Weighing in on the Scale




It's no secret that many of us allow our moods to be determined by a number on a scale. If it's the right number - elation. If it's the wrong number - deflation.
Just recently, I was at the gym standing near the scale when a woman went to weigh herself. Before she jumped on the scale she was in a cheerful, upbeat mood, but when she read the number on the scale her mood changed dramatically; she was devastated. And I mean devastated.
But what she hadn't noticed was that her purse handle was leaning on the scale, making the reading about two pounds heavier than it should have been. That two-pound difference almost ruined her day - until someone politely pointed out the trespassing purse handle. When she removed the guilty party from the scale and saw the number dip by two pounds, she was ecstatic. Again, all was well with the world.



Mind over scale


Watching that woman reminded me of all the times I've tried to explain to my weight loss clients (without totally demoralizing them) that daily fluctuations on the scale, whether up or down, should never be taken too seriously.

One client in particular, who had high blood pressure and was on medication, experienced extreme water-weight fluctuations; up six pounds one day, down six pounds the next. Try as I might to tell her that the changes were not a measurement of success or failure, but a result of the medication, she couldn't see it that way. Instead, she remained happy and proud when the numbers went down; and unhappy, frustrated and hopeless when the numbers went up. Her perceptions had little to do with the fact that she making excellent progress changing her eating and exercise habits and losing weight gradually; everything revolved around the scale.

The fact is, the number she put so much stock in was reflecting - among other things - the ebb and flow of water, not just the loss of fat or the increase of lean muscle mass, which are the two indicators of true weight loss.


Water-weight: Here today, gone tomorrow





Sixty to seventy percent of your body is made up of water, so it's not surprising that daily weigh-ins reflect water-weight fluctuations; water-weight is a major component of what the scale measures, and the numbers can go up or down, depending on whether your body is losing or retaining water.

Water retention. Next time you step on the scales and think "Oh no, I've gained three pounds. All my efforts have been for nothing!" take a moment to consider whether it might just be water retention that the scale is picking up on. Several factors can cause water retention.

Excess sodium is one of them. The minimum physiological requirement for sodium is 500 mg per day and most health organizations normally recommend a maximum of 2400 mg. But when you think that just one teaspoon of salt supplies 2358 mg of sodium, it's easy to understand why most Americans consume sometimes twenty times more sodium than their bodies need, causing water retention and adding water-weight.

Not drinking enough water can also cause water retention. Although it sounds back-to-front, you need to drink a sufficient amount of water to flush out the water you're already holding on to! Eight or more 8 oz glasses a day does the trick.

Other common reasons for water retention include menstrual bloating, constipation, and certain diseases such as heart or kidney disease.

Water loss. Generally it's only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of actual fat per week. If you are losing more than that, it's likely that it's water you are shedding, not fat. While you will always lose some water-weight when decreasing calories, extreme dieting will produce extreme water loss, and false weight loss readings.

Excessive calorie restriction, for example, causes the body to use up stores of carbohydrates and to break down protein in the muscles. As both carbohydrates and protein hold water in the cells, a loss of these also results in a net loss of water. As a result, rapid weight loss can often be made up of 75% water loss.

High-protein or low-carb diets also cause too much water loss. A high level of protein, especially from meat and dairy products raises the levels of two toxic by-products, uric acid and urea. To flush these out, the body pumps lots of water through the kidneys and urinary track. Loss of glycogen (a form of stored carbohydrate) on low-carb diets can also cause excess water loss, as can the diuretics people often take on these diets.


You aren’t what you eat


An average-sized meal can easily weigh a couple of pounds, which is what you'll seem to have gained if you jump on the scale straight after your meal. That's because the scale registers the weight of the food, not the weight you will have gained from the meal - plus any water-weight gain from excess sodium.

Of course, after the food is digested it will stockpile some extra calories, but keep in mind that it takes 3500 calories more than your body needs to gain one pound of weight. So, if you've eaten a heavy meal and the scale registers a four pound weight gain, for that to be accurate, the meal would have to equal at least 14,000 calories; that's like eating 8-12 whole pizzas, 23 Big Mac's or 56 bowls of pasta and tomato sauce!


Muscle gain vs. fat loss


The argument that muscle weighs more than fat is often used to explain weight gain when you increase physical activity. But in truth, the effects of weight training on your overall weight are marginal - about one pound a month is the maximum increase. So don't be fooled into thinking that weight gain is a by-product of exercise. Likely, it is true weight gain or a by-product of water retention.


Using the scale effectively





Although the scale has its flaws, don't throw it out the window just yet! The scale can be an effective long-term indicator of weight loss, especially when used in conjunction with other methods of assessing weight. Follow these tips to help you use your scale effectively:

• Understand the scale's limitations. Stay in touch with what the scale can and can't do. Remember that normal and significant fluctuations can occur through water retention, water loss, glycogen storage, changes in body mass, and the normal ebb and flow of fluids.
• Focus on what you want to accomplish. Losing body fat and increasing lean muscle mass is your primary weight loss goal. Keep in mind that it is impossible to change body fat significantly in a day or two, or even a week, so don't allow your moods to be contingent on the scale.
• Weigh-in once a week or less. The scale should be used to monitor weight trends, not day-to-day weight fluctuations. Weigh in once a week or less and chart your progress over time. It's also best not to weigh yourself for several hours after eating. For more accurate weigh-ins, get weighed first thing in the morning before eating.
• Think outside the scale. Think about how you look and feel, how your clothes fit, your frame of mind, your energy levels. Aren't these things worth listening to more than the scale?
• Monitor other indicators of success such as your blood pressure, your cholesterol levels, and your glucose levels. Measure success by the positive changes you are making. Using skin-folds or body measurements can also provide some more accurate numerical charting of fat losses.
• Don't be discouraged by a number - it's all relative anyway! Think about it this way: If you weigh 150 pounds on Earth, you weigh 136 pounds on Venus, 42 pounds on Mercury, 350 pounds on Jupiter, and a mere 57 pounds on Mars!

Wow, lots of good info. I'm definitely going to start drinking more water! Thanks for the post.

You're very welcome!!!*Is really good to know that somebody will get a good result from it...I know it works!!!

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Best wishes,

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Janet

Yup I am moving to Venus but never going to Jupiter* Another wonderful article. Thanks so much.

Janet, I love this article about the scales. I always fret at the diffrence in diffrent scales. I too feel down if I gain and not lose. But now this article gives me a diffrent prespective. Thanks so much for sharing this with us..Blessings, Kathy in Missouri