Why the Scale is Failing You
The scale: is this the best, most effective tool for tracking your progress?
What does that number even mean? Scientifically speaking, your weight is the sum of all your parts, head to toe:
organs
tissues
muscles
bones
ligaments
fat
muscle
water
Yet, how many times have you decided to “call it quits” or “start over” after stepping onto the scale?
Nod your head if this has happened: You start making a valiant effort to do ALL the right things to be healthier, feel better and lose weight:
#1. Exercising regularly! You are making a conscious effort to start exercising or exercise more.
#2. Eating better! You are more aware of what you’re putting into your body and doing your best to scale back processed foods, eating out and adult beverages.
When exercising and eating better become part of your routine, you expect results. For most, the go-to metric for measuring those results is the scale so, you step on the scale, mentally prepared to be OVER THE MOON EXCITED when GASP!! ……there is NO change!
Hell, you maybe even GAINED a pound or two - how is this possible?!
Seeing the number on the scale yields 2 outcomes:
#1. You feel defeated and convinced what you’re doing just isn’t working.
#2. You feel more motivated and determined to keep going!
Not only am I a coach, but I am human and FULLY understand your frustration when you step on the scale and don’t see the number you expect (been there, done that meltdown). It absolutely makes you question what you’re doing and, if you’re going about weight loss the right way, can completely steer you off course to crash diets and quick fixes.
You’ve probably heard us say this before but nothing like beating a dead horse: the scale is only a teeny tiny portion of the equation when it comes to achieving and tracking your long-lasting progress and results.
The number on the scale is just the sum of all your parts. The number does NOT reflect your strength, muscle mass, ability to use heavier weights or do more work with less rest, how your clothes fit, your waist measurement, your energy levels, your happiness, your confidence, how you’re moving without being in pain, how tasks like picking up your kids, pushing the stroller, carrying groceries, getting out of bed, playing with your grandkids is easier…see where this is going?
If you ONLY focus solely on the scale number, you are missing the big picture stuff that is more important when assessing your overall health, progress and results.
Giving power to the scale to determine your self worth is a slippery slope. You are more than a number. SO MUCH MORE!
There are a lot of reasons why you may not see the scale move much or, even go up some. Stay tuned - that blog is coming next!
Today’s blog is teaching you 5 effective tools for tracking and measuring progress!
When it comes to exercising and eating better, the scale doesn’t give you the feedback and data you want or need. It’s time to focus less on the scale and more on these 5 markers when assessing how you are building healthy habits, making progress and creating long-lasting changes and results!
5 TOOLS FOR TRAKCING PROGRESS
1.) Feeling Satisfied!: Have you noticed your excessive hunger is now gone? Are you no longer shoveling in meals in order to feel full?
Congrats! This is a great indicator you are eating more nutritious foods that fill you up and keep you satisfied longer. This is also an indicator you are paying more attention to what you’re eating and how you’re feeling. This helps your brain and your belly work in perfect harmony so you stop when full. Making small changes to your eating habits leads to the very best results!
Like exercising, improving eating habits, understanding how to eat healthy and learning what foods your body needs to feel its best is a process BUT, a very important piece of your results. Regardless of your goals - weight /fat loss, strength, more energy, less aches and pains - your nutrition habits dictate your outcome. Maybe it doesn’t feel like a big deal now but trust me, nutrition is a tricky thing to navigate. This level of progress will pay off tenfold both on and off the training floor.
2.) Feeling Energized: Are you finding yourself skipping your afternoon coffee to get over a mid-day slump? Do you wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day? Do you now have the energy to play and keep up with your kids or grandkids?
Congrats! This means you are learning how to properly fuel your body with essential nutrients. Eating real, whole foods provide you with a constant, steady all-day energy rather than a brief rush followed by a crash (hello sugar and energy drinks!). This surge in energy also directly correlates to your physical activity / exercise. The more you move your body, the less tired and sluggish you feel. Who doesn’t want more energy to spend time doing things they genuinely love? Think of how you feel after sitting all day, a long road trip or a few hours on an airplane. TIRED AF! Now, think of how your energy level changes throughout the day when you incorporate exercise. Sure, you may feel super tired immediately after BUT you have more energy to burn in the long haul.
3.) Sleeping Like a Dream: Are you now falling asleep with ease? Are you staying asleep throughout the duration of the night? Are you waking up feeling well rested and refreshed?
Progress! These are all signs of restful, quality sleep! You might be asking, how does the food we eat help, improve (or hinder) sleep? Well, it’s actually quite simple but often overlooked. Eating fresh, whole foods containing adequate amounts of protein, healthy fats and fiber keep you satisfied for longer periods of time. This in turn, will assist in stabilizing your blood sugar levels and the hormones required for good, quality sleep. The kind where you may even drool on the pillow!
Notice how much easier you fall asleep and stay asleep after exercising. Sleep is underrated and most of us don’t make the effort to improve our REM cycles (another blog for a different day) BUT, lack of sleep or shitty sleep puts you at a higher risk for chronic disease, impedes your workouts and makes you more prone to eating/craving processed foods.
4.) Feeling Like Super Wo/Man: Are you reaching for heavier weights? Are your workouts feeling easier than when you started? Do you have more endurance? Can you do more work before resting?
HOLY STRENGTH! You are building and maintaining muscle mass which is super cool + important for tons of reasons, especially as you age:
Strong bones = resilient bones! Falling becomes increasingly more common and dangerous with age. Strong bones prevent broken bones and fractures.
Building/maintaining muscle slows down the onset or progression of osteopenia / osteoporosis.
Being strong translates to everyday life: activities like walking, getting out of bed, bending over to put on shoes, carrying groceries, picking up kids/grandkids, pushing grocery carts and strollers, hauling laundry baskets up the stairs, taking a furry friend for walk - if you aren’t strong, you lose your ability to do these simple tasks.
Improve and increase coordination and balance! You need both just to stand up and walk!
On the training floor, you can opt for the next heavier weight, you can do more work, your body is more mobile and can move better, and you are able to challenge yourself more than ever before (all leading to BETTER results!).
Please don’t mistake strength and lifting heavier weights with “bulk”. As mentioned above, muscle is denser than fat AND the more muscle you have, the more calories and fat your body burns – double bonus! Do yourself a favor start strength training or if you already do, opt for that heavier weight! You are NOT going to get bulky, you ARE going to get stronger, leaner and more toned / defined.
From a nutrition perspective, fueling your body with real, nutrient dense food enhances your performance when exercising as well as induces your body’s ability to recover post workout. You want and need to recover if you want to build muscle and make any changes. Think of your workout as the stimulus and recovery (post workout) as when the magic happens. If you don’t eat the right foods, your body can’t fully do it’s job. This means less than desired results.
5.) Getting dressed feels amazing: Noticing your favorite pair of jeans pull on with ease? Able to rock an article of clothing you had long given up on ever fitting into again?
PROGRESS! Although the scale may not be moving, that does not mean your body is not changing.
Let’s repeat that: Even if the scale does NOT CHANGE, that DOES NOT mean your body is not changing.
This may be confusing BUT it’s the truth so read that again. Muscle is denser than fat meaning, it takes up LESS SPACE as shown in the image below. Five pounds of fat weighs the exact same as five pounds of muscle. The difference being, fat takes up MORE space, leaving you feeling “fluffy” or “bulky”. Comparatively, muscle takes us LESS space, leaving you feeling “toned”, “tight” and lean.
As coaches, we often hear “I want (insert body part) to be more toned and defined".
How is this accomplished? By having MORE muscle and LESS fat!
How do you increase muscle and decrease fat? Strength training!
Strength training is for everybody, all ages and all fitness levels. Think of it as functional fitness because what you do during your workout makes life outside the gym easier and more enjoyable! For this reason, strength training is the foundation for all workouts at Results Fitness.
When it comes to weight, muscle mass and body fat, here’s what you may not know: You can lose body fat and build muscle simultaneously without losing a single pound.
Look at the image below: this individual weighs the exact same in each photo BUT she visibly looks different. If she only used the scale to track her progress, it would wrongfully lead her to believe NOTHING changed when clearly, she has completely transformed! In this example, her weight remained the same but her body fat decreased (what the scale DOES NOT tell you!).
So, you can go down a clothing size, become leaner and more toned all while that pesky number on the scale doesn’t budge (it may even go up).
Key Takeaway if you’re only using the scale to track progress, you cannot get the feedback and data to understand how else your body may be changing in terms of muscle and fat mass. This is why taking body measurements and progress pictures are two highly effective tools for tracking progress because the photos capture your physical transformation and you have numbers to confirm results.
If your clothes are fitting better and you’re feeling more confident, you are also making better choices around nutrition: what you’re eating / how much, how often you’re dining out, drinking alcohol, etc. Remember, your eating habits play a HUGE role in this process and your results. You CAN NEVER OUT-TRAIN A BAD DIET meaning, you cannot use exercise to “undo” or reverse consistently poor eating habits and food choices.
Parting advice: I am not telling you to never step on a scale again. If weighing yourself (within reason) helps keep you accountable then by all means weigh yourself now and again. Just do not let that be the end all be all of measuring your progress and hard work.
Stay Fueled