Coach, I hate standing on the scale!
Clients always say, “No matter what I do, the scale always says the same thing.” Or, they tell me it is so depressing getting on the scale!
Usually, I will respond that the scale is not the best marker/tracker for success. It is not accurate. Many factors can change the “number” you want to see on that gadget.
- Carbohydrate: Our bodies can store between 400-800 grams of glycogen (the storage form of carbohydrate in our body) in our muscles and liver. For every carbohydrate gram, we store, we retain 2.5-4 grams of water in our bodies. On the scales, this could result in a fluctuation or increase of 2kg, or four and a half pounds. This is why we can see rapid weight loss in an individual when they eat minimal carbohydrates and do lots of training in a short period.
- Training (Inflammation): In the short term, training can increase water retention through inflammation. The healing process of inflammation, which may result from a training bout, can increase water retention by up to 8%.
- Hydration. Our bodies are roughly 50-65% water, so our hydration levels directly impact scale weight.
- Muscle Mass. Muscle is smaller in size but weighs more than fat. The weight you see on the scale is just a number – the quantity; it does not describe the body composition – the quality. People can weigh more or appear to gain weight because of increased muscle mass. Depending on how much muscle mass you gain, you may lose inches around your waist – (making your clothes may fit better)
Fat cells and your health…
When you’re overweight, you carry extra fat cells that lead to many health risks – increased blood pressure, diabetes, and so on. Adding extra muscle cells does not increase your health risks. When you begin a resistance/toning routine, the inches come off faster than the weight since you are building muscle.
Benefits of muscle gain
Consistent strength training has many benefits and can lead to a happier, healthier life, including:
- Increases your metabolism
- Slows the progression of osteoporosis
- Increases the body’s efficiency in storing glucose
- It makes your body stronger
How much muscle is right for you?
It depends on your individual weight loss goals. Usually, most clients come to me intending to decrease inches and increase strength – not big bulging muscles.
A pound of muscle increases our metabolism by about 50 kcal per day. The average American should increase their muscle mass by 2-5 lbs to get toned and strong, increasing their metabolism. The focus is on improving the quality and quantity of your body composition.
Remember, regardless of what the scale says – muscle is your friend.
- Exercise. Expending energy can result in weight loss. If you’re not adequately hydrating, you may not see immediate weight loss on the scale. That’s because the water you drink replaces the water you lost via sweat. Water, however, contains no calories and won’t cause weight gain over time. Exercise burns calories, so you will lose weight if you burn more calories than you eat and drink. But remember ‘more is not better”. The body knows when it is under too much stress, affecting your hormones, especially cortisol levels. This will affects your sustainable healthy weight loss. A pound or two at most a week of fat loss is the safest way to remove unwanted weight and keep it off.
- Toilet Habits and Digestion: This was an eye-opener for me!!! When you last went to the toilet, how much food and fluids you consumed in the previous day or two will directly impact the scale weight. Urine and stool have weight! Your body uses foods and liquids for hydration and energy. After it’s successfully gleaned the nourishment it needs from these sources, it will begin to expel the leftovers as mucus, sweat, urine, and stool. Digestion time varies among individuals and between men and women. After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water, and, finally, elimination of undigested food. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon. All in all, the whole process — from when you swallow food to when it leaves your body as feces — takes about two to five days, depending on the individual. So yes, this can impact that “number on the scale!!!
- Salt. A very high salt meal may result in more water retention.
- Menstrual Cycle: Women will retain most water around the luteal phase, thus increasing scale weight. A way around this would be to compare scale weight at the same point in the monthly menstrual cycle.
- Alcohol intake. Alcohol isn’t processed the same way as other beverages and foods, so it can take longer for your body to eliminate. It also slows the digestion of other substances, which can lead to water retention. Beyond that, alcohol contains extra calories that may not be accounted for in your diet. You may also pay less attention to your overall calorie intake while drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Illness. Your weight may go up or down due to a bout of illness, like the flu or a chronic condition. While conditions like underactive thyroid, Cushing’s’sSyndromee, and polycystic ovary syndrome, can lead to unexpected weight gain, diabetes, and Crohn’s disease are often associated with unexpected weight loss.
- Medication. Some medications cause your body to retain water, increase appetite, or change metabolism. These include:
- insulin
- thiazolidinediones
- beta-adrenergic blockers
- tricyclic antidepressants
- selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
- Lithium
- If your medication affects your weight, make an appointment with the prescribing doctor.
They can help you determine the reason for fluctuation and discuss your options moving forward. This may mean switching medications or making dietary and fitness changes.
- Food and drinks. No matter the caloric content, foods, and beverages all weigh something. Drinking an 8-ounce glass of water will add weight to your body because it has weight. The same is true for the vegetables in your salad. However, healthy foods and water pass through your body quickly, so eating a balanced diet can mean less fluctuation. Foods high in carbohydrates, sodium, and fat take longer to process and expel through waste.
In conclusion, all the variables mentioned above can impact scale weight. Using other markers of progress such as circumference measurements and photos will help ensure fluctuations in scale weight don’t leave you feeling downbeat after putting lots of effort and focus into your nutrition and lifestyle.
“Want to see the scale change? Weigh yourself five to six times in one day,” she says. “First thing in the morning, then after you pee, then after you eat, then after you eat again, before you poop, then after you poop.”
Scale changes: guaranteed.
It’s an excellent reminder for clients that bodies fluctuate… and that’s normal, says Solovieva.
A fun exercise and enlightening!
If you want to see how the scale changes, weigh yourself five to six times in one day.
First thing in the morning, then after you pee, then after you eat, then after you eat again, then before you poop, then after you poop.”
Scale changes: guaranteed.
It’s an excellent reminder that our bodies fluctuate… and that’s normal! Now ask yourself if this is how you want to monitor your progress regularly!
Here is to your health and mental wellbeing! 🙂
Coach Dawn
Dawn Griswold, MFT, ACC, CPT, MNC
Certified ICF Coach, Master Fitness Trainer, Nutrition, Health, and Life Coach www.PowerfulChanges.com