Lindsay Vastola is an HC TCNJ contributing writer. She is a fitness professional who designs fitness programs for what she calls the career-driven woman (what we call the the collegiette!). Check out her website here!
The first bathroom scale is thought to have been introduced to man nearly 4000 years ago in the Middle East (imagine what the bathrooms looked liked!). I wonder if women were as obsessed as we are now with how much they weighed. Curious…
Have you convinced yourself that you “should” weigh a certain weight . Have you forgotten about how it feels to actually “feel” good, or better yet, “look” good…or are you so consumed by reaching that number on the scale that when people tell you that you look good or when you have loads of energy, you dismiss them because you didn’t see that “perfect little number” on the scale this morning?
If you answered “yes” to any of these, you’ve been lied to. Sorry to break it to you, but you have been played for a fool. By a scale. Yes, a stupid little machine that takes up space next to your toilet.
And you even trusted it enough to get naked for it!
I want to tell you three lies that the scale tells you on a regular basis, so you can be empowered with knowledge before you jump on that scale next time.
Lie #1:
When you drop weight after a week of “dieting” or severe calorie-restriction, the scale doesn’t tell you that you’ve mostly shed excess water weight and precious muscle…NOT necessarily BODY FAT. Bummer. This is why yo-yo dieting never, never, never works and why you are frustrated, frustrated, frustrated because you can’t seem to “maintain” a healthy weight range.
Lie #2:
The scale fails to tell you what that number actually means. Your body composition is simply what makes up your total body weight, including water, body fat, muscle, organs and tissues, and your skeletal system. When you weigh on a standard scale, the number includes the total weight of all of these components. This number can often fluctuate for a few reasons, often +/- 5 pounds each day. It can change depending on hormonal levels during the month (especially for women), increased or decreased muscle mass (which weighs more than fat), change in body fat, water retention, temperature, change in habits, along with lack of sleep (which can lead to overeating).
Lie #3:
It does not give you a complete picture of how good you feel or how healthy you actually are inside. Don’t get me wrong, we shouldn’t completely discount our total weight. It can be used as a baseline to our overall health. If you’re remaining consistent with a fitness routine and a well-balanced eating routine (even cheating a little), your focus seems to shift from the scale to how you’re looking and feeling. I can almost guarantee if you asked 10 fitness trainers or athletes if they ever weigh themselves, I bet 8 out of 10 say they don’t. Why? Because they LISTEN TO THEIR BODY. They know when they’re off track or lacking energy or if they’ve packed on a few extra. They don’t need a scale to tell them.
Here is a real-life example of how the number on the scale can be very misleading, and I hope this gives you a better picture of what I’m talking about.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: The Battle of the Two 150-Pound Women (be sure to use your imagination to picture each these women)
Woman #1 stats:
Background: She does not exercise consistently, yo-yo diet’s, wears a size 10-12 pants, and hates her muffin-top, and that spare tire around her waist.
Total Body Weight: 150 pounds
Total Body Fat: 60 pounds (40% of her total body weight)
Total Lean Muscle: 60 pounds (40% of her total body weight)
Other (water, bones, etc.) 30 pounds (20% of her total body weight)
Woman #2 stats:
Background: She exercises consistently, eats well balanced and nutritiously (she probably even cheats occasionally), wears a size 6-8 pants, has a lean waistline and very little “bulge.”
Total Body Weight: 150 pounds
Total Body Fat: 37.5 pounds (25% of her total body weight…and totally healthy)
Total Lean Muscle: 82.5 pounds (55% of her total body weight)
Other (water, bones, etc.) 30 pounds (20% of her total body weight)
If you saw these two women walking next to each other, you may never guess they weighed exactly the same when they get on a scale. You would likely judge Woman #1 as significantly heavier than 150 pounds. However, Woman #2 may actually look like she weighs 30 pounds less because her muscle tone and healthy body fat levels makes her smaller, fitter, and leaner.
Which one would you rather be? Woman #1 or Woman #2…
MORAL OF THE STORY…SCALES LIE AND OFTEN DO NOT TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH!
Don’t use the scale as the only measurement of your success. Focus on how you feel in your clothes, your energy, your sleep, your mood…and your confidence. Avoid weighing daily – weigh once a week at most. You will know if you have gained weight when you look in the mirror or if those pants feel a little tighter than they did last winter. You will also know if your body composition has changed if those pants feel a bit looser.
Free yourself from being a slave to the scale…it may not be an easy habit to break at first, but it will be the most liberating feeling when you finally do!
And by the way….
Who else looks at that number other than you and maybe your doctor? Why do your friends or even your boyfriend need to know your weight?
If the topic of conversation of “weight” comes up frequently with your friends, you need to change the subject quick (because nothing good can come of a conversation about weight. And honestly, you may even want to reevaluate who you are hanging with). Remember, you are a product of those you surround yourself with.
Maybe one day we should have a “scale-burning” party.
Committed to your success…no matter what you weigh.
Lindsay Vastola, CFT is a corporate manager-turned-fitness professional specializing in designing fitness programs for the success-driven woman. Updated frequently, you can find information on Lindsay’s latest transformation programs, workouts, and on-the-go eating tips on her blog at http://www.BodyProjectFitness.com. She is the founder of Body Project Fitness located in Central New Jersey. Her mission is to design effective fitness programs for the ambitious woman to help get her to the top and look damn good while she’s at it!