A woman’s relationship with the scale can be complicated. Growing up in the ’80s and ’90s, I was bombarded with images of stick-thin celebrities and too many to count commercials for Slim Fast, Weight Watchers, and Snackwells. Back then, I used the scale to measure my worth based on being the smallest version of myself. Thank goodness I have grown my overall health knowledge and no longer place significant importance on being skinny. Now I work my butt off to grow muscle and strength to be the strongest version of myself rather than the smallest.
What’s challenging is that the scale is one of the easiest ways to monitor progress relatively easily so it can provide value in assessing overall health. And at the same time there are other data points off the scale you can use to evaluate your progress when working to improve your health and change your body composition. These things can both be true: the scale can be a helpful data point, AND it isn’t the best data point to use in isolation.
First, let’s dive into why the scale isn’t the best tool to use in isolation to monitor our progress. When the scale drops, you are in a calorie deficit, so your body weight decreases. But dropping pounds isn’t always a good thing. Dropping pounds can mean you’re dropping muscle mass and bone density. When the scale drops, we typically want to retain as much muscle mass and bone density as possible. For most people who need to lose weight, it’s excess body fat that is causing additional health issues. Maintaining or possibly increasing muscle mass and bone density should always be a goal when trying to shed some pounds. You can do that by lifting weights and eating enough protein. But that’s a separate topic for another day!
So, what other metrics do I recommend using to monitor progress?
Progress Photos: No one loves to take an initial set of photos when starting a weight-loss journey, but trust me when I say you will be glad you took them. I have seen women’s body composition change drastically, showing toned arms and slimmer bellies while the scale has barely moved or hasn’t moved at all!
How can that happen? It’s called body recomposition. When someone is new to lifting weights and following a structured strength training program, they can have “newbie gains,” which means building muscle relatively quickly. And if you are lucky enough to be new to lifting weights, soak this up while you can! Building muscle takes time, and it goes much slower for seasoned lifters. So these “newbies” are building muscle and at the same time dropping body fat, and the scale might not be moving at all, but their overall body is fundamentally starting to look different, giving them that “toned” look. Trust me when I say – take the photos!
Measurements: Measurements are another great way to assess progress off the scale. For the same reasons noted above, you could drop inches and see significant body recomposition while the scale doesn’t necessarily reflect progress. Measurements may take a few minutes longer than jumping on the scale but can add another useful data point to evaluate your progress. Trust me again when I say – take the measurements!
How clothes fit: Are your clothes starting to feel a bit looser? Are you having to use a tighter belt buckle? Seeing changes to how your clothes fit is another way to assess progress off the scale. And the more additional data points we gather, the more we can make potential adjustments based on data and less on emotion.
Photos, measurements, and how clothes fit are three relatively easy ways to assess progress, and they don’t need to happen daily. I recommend bi-weekly or monthly photos and measurements for my clients, especially those who do not weigh themselves.
If you are going to weigh yourself, do it daily or weekly, not sporadically. When we weigh ourselves sporadically, we tend to pick a day when we think we were really “good” with our nutrition. Then, we may be upset or surprised when the number on the scale doesn’t match up with our expectations. Enter the self-sabotage or harmful behaviors of trying to compensate or make up for whatever you think you did wrong and then restrict your eating for the day.
PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS!
Daily weight fluctuations are totally normal! Let me repeat. Daily weight fluctuations are totally normal. Your daily weight is impacted not only by the food and drinks you consume, but also by your menstrual cycle, water retention, whether you need to go to the bathroom, or whether you had a heavy lifting session and your muscles were holding onto more glycogen storage. There are many reasons for daily weight fluctuations. Your trend over time is the metric that’s best to use to monitor your progress, not one specific daily weigh-in.
When you only weigh yourself once in a while, one specific day may be the highest weight you had all week, but that’s the only data point you are seeing. Your weekly average could be lower than the week before, but you aren’t aware since you don’t have that data available. This is why I recommend weighing daily, weekly on the same day each week, or not weight at all.
In addition to the above, I always recommend monitoring your biofeedback. Overall, we want to feel good. If you’re shedding weight to improve your overall health, that should also make you feel better. Tracking your digestion, energy level, sleep quality, and overall mood can support your progress. The longer you’re in a calorie deficit, your energy and sleep may start to suffer, and it may be time to take a diet break and increase your calories. This is when working with a coach can really make a difference!
I’m currently in my fat-loss phase and working to shed some extra pounds while retaining as much muscle as possible. I have a weight-loss group running that’s following along and getting all the inside scoop on how I do this as painlessly as possible!
Want to join in? You still can!
Click here to join Get Lean with Lauren, and let me help guide you toward lasting results!
Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional medical treatment, advice, and/or diagnosis. Always check with your own physician or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here.
