weight.  I used to weigh myself weekly, or multiple times a week, when starting out and it has been a hard habit to break.  Weighing myself more often made me frustrated and angry.  I often felt I should have lost more weight than I had.  I would begin to wonder why I was bothering, at all, to do all this work for what felt like nothing.  I wasn’t looking at the bigger picture!  When I started tracking my measurements – then I realized that coaches and trainers really did know what they were talking about!

My first weight/measurement recording was the beginning of February, when I joined the local gym.  I took my measurements again at the beginning of March and have lost 1” in my waist and hip areas, and .5” in other areas.  Those results may sound as though I lost a lot of actual weight, but I had lost 8.5 lbs. in that month.  If I had been going by scale alone, I would, most likely, have been crushed.  Instead, I tried on a pair of jeans that were uncomfortably tight in the waist in December and am happy to say that they fit me comfortably now.

Personally, I feel better not tying my accomplishments to a number on a scale.  Knowing that my scale will stay in the vanity drawer for another month makes me feel a little free.  So, are you ready to take a break from your scale?

 

 

If you would like any information about the Beachbody fitness programs, please feel free to email me or visit my coach website  and have a peek at the info there.   I do not claim to be an expert, by any means, but would love to share my experience with anyone interested.   The workouts are amazing and the Shakeology helps me with my nutrition and cravings.