Why does the scale weight matter so much?

Ever know someone whose mood for the day is determined by what the scale says every morning?

Oh, that someone is you?

Why? 


Why does the scale weight matter so much? 

When it does matter so much, it can be the difference between having a good, productive day or having a bad, depressing day. It can affect what you eat for the remainder of the day. It can affect your relationships with those around you. It can affect your emotional state of mind, thereby affecting your physical body.

How do you get over that? 

First of all, I truly believe and encourage my clients NOT to weigh themselves every day. It is too tough. Do you know how much your body weight can change each day based on your exercise and food intake, not to mention water retention and other factors? It's a constant battle - up and down, up and down - and when you are trying to lose weight, a frustrating battle. It makes you want to cry or scream when you don't get that magic number you were thinking in your head.

Some people base their wellness or fitness level on what the scale says. Doctor's offices take your weight, but they don't measure you or take your bodyfat %. They take your blood pressure, but they don't take your measurements. They estimate what you should weigh based on a chart, which could be 50 years old for all they know. And when a person loses 5 lbs., where does that 5 lbs. come from? Is it fat weight? Is it muscle weight? Do you know the difference?

When I first started losing my weight, way back in 2001, I started a 12-week program and was very diligent during the entire time, or so I thought. I did lose 11 lbs., however; my body SIZE did not change at all. I was still obese and wearing the same size clothes as when I started the program 12 weeks earlier. Very frustrating. Then, 4 months later, I started another 12-week program and again was very diligent during the entire time; however, this one focused on more than just weight. In the same time period, I lost 23 lbs., but my body size changed dramatically. I went from a size elastic [that's what I call it when you refuse to buy a size bigger than what you want to wear :)] to a size 6, the smallest I had been in my adult life. What was the difference between the two times? Well, in the first one, I was very focused on the number on the scale. I was not interested in my bodyfat or measurements because it was what the scale said - it's how I lived or died. In the second one, I focused more on bodyfat % and actual measurements. It worked. And it still works today. I eventually went on to another 12 week program, 4 months after the last one, and lost the rest of my weight, another 10 lbs and to size 4, where I have stayed for 9 years now.

Stop focusing on what the scale says!

Focus on what is really important - your bodyfat %, your measurements, your clothing size, and then your weight. All of these measure your progress, but it is not solely based on what the scale says. The weight will go down if all of these go down as well. But if you are living by what the scale says, you will be frustrated and depressed because it doesn't go down like you want it to.

Some helpful hints for getting off the scale:

• Weigh yourself once a week. Make this a day that is a good day for you. For example, if you eat a little bit more on the weekends [like most people do], then don't make Monday your weigh-in day. I like to make mine on Wednesday, because I start out really strong on Monday and Tuesday and by Friday, I am ready for a break.
• Keep track of your weight, but don't focus on it. If you have goals, set reasonable goals. It is best to lose 1-2 lbs. a week - and that is when you ARE REALLY TRYING! That is not going to happen every week, most of the time, so you have to be prepared for those weeks where you don't lose anything. Don't lose heart. Keep track of it and go onto the next week. If you gain for two weeks in a row, then it's time to see what is wrong with your program and re-evaluate.
• Girls - trust me on this one - do NOT weigh your self days before your cycle. Seriously, I have gotten to the point that I don't even go near the scale during that time because my weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs. Ugh, talk about discouraging! Just skip that time and weigh when your cycle is done.
• And here's another one NOT to do. Girls, do NOT go out and eat Mexican and have your fill of chips and salsa and then get up the next morning and weigh yourself. Just don't do it, please! If I could tell you all the calls I get from disstressed and distraught clients who do that....just DON'T. Even if it is your weigh in day, just be calm, drink lots of water and fruit that day, get your body back to normal without the chip bloat and weigh yourself in two days. Trust me on this one.

Don't let the scale run your life. You run it. Get on a good program that focuses on what is really healthy - a good bodyfat %, a healthy waist measurement and something that you can achieve - through good workouts and good nutrition. Now get to work, go do it!!!

As always, I am here to help you...