I know this might seem a bit simplified for many of my readers but because scale habits come up with so much frequency in my conversations with clients, I thought I might pull together some of my best tips for using yours.
Before I go to far with this, I do want to give the gentle reminder that many people have an unhealthy (which could be dysfunctional or sabotaging) relationship with the scale.
While the reasons can be multi-factorial some could be:
-having a coach (or someone in a coaching position) who overvalued the number
-people with “all-or-nothing” mindsets who correlate down is “good” and up is “bad” without appreciating the context of why those numbers might be that way
-unfair societal judgments that “smaller is better” and if you’re not small enough, you’re not of enough value as a person.
You have tremendous value as a person.
What I will say is that the scale is only one unit of measurement when it comes to progress and how we quantify it.
Just like the money in your bank account can’t tell the world if you’re a decent human being or a complete jerk, the scale is equally at a disadvantage.
It’s only a number, and it doesn’t tell the whole story.
To that, there are people who need therapy to have a better view of their body, how they qualify improved health, and whether the scale is a worthwhile tool, or if other methods should be used.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, improving your health is great but not if it comes at the cost of your mental health.
Everything further will be written for the benefit of anyone who is not at war with the scale and is mentally comfortable using it.
First, find a scale that has the appropriate yield for the people using it. If your scale yields no higher than 300 pounds and you weigh 348, find a scale that can yield 400 pounds or higher (with consideration of having a wide enough “footprint”, that you can stand comfortably on it.)
While many scales have the ability to estimate body fat and BMI, those measurements often are not necessary, and when it comes to body fat, the margin of error can be significant enough that it’s not worth using for that purpose.
Many perfectly adequate scales can be purchased for less than $50 and “should” last for several years.
Once you have your ideal scale, the next consideration is placement.
Many people keep their scales in a bathroom, and you want to find a place in the bathroom with the most consistent read. Shift your scale to enough places and you might find the “lowest” weight, but you may not be able to replicate it. Try a few different spots, get the most consistent number, and keep the scale in a spot where you have the consistency.
Just remember that depending on how uneven your floor is, little shifts in the scale placement can give different reads. This could be because of the floor, or you may need new batteries.
Next, determine how often you’re going to weigh. Some people have great success weighing daily and some people need to weigh once a week or less.
Depending on how much “value” you put on those numbers, keep a record of them so you can see what’s happening with trends over time. With regard to fat loss, if you are consistently (not perfectly) achieving an energy deficit, the numbers should reflect that over time.
If you’re doing weekly weigh-ins, I suggest finding a mid-week day to use. This might mean somewhere in between Tuesday through Friday. Part of the reasoning, is that many people get a bit looser with their intake on the weekends and typically, not always, Saturday through Mondays reflect the highest points of the week. There are exceptions to that.
However, let’s use Wednesday as an example. You’ll wake up, first thing in the morning, have a pee, step on the scale in your birthday suit, and then go about your business. Don’t drink any water, don’t have any coffee prior to the weigh in. We need a situation we can replicate over and over without any changes.
To note, this doesn’t mean that this morning weigh-in will be your lowest point of the day. You will likely have a lower weight post-bowel movement. The problem is, you’ll never be able to consistently replicate how much weight you’re losing each time, so don’t let this mess with you.
Please know, and embrace this fact with your whole body and mind: You can be doing ALL of the right things and the scale will NOT reward you with instant gratification every time you step on it. This does not mean you’re on the wrong track. The scale is a fickle little asshole and, much like the stock market, sometimes you just need to ride the wave and wait for things to fall back into place. This is usually easier to tolerate and understand when you have more frequent weigh-ins, but not everyone can mentally handle that.
Ladies, my love note to all of you, if you’re still having a monthly cycle, the days leading up to and the days during your period, are probably not the best days to step on the scale. Wait until your period ends.
For some women, they might experience the normal “drop” the week after their period and sometimes, the week after that, the weight goes up again. This can happen independent of calories so you may want to make note of that if you’re a woman who tracks her cycle.
Also, just remember the other issue around weigh ins, and something I even had to remind my wife of recently: If the number jumps up fast or drops fast, it’s water weight.
Said differently, if your scale hops up one pound overnight, you likely did NOT overconsume calories by upwards of 3500 over your body’s maintenance. You’re just holding onto a little bit of extra water.
So, carbohydrate fluctuations matter, stress levels matter, the intensity of your matters, your sleep habits matter, sodium fluctuations matter, etc.
There are a myriad of factors that contribute to all of the little frustrating ups and downs that happen on the scale that are not directly tied to how much you ate.
The scale is not everything. It is one tool, in a selection of tools, that you can use as an indicator of progress. It is nuanced, it is not for everyone, but if you are mentally flexible with understanding how and why it gives you the number it does, it can be helpful.
(Photo courtesy of Freepik)
