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WHY YOU SHOULD STOP LOOKING
AT THE NUMBER ON THE SCALES
by Charlotte Forde, Personal Trainer
Keto. Atkins. Paleo. Mediterranean. Fasting. Slimming groups; all
popular choices when it comes to weight loss, but which ‘diet’ is best?
And how easy is it to decide when you hear so many conflicting theories
from friends, family, colleagues, even health and fitness professionals?
With ‘advice’ being so accessible these days on the internet and social
media, it is very easy to assume that it is all true and that these diets will be
good for you. However, you may end up choosing an unhealthier option
while thinking that you are making a better choice. Yes, you may get a
quick fix and lose a few pounds but have you ever thought how great it
would be to actually change your mindset and relationship with food and
exercise and transform your lifestyle to enable a healthier future which in
result should make you feel and look great?
The truth is that everybody is different and your body will respond to
any change in your diet. Your diet and calorie input is just as important
as your exercise routine but if you are looking to lose or gain weight and
have introduced or increased participation in exercise then you should be
looking to decrease your body fat percentage not your body weight. This is
the problem with slimming groups that focus on weight alone and where
people get disheartened and demotivated if they ‘weigh-in’ and have either
gained or sometimes even maintained their original weight. Without
getting accurate measurements or looking at your body composition
which shows a clear breakdown of your muscle mass and body fat then
you will not know how your body is developing other than what you can
see and feel.
Imagine this; you decide it’s time to make an effort to lose weight. You
start exercising regularly and embark on a healthy eating plan. The time
comes to check in on your progress, so you step on the scale for the
moment of truth but you find that you haven’t lost any weight.
What do you do? Continue with the exercise and healthy eating plan?
Throw in the towel and go back to what you were doing before? Start
restricting your eating even more as an effort to make weight loss happen
faster? I have seen, heard and probably done one or all of these on many
occasions as these are all completely normal and reasonable reactions to
a lack of success on the scale. But the thing to understand is that weight
fluctuations are common. Your weight is determined by a variety of factors
including how hydrated you are, what you have recently ate, the time of
day it is and your exercise routine.
The very first question you need to ask is: Is weighing yourself (daily,
weekly, periodically) helping or harming you?
Since there is no correct answer for how often you should step on the
scales, figuring out what is helpful and motivating for you as an individual
is how you decide. Therefore if you choose to weigh yourself, you need to
use a scale that shows your body composition and focus on the areas that
are most important to you i.e. body fat percentage, visceral fat level. It is
also important that you find a frequency that is going to work with you
consistently and positively.
Weighing in daily may provide a sense of accountability and can be
helpful for having a good idea of where you are with progress. However,
if a daily weigh-in has an impact on your mood and behaviour, then you
might want to reconsider this option. The number on the scale should not
determine your mood, affect your day or your overall quality of life after
all it is just a number.
Weighing weekly can have its advantages, it allows you to track progress
while still having six days to not focus on your weight. For the best results,
pick a consistent day each week and weigh yourself in the morning.
You may opt to weigh in occasionally at home, the gym or doctors to get
an idea of your development. However, people who opt for the occasional
weigh-in often have alternative ways of identifying weight changes, like
the way their clothes fit or how they feel whilst exercising.
There are many people who find it helpful just to focus on how they feel
in their clothes, the balance of their diet and how they perform with their
exercise. This can be a beneficial way to approach health as there is less
pressure and expectation than if you were to physically look at a number
on a scale.
If you are weighing yourself multiple times per day, please stop! With very
rare exceptions, you should not weigh yourself more than once per day.
Obsessing over weight can develop into extensive health related issues and
become harmful and disruptive to your life.
In order to lead a balanced and healthier lifestyle you have to make
sacrifices, it is not quick and it is not easy but it is worth it. If you want to
see changes you should aim to exercise frequently (3 - 5 times weekly for
an average of 45 minutes), increase your physical activity out of the gym
(e.g take the stairs, walk to work), moderately cut your calorie intake,
ensuring to eat clean predominantly but allowing yourself the occasional
treat, drink plenty of water (around 2 litres per day) and establish a
regular, 8 hour daily sleeping pattern. These gradual improvements are
the ultimate key to achieving and maintaining weight goals as well as
enhancing your general health.
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