I’m not saying you need to hurl your scales out of the nearest available window, but maybe you could do with some time apart.
You. Stop what you’re doing.
Step away from the scales.
They only tell you a part of the story.
I have always been an advocate for tracking progress in a multitude of ways because more often than not, that number can have a distinct effect on mood and therefore well-being. There are other ways of seeing if your hard work is paying off, all of which are just as good an indicator as scales can be.
Here’s a scenario because we all know I like to set a scene:
*6:30am, alarm goes off, you shuffle, stretch, emerge from your covers and open your eyes. ‘Lovely Day’ by Bill Withers plays in the background*
You get up, feeling well rested, pleased with your workout yesterday, generally feeling quite positive, looking forward to your day. Birds are singing, the sun is shining.
You weigh yourself, like you do every day.
You’re heavier than you have been for a few days. Your mood immediately goes downhill.
The fact you killed your last work out, AND you’ve been making consistent efforts with nutrition.
The fact that seconds ago you were about to have a great day.
The fact that you have been feeling fitter, your shape is changing.
The fact that, that number has gone up and not down - has rendered all of the above void.
Today is now a terrible day. You’re wondering if it’s all worth it. You don’t want to go to the gym later. You cancel your afternoon squash session with Tim (Who is GUTTED by the way). You go to the office in a negative head-space and not even Laura from Marketing can cheer you up - and she’s a hoot!
*And scene*
This is a situation I've come across before time and again, so I thought I'd weigh - in (LOL) on the subject. In the extreme, it's repeated events of fluctuating scales that can ultimately lead people to give up on their fitness goals because they rely on that magic number as their feedback.
If they are so awful, why do we continue to use them?
For diet and exercise, scales have been the ultimate in seeing whether or not you’re making progress, one way or the other. It’s acceptable practice and they aren’t going away any time soon. Much like everything else, they can be very helpful when used in the correct way.
THEY AREN’T ALL BAD
For some, they can happily use the scales and have very little emotional attachment to the number, which is fine! If you are a fan, then there are ways you can use that number staring up at you, in a much more effective way.
Make sure you’re weighing at the same time of day, in the same place, on the same surface. Believe me, this can make a huge difference. First thing in the morning, after you’ve been to the toilet, before you consume anything is the best time.
Weighing once a week can be a healthy way of approaching it. That way, you can distance yourself from numbers a bit, and your daily mood won’t be affected daily.
Weighing yourself every day or every other day has its advantages. You can work out a nice weekly average and get a clearer picture of your actual weight.
HERE’S THE THING: Bodyweight fluctuates. A lot. Even throughout the course of the day. You can wake up one weight and go to bed another. Your body has a LOT to do throughout the day and those digestive processes can cause your weight to go up and down, sometimes by as much as 1Ib+.
Here is just a short list of things that can influence your bodyweight - that aren’t directly related to fat loss.
As mentioned above - the time of the day.
Food volume, how much you’ve eaten, what kind of foods and when you ate them.
Directly related to food volume - toilet frequency. If you haven't urinated or emptied your bowels recently (you have no idea how tactful I had to be writing that). That will effect the number.
Hydration, how much fluid you have on board.
Directly related to hydration - the weather! If it's been particularly hot - you might be retaining water. You may have been sweating more.
LADIES - You know. Your cycle. Hormones, bloating and menstruation will have an impact on your scale weight.
That's just to name a few. If that's the case, whats the alternative then? Well....
HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF WAYS TO MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS WITHOUT SCALES:
Measurements. The usual suspects - chest, waist, hips, arms, legs - hell even get your neck involved if you’d like.
Pictures. That’s right, I said it. Take some pictures. Have the satisfaction of before and afters. You see your body every day, so it’s a lot harder to see any big differences in fat loss and changes in body composition. When you take pictures at set intervals into your journey, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to really SEE your body change. Going from 'PUT THAT CAMERA AWAY' to 'Draw me like one of your French girls' can be VERY empowering.
Items of clothing. The way we feel and fit into our clothes can be a huge indicator of a changing body.
The brutal honest opinion of your sibling or loved one. For accountability too. Or just for bants.
SPECIFICALLY HERE’S HOW TO MEASURE WITH NO NUMBERS AT ALL: (My favourites)
How you feel.
Your relationship with your body.
How you feel.
Confidence levels.
How you feel.
Increasing strength and fitness.
How you feel.
Getting personal bests.
You’ll notice I subtly dropped in a theme in the above list. All of them are perfectly valid indicators.
Never underestimate the power of using a non-scale victory. It could be that your clothes are fitting better, you get a lovely compliment from someone you haven't seen in a while, you notice how much fitter you feel. You FEEL brilliant. You feel confident enough to approach someone at a bar (oi oi), you’re giving presentations at work, you’re not afraid to wear shorts in the summer.
You’re happier.
These are all SIGNIFICANT victories. SPECIFIC to you.
Progress tracking, like any tailored, enjoyable, training program, (such as the ones I do - not to brag) it’s personal.
LASTLY
Whilst there is no absolute perfect way to measure progress, I do implore you to measure it in some way.
'What gets measured, gets managed.' - Peter Drucker
If you have no indication of whether or not you’re making any progress towards your health and fitness goal, you might find yourself thinking ‘What’s the point’ and giving up entirely because you don’t know if your efforts are working.
DO NOT SABOTAGE YOURSELF. For the sake of taking a few minutes to take some measurements, pictures, clothes size, keeping note of mood etc. It's worth it.
Next time you find yourself looking down at a scale and that number dictates your happiness - take them away for a bit.
Sit down and instead make a list of the improvements YOU feel. Things that you see as victories that are nothing to do with a number.
'You are, and always will be, much more than a number.' - Melissa Grace
Thank you for reading. Have a lovely week. Don't forget to eat your 5 a day.
Melissa
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