Why You Shouldn’t Always Listen to the Scale

Oh, that dreaded scale. Are you working with your scale or against it? If you’re like many people out there, then you know the problem the scale can present. One day it says you’ve lost two pounds (good for you for being on track!) and the next day, you right back where you started…last week. How can that be? What are you doing wrong? As it turns out, nothing—except for using the scale as a weight loss indicator. Here’s some reasons why you shouldn’t always listen to the scale, and what you can do, instead.

Because Muscle Matters

Don’t listen to the scale, and here’s why: your muscle mass weights more that fat does (and it’s denser). This means that when you weigh yourself (after a week of killing it at boot camp!) the scale may show that you’ve gained a few pounds. This doesn’t mean you’ve gained a few pounds of fat.

What this really means is that you’ve slimmed down while gaining muscle that’s so necessary for a fit, healthy lifestyle. While muscle will account for a higher weight overall, you’ll actually have a slimmer frame (which is why your clothes are fitting better than they have in years)!

Because You Drink Water

One of the worst possible things you can do is weight yourself in the morning, and again at night. That’s because you might experience a five to six pound weight gain on the scale, and for one simple reason. In the morning, you’re dehydrated and at night, you’re hydrated and full from the variety of food and drinks you’ve consumed. Even the cleanest eater in the world will experience a weight fluctuation from a morning weighing and an evening one. Stop the negative talk by simply removing the problem.

Because It’s Not Representative of Your Overall Health

The most important thing to remember is that the number of the scale is not a representation of how healthy you actually are. Some people who are naturally skinny may have a dangerous body fat percentage (otherwise known as being “skinny fat”). Concentrate on a healthy diet and a weekly exercise routine composed of both weight lifting and cardio.

As you focus on the mechanics of a healthy lifestyle (instead of the number of the scale), you’ll notice that you’re clothes fit better! And that is the biggest indicator of all that you’re losing weight, reaching your goals and improving your life in every single aspect.