Are the Scales Weighing you Down?
Are the scales weighing you down? Do you find they hinder your progress? Do you rely on the scales to track your progress?
Last week I experienced this myself for the first time in a long time. I don’t tend to use the scales or body scanners very often as personally I don’t feel it’s necessary. The number on the scales does not define me and I prefer to track my progress in other ways. However, out of curiosity every now and then I jump on the body scanner in the gym I work at. Last week was the first time I’ve used the machine since November, just goes to show how little I use it.
After completing the scan and taking a look through my results I came away feeling quite deflated. I’ve been pretty consistent with my training since January and know that as a result I’m stronger and feeling slighter leaner. BUT, the scales said otherwise. I’ve put on 2kg which I expected however, according to the scan my muscle mass hasn’t changed at all and it’s all gone on my body as fat, mostly to my legs. This I know is not completely true. Yes I’ve gained weight (not an issue by the way) but I’ve also gained strength because I’ve hit several personal best’s in the last few weeks. It’s normal to gain a little fat whilst building strength and muscle as I’ve likely to have been eating a little more to fuel my workouts and body correctly.
After giving myself a good talking to, I put the numbers out of my mind and focused on the progress I know I’ve made. I’m not saying all scales lie but they should be taken with a pinch of salt. When you have certain goals you want to achieve tracking your progress is important. However, there are many ways that this can be done without using any scales or body scanners. When working with clients I encourage them to use some of the following methods:
Take photos - you don’t always notice the changes until you look back and compare them to previous ones
Take a look in the mirror and take notice of others complimenting you and compliment yourself
How do you feel? Are you sleeping better? Do you feel like you have more energy? Can you run up the stairs without getting out of breath? Can you play football with the kids and not feel exhausted?
Do your clothes fit better?
Track your workouts - are you lifting more weight? Has your technique improved? Can you do more repetitions or sets? Are you running/swimming/cycling faster?
All of these elements will show you that you are making progress regardless of what the scales say. It’s highly likely that they will also make you feel more confident, strong and better within yourself. Once I’d put those numbers to the back of my mind I started to feel much better.
It’s important to focus on other factors not just the numbers on the scales. One; because you are more than that. Two; there are many things that can alter what they say. Our bodies can change in weight up to around 6lbs a day! That’s a huge amount! Here’s a few things that can alter that number:
Your hydration levels - I know I hadn’t been drinking enough water last week and it’s likely why I got the result I did.
Have you pooped recently? If you’re constipated or haven’t been to the toilet recently that could be the result of several pounds!
Have you just eaten, drunk a lot or worked out?
The time of day and day of the week can alter the reading you get - Doing a reading on a Monday morning after a weekend of maybe more alcohol and meals out is going to give you a very different reading compared to the end of let’s say an active week.
Your menstrual cycle - this alters your hormones throughout the month which in turn has a direct affect on your weight throughout the month.
Your stress levels can also impact how your body is responding physically - everyone responds to stress in different ways.
Hopefully after reading this you’ll have a better understanding on how our weight can change and alter throughout the day, week and month. Also how the numbers on the scales is not always a representation of the progress that you’ve made. Please remember that next time you step off the scales or perhaps start using some other methods to monitor how you’re doing.