Hey BA!

This week I want to talk about ditching the scale. Too much importance and emotional investment gets placed on the number it reads, but that number doesn’t tell the whole story. Especially for those who come into the gym wanting to lose weight, it can be very disheartening to not see any change.. or worse, it goes up!

First, let’s address why that number might initially go up when hitting these classes hard. These classes will increase muscle mass quickly, which is going to add weight since muscle weighs more than fat. Therefore, even if you are losing fat tissue, increasing muscle may result in “weight gain” according to the scale. That is the issue with relying solely on the scale - it can’t distinguish between healthy and unhealthy weight gain. As you continue with these workouts and focus on eating real, whole foods (limiting highly processed, refined grains and sugars), you will eventually settle on your body’s proper weight. Better yet, you’ll see noticeable body composition changes.

Now, if we aren’t using the scale as our guide for health, what should we use?

Energy!

The amount of energy you have throughout the day and during your workouts is a much better indicator of how you’re doing internally. More energy leads to a more efficient metabolism, which ultimately results in the body composition changes we want to see.

Here are some questions we should be asking ourselves -

Do I experience severe energy slumps throughout the day?
Do I feel strong in my workouts?
Do I feel energized after I eat, or do I feel sluggish?

The question we should avoid… What does the scale say?

Stop letting that number on the scale override the changes you see and feel! It was only ever meant to be a useful tool in the compilation of various health assessments. It’s simply a device, limited in its knowledge. It can’t see the full picture. Instead, let’s learn how to listen to our bodies and ask ourselves the right questions.

Ditch the Scale