If you’re reading this, chances are you’re on a journey towards better health, and I’m here to support you every step of the way. Today, I want to talk about something that can often be a source of frustration and even discouragement: the bathroom scale. Us ladies seem to be obsessed with the scale and many of us base our sense of self worth or beauty on the number on that little display. The scale is just one way to measure progress and, frankly, it’s a sh*tty measure at that. There is so much more to you than what you weigh and there are many other, far better ways to assess whether your eating and exercise plans are working for you.
Today I am going to break down why the scale sucks as a measure of progress when it comes to transforming your body and I am going to lay out alternative measures to use instead of the scale. I hope that by the time you finish reading this you are inspired to ditch the scale for good, or at the very least, step on it much less often.
When I think about the amount of my life that I have spent obsessing over the number on the scale it makes me sick. I didn’t even know about other measures for years, and when I did start tracking body measurements in addition to my weight, I was still obsessed with the scale. If the scale didn’t show the number I thought it should, I felt like sh*t. It meant I still hadn’t done it; I still wasn’t “thin,” or “fit.” It wouldn’t be until another 15 years before I finally decided to get this in check. I forced myself to stay off the scale except for every two weeks, when I checked my other progress measures, which I am diving into here. First, let’s break down why the scale is so inadequate when it comes to painting a complete picture of how you are doing with your weight loss or body transformation efforts.
The Scale: A Limited Tool at Best
For many of us, the scale has been the go-to tool for measuring weight loss progress. It provides a snapshot of your weight, that’s it, that’s what it does. It does not tell the whole story of your fitness or overall progress with your goals. Here’s why:
- Normal Fluctuations in Weight: Your weight can fluctuate daily due to various factors like water retention, hormonal changes, and even the time of day.
- Muscle vs. Fat: The scale doesn’t differentiate between muscle and fat. Gaining muscle (which is great for your metabolism and overall health) might make the number on the scale go up, but it’s a positive change! When you are working out especially weight lifting, you will be burning body fat and growing muscle. As the body fat decreases and muscle increases, it can often result in no net change on the scale. It doesn’t mean your body isn’t changing for the better, it just means the composition is changing without decreasing your weight…yet.
- Whole Health: Weight is just one aspect of your health and, in and of itself, it is not an indication of health. Focusing solely on it can overshadow other significant health markers and improvements.
Beyond the Scale: Measurements that Actually Matter
Here are some alternative ways to assess your progress that provide a more comprehensive picture of your progress:
1. Body Measurements
Using a tape measure to track changes in your body is a far better indicator of progress than the scale. Measure key areas such as your waist, hips, chest, shoulders, thighs, and arms. This method will show you whether you are shrinking, meaning where you’re losing inches, even if the scale isn’t budging.
To give you an example of what this looks like, I remained at the same weight for well over a year. I dropped an initial 55 pounds and then the scale stopped moving. However, my measurements kept decreasing. I dropped 6 sizes and I’d lost over 10″ overall on my body measurements, yet my weight stayed the same. This is recompositioning; the body is changing as your body fat decreases and muscle increases.
2. Body Scanning Apps
Technology can be your friend! There are various body scanning apps available that use the camera on your phone to create a 3D model of your body. These apps can track changes over time, providing a visual representation of your progress. They can estimate changes in measurements as well as body fat percentage. While these are helpful tools to add to tracking, I recommend you still use the tape measure to track your body measurement as sometimes these apps can be off.
3. Progress Photos
When it comes to assessing your progress over time, a picture truly is worth a thousand words! Take photos of yourself at regular intervals. I recommend doing this the same days you do your measurements. Take pictures from the front, side, and back to help you see changes in your body shape and posture that the scale misses. Try to wear the same thing each time, or something with the same cut at least. It helps when you are comparing pictures. Over time, these photos can be powerful motivators as you visually track your transformation.
4. How Clothes Fit
Pay attention to how your clothes fit. Are your jeans getting looser? Is that dress that used to feel tight now fitting comfortably? Changes in how your clothes fit are a great indicator of your progress. You can easily drop sizes or feel changes in the way clothes fit without seeing any change on the scale. Ultimately, this is far more rewarding than a number on the scale, right? Who cares if the scale hasn’t budged if you feel confident in that dress that was a bit too tight or you get to go buy a smaller size jeans.
5. How You Feel
Your energy levels, mood, and overall well-being are critical indicators of progress. Are you feeling more energetic? Sleeping better? Experiencing less stress? These are all signs that your health is improving, even if the scale doesn’t reflect it immediately. Often times these will be the first things you notice, since it takes the body a bit of time to catch up with the outer physical changes.
Mind and Spirit: Integral Parts of Your Journey
Remember, whole health is the health of the physical body and your mind and spirit. Celebrate your non-scale victories and be kind to yourself. Self-compassion and mental well-being are crucial for long-term success. In fact, you make your weight loss and body transformation efforts much more difficult for yourself when you are self-critical and speak negatively about your body, even if it is just in your head. Speak what you want into existence, including how you want to look and feel – speak life to yourself! Your body will respond and it will rise to the occasion, you just gotta give it time to catch up.
The journey to health is multifaceted and deeply personal. By using these alternative methods to measure your progress, you’ll have a comprehensive picture of your transformation. The scale is just one tool among many, and it should never define your worth or success. My advice…stay the heck off that stupid scale for a while and focus on these other measures of progress!
Stay empowered, stay motivated, and remember: You are more than a number on the scale!
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