Throw away your SCALE
July 4, 2008
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Here is the best advice I can give in regards to weight measurement. The focus and usually obsession on what the scale reads is the very reason most people fail at losing weight. The scale can be misleading and dangerous.
Focusing your weight against an‘ideal weight’ can be discouraging. It is not how much our body weighs that is important but our body composition. The amount of lean mass compared to body fat is more important in a weight management role.
It is imperative to understand how lean mass is directly related to metabolism. As you begin an exercise program take an initial weight on the scale but also take girth measurements. Use a tape measure to find out the girth of your middle at the belly button, at your chest using the nipples as a guide, and at the biggest part of our bottom at our hips. Optional measurements are at the thickest point of our thigh and bicep. You can also just simply feel how your clothes fit after a few weeks.
After a month at GetFitNHBootcamp I didn’t lose any weight but I had lost a clothing size. This is the kind of measurement that shows your internal body composition has changed for the better. So throw away your scale as the only means of determining your goals in a healthy lifestyle.
3 Comments on Throw away your SCALE
July 5, 2008
spindiva @ 7:07 am:
DONE!
July 15, 2008
Chris @ 10:44 am:
I have to disagree. Though not the only way to keep track of weight loss progress it is a good one. In fact, research has shown that those who have lost a significant amount of weight and kept it off for a significant amount of time were folks who stepped on the scale either daily or every few days. Doing so would help them maintain accountability and momentum. I would also recommend people getting body fat calipers of some sort to aid in their determination of fat and lean mass so they can see the increase/decrease of the two and be able to come to better conclusions.
Dean @ 11:20 am:
You make some very good points, Chris. I think the drive home point is that body WEIGHT is not an accurate measure of what is happening to our bodies when we are seeking to change body composition. The only thing that really matters is lean mass vs. fat mass, and a scale has no way of measuring this ratio.
We counsel our “body composition” clients to keep a log of their weight and measurements every 2 weeks, and adjust from there. This is enough time to see what the current training/nutrition plan is doing without obsessing over slight daily fluctuations. Many of us tend to overreact when the scale says we “gained 2 pounds” overnight, and totally change everything (and often stop eating enough), when in fact there are so many other factors involved, such a hydration levels, hormones, etc.
Where I am totally on board with Chris writes is AFTER you have reached your initial goal. I have lost a significant amount of bodyfat, and my current routine consists of daily weigh-ins and weekly measurements. It has worked for me for going on 4 years, and I continue to improve.
Thanks for the input Chris.