3 Reasons Not to Trust the Scale and What to Do Instead

Hands up if you’ve felt nervous looking at the scale? I know I have. And if you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m not a fan of the scale. After going to the gym, eating properly, and drinking loads of water, it can feel pointless when you don’t see the number go down.

The scale seems to be the accepted measurement of health but what if I told you that that is absolutely ridiculous?

Here are three reasons why I think you should not trust the scale while on your bridal fitness journey:

Your Body Weight Fluctuates 

If you’ve ever weighed yourself multiple times a day, you know that the number on the scale changes every single time. Our body weight fluctuates based on the time of day, our hormones, and even salt intake. Seeing the number go up and down is completely normal and nothing to worry about. 

It Doesn’t Show Your Body Composition 

All your scale tells you is a number. While that may help you figure out your body mass index it’s not an accurate representation of fat vs muscle. Muscle mass is a lot denser than fat which means as you tone your body the number on the scale may increase a few pounds even when your body fat is decreasing. That is why it is incredibly important to recognize that your weight doesn’t determine your overall level of health.

It Can Impact Your Mental Health

Sometimes weighing yourself can negatively impact the way you view your body. Remember that it’s just a number. Don’t let that number make or break your day, especially when measuring your health is not just about your weight. Listen to your body and let it help guide your way. I know it’s easier said than done, so do your best to keep the scale out of sight and weigh yourself about every 4 weeks if you really want to use weight as a way to measure your progress. Focus your attention on how good you feel when you work out and follow a nutrition plan, and the results will follow.

What to do Instead

Get a scale that measures more than just your weight. (Sometimes it’s good to have a scale on hand as long as you keep in mind everything I mentioned above.) Whenever I do weigh myself, I use a Renpho scale and I love that it has an easy-to-use app that shows a ton of helpful stats like body fat percentage, body water, muscle mass, visceral fat, and a lot more. Like I said earlier, I don’t recommend you weigh yourself more often than every 3-4 weeks.

Next, take before and after photos in a sports bra and shorts. Take a photo from the front view, side view, and back view. Taking the before photos isn’t always fun, but you will be glad you did! It’s an amazing way to visually see the progress you’ve made.

Use a flexible measuring tape to measure specific body parts. Taking body measurements can show you where you’re losing fat, which is important since we all lose fat in different areas and in a different order. Take the following measurements twice for accuracy. Write down the numbers in the Notes section of your phone so you can easily refer to them in a month or so.

• Measure Your arms. Indicate which side you are measuring (left or right). Put your thumb on the opposite shoulder and stretch out your pinkie to find the center of your upper arm — that’s where you want to wrap the measuring tape.
• Measure your chest. Wrap the measuring tape around your chest at the nipple line with your arms down.
• Measure Your waistline. Wrap the measuring tape around your waist, using your belly button as the center point.
• Measure Your Hips. Stand with your feet together and wrap the tape around the widest part of your hips.
• Measure your legs. Indicate which side you are measuring (left or right). Put your pinky on your knee and stretch out your thumb to find the center of your upper leg (your quad). That’s where you want to wrap the tape and measure.

Taking your before photos and body measurements is a much more effective way to track progress and you get so much more information than just one number. Trust me on this one!

Shifting Your Mindset

Changing the way you measure your weight loss goals isn’t easy – especially since we’ve been told to use the scale for as long as we remember. It’s a big shift and not easy, but trust me it’s so worth it. Try to think about your body as a whole, how it is feeling, and try to avoid using the scale as validation. You are so much more than a number. If you find yourself stressed out, please do not hesitate to send me a DM on Instagram – we’ll throw away that scale together!