Do you want to finally stop fearing the number on the scale?
Let me paint a picture for you…
You’ve been consistently hitting your nutrition numbers, working out, progressing in strength, getting your steps in…
Everything is on point on most days!
You wake up and step on the scale one morning…
And it’s showing that you’ve gained 3 pounds overnight!
If you’ve ever been on a weight loss journey, this scenario probably sounds familiar.
And it can lead to a complicated relationship with the scale.
Weighing yourself can be a daunting task when you never know what number is going to be staring back up at you.
And you feel like no matter what you’re doing, you have absolutely no control over the number you see.
And whether you’re unpleasantly or pleasantly surprised…
Seeing that number could very well determine how the rest of your day and the rest of your weight loss journey goes!
But if you avoid getting on the scale…
How are you supposed to know whether you’re heading towards your weight loss goal?
In this article, you’re going to learn how to measure your weight loss progress in the healthiest way – and while improving your relationship with the scale!
Let’s get into it…
How to Stop Fearing the Number on the Scale
3 Mistakes to Avoid
There are 3 main reasons for your poor relationship with the scale.
And they all come down to this fact –
If you’re misusing the scale as a tool, you will end up being scared of it.
You have to understand: it’s not your enemy.
And it is possible to stop fearing the number on the scale.
But only if you are using it how it’s meant to be used!
Mistake #1
The first mistake to avoid is using the scale as your only measure of progress.
It shouldn’t be the only thing that determines if you’re making progress or not.
Weight loss is not a linear process.
There are going to be periods of time during which the scale doesn’t budge, you only see very small changes, or it actually spikes up!
And if you’re placing all the importance on the scale, this could very well lead to you thinking that what you’re doing isn’t working and that you need to change things.
When the reality is, you didn’t need to change anything at all – because you just weren’t recognizing the other ways in which you were improving!
Using other measures of progress, along with the scale, will give you a bigger, clearer picture of how your body is changing.
Doesn’t it count as progress if…
- Your clothes fit better
- You’re losing inches
- Daily activities feel easier for you
- You have more energy
- You’re sleeping better
- You feel stronger & more confident
- And you’re being more consistent with your nutrition & exercise?
Use the scale as a tracking tool in addition to these other significant, meaningful measures of progress!
Mistake #2
The second mistake is not getting on the scale daily.
There are 3 main reasons you should be weighing yourself everyday if you want to stop fearing the number on the scale.
First, when you’re working towards a weight loss goal, the more data you have – the better!
You could get by with just tracking your measurements, progress pictures, and how your clothes are fitting.
But these aren’t things that you’re going to track every single day.
It’s going to be more like 1 to 2 times per month.
While these measures can show you whether you’re making progress or not…
Weighing yourself everyday gives you more information so you can clearly see long-term weekly and monthly progress trends.
Second, daily weighing can help you understand the scale is going to fluctuate from day to day.
There are going to be ups, downs, and days of no change.
But over time, you learn that these short-term changes are not a true representation of your weight loss progress.
We’ll talk about why these daily changes occur in the next section!
And third, with this understanding of daily scale fluctuations –
You can practice not having an emotional reaction to the number you see on the scale every morning.
This will enable you to develop a healthy relationship with the scale, which allows you to have more information and control over your progress.
Mistake #3
The third and final mistake to avoid is constantly changing what you’re doing based on those daily scale fluctuations.
These short-term changes have nothing to do with your progress!
I get it –
It can be frustrating and confusing to see a random 3 pound jump on the scale one morning.
But you did not just gain 3 pounds of fat overnight!
In order to do that, you would have had to eat 3×3500 calories… 10,500 calories OVER your maintenance calories in one day.
And I assure you…
The chances that actually happened are slim to none.
It’s guaranteed that the scale is going to spike up sometimes!
But spontaneous fat gain isn’t why.
Here are some reasons that the scale might spike:
- Eating a later/bigger dinner than usual
- Eating more salt/carbs than usual the previous day
- An intense workout
- Your menstrual cycle
- Your hydration level
- High stress
- Poor sleep quality
So next time you step on the scale and see a number that you weren’t expecting –
A number that doesn’t reflect what you’ve been doing…
Remember that the short-term fluctuations you see are meaningless!
How To Stop Fearing the Number on the Scale
How To Properly Track Your Weight Loss Progress
Now that you’ve learned the 3 big mistakes to avoid if you want to stop fearing the number on the scale –
Let’s get into how exactly you should be using the scale (and other tools) to track your weight loss progress.
Because it’s a whole system and if done wrong, there’s a high chance you’re going to feel frustrated because of the uncertainty and lack of clarity.
But first, let me tell you a story about my online coaching client, V.
V sent me this email 1.5 months into us working together.
In her first month of coaching, she lost 8 pounds.
When we got into her second month, her rate of weight loss drastically slowed down (which is totally normal).
And because she wasn’t derailed because of the lack of progress and continued to stay the course –
She lost 4 total inches off her body despite 2 weeks of no change on the scale!
And as you read in her email, her clothes are also fitting differently.
This is the perfect illustration of why you can’t rely on the scale to tell the whole story about your progress.
It’s not that the scale doesn’t matter.
But it is just one piece of the puzzle.
So to get the most accurate measure of how you’re progressing, you’re going to track 3 things: your weight, your measurements, and your progress pictures.
The reason you’re not only tracking your weight is because it doesn’t tell the whole story.
And as you have already learned, it fluctuates based on so many variables!
When you’re weighing yourself, you’re not just seeing a reflection of body fat.
You’re seeing things that change daily – blood volume, water, bowels, etc.
Measurements and pictures, in addition to the number on the scale, paint a clearer pictures of how your body is changing, despite what the scale says.
Weight
First, you’ll weigh yourself daily.
- First thing in the morning
- After you use the restroom
- And before you eat or drink anything
At the end of each week, you’ll calculate your weekly average weight:
Add up your weight from Monday through Sunday and divide by 7.
Measurements
Second, you’ll take measurements every 2 weeks.
My online coaching clients track their:
- Waist
- Hip
- Quad
You can also track your arm and chest measurements.
Progress Pictures
And third, you’ll take progress pictures every 4 weeks.
Ideally, you’d take full-body views of your:
- Front
- Back
- Left and Right Side
How to Stop Fearing the Number on the Scale
What To Do With The Info You Collect
While any of the 3 tools described above won’t show you what’s really going on by themselves…
Using the information from the 3 of them together will give you a clear picture of how you’re progressing!
Because I’ll go ahead and tell you upfront –
There are going to be times when:
- Your weight isn’t moving but you’re losing inches
- Your weight and measurements aren’t improving but your pictures show massive progress (more muscle, less fat, more definition, better posture, etc.)
- And your weight is even up but your measurements and pictures have improved!
Tracking multiple measures of progress can make the difference in your continuing to push towards your goals versus quitting because the scale isn’t reflecting your effort.
So now that you have all this information, you’re going to evaluate your progress every 4 weeks.
You will have:
- 4 calculated weekly average weights
- 2 sets of measurements
- 1 set of progress photos
Progress can look like:
- Your weekly average weight decreasing
- Any of your measurements decreasing
- Your progress photos showing less fat and/or more definition
That means even if your weight has not moved but your measurements or pictures have shown improvement, you are progressing!
Now if none of these things have happened and you’ve been hitting your nutrition goals at least 85% of days, the next step is to lower your calories.
You can figure out exactly how to do that here.
How to Stop Fearing the Number on the Scale
Don't Be Impatient
I’ll leave you with this last piece of advice to stop fearing the number on the scale and sustain a healthy relationship with it…
Don’t be impatient in your weight loss journey.
Accept that it’s going to be a slow process.
I know you don’t want to hear it, but weight loss, if done properly, takes a long time.
So don’t expect results to start showing within a few weeks of you starting.
At some point, you’re going to have made all the changes necessary…
You’re going to be doing everything you’re supposed to be.
And the only thing that’s going to be left to do is be patient and trust that it’s working.
Those small day to day changes seem insignificant in the moment.
But in the long run, over time, those seemingly meaningless changes are going to add up to significant progress!
So instead of obsessing over the number on the scale everyday…
Continue collecting data as described above, but focus more on the long term trend it shows you.
And also remember although important, it’s not the only thing that matters.
It will absolutely reflect your efforts over time.
But “time” is the imperative word.
So use that time to also focus on undoing habits that led to the weight gain, creating new habits that will help you get to a healthier weight, and making lifestyle changes that will support maintaining a healthy weight long term.
How to Stop Fearing the Number on the Scale
Final Words
If you’ve read this article in it’s entirety…
You now know the biggest mistakes to avoid when using the scale.
You also know how to properly use the scale to track your progress so you can maintain a healthy relationship with it.
I hope this article has shown you that there is no need to be scared of a piece of equipment!
All the scale is is a tool.
A tool that doesn’t define your efforts or your progress.
But also a tool that if used properly is immensely useful.
As always, if you have any questions or if there’s anything I can help you with, please feel free to comment below or send me an email at jshahfitness@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading!