Weighing yourself is a typical part of trying to lose weight. Your weight isn't just a number, but something that can actually change how you feel about yourself. Step on the scale first thing in the morning, and if that number is lower than it was before, you may feel better about yourself. If it's higher, your day may start on a downward slide.
But what does your weight really mean, and how useful is it when it comes to tracking weight loss progress? Learning the answers to those questions may give you a completely different perspective on your scale.
Know the Truth About Weight
When you talk about losing weight, what you usually mean is slimming down. You might want to lose weight around the hips, thighs, belly, and arms. But the odd thing about slimming down is that it doesn't always mean losing actual weight off the scale.
It's possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you're moving in the right direction. Knowing the difference between losing weight and losing body fat can change how you see yourself and your progress.
A typical scale shows your weight, but it doesn't tell you how much of that weight is muscle, fat, water, bones, or organs. A bodybuilder's weight could be off the charts because of extra muscle, but it doesn't mean they are overweight or fat. Knowing your body composition is crucial information if you really want to get results. Unfortunately, the typical scale doesn't tell you that.
Another reason scale weight isn't so reliable is that it changes all the time. You will see weight changes throughout the day (sometimes by as much as 10 pounds) depending on what and how often you eat and drink, how often you go to the bathroom, or if you are retaining water.
The scale does have some important uses. A review published in 2016 found that for people who have lost weight, regularly weighing themselves helped them maintain that weight loss.1 It's easy for weight to creep up over time, so a scale is useful in that respect.
But what does your weight really mean, and how useful is it when it comes to tracking weight loss progress? Learning the answers to those questions may give you a completely different perspective on your scale.
Know the Truth About Weight
When you talk about losing weight, what you usually mean is slimming down. You might want to lose weight around the hips, thighs, belly, and arms. But the odd thing about slimming down is that it doesn't always mean losing actual weight off the scale.
It's possible to get thinner without actually seeing a change in your weight. This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you're moving in the right direction. Knowing the difference between losing weight and losing body fat can change how you see yourself and your progress.
A typical scale shows your weight, but it doesn't tell you how much of that weight is muscle, fat, water, bones, or organs. A bodybuilder's weight could be off the charts because of extra muscle, but it doesn't mean they are overweight or fat. Knowing your body composition is crucial information if you really want to get results. Unfortunately, the typical scale doesn't tell you that.
Another reason scale weight isn't so reliable is that it changes all the time. You will see weight changes throughout the day (sometimes by as much as 10 pounds) depending on what and how often you eat and drink, how often you go to the bathroom, or if you are retaining water.
The scale does have some important uses. A review published in 2016 found that for people who have lost weight, regularly weighing themselves helped them maintain that weight loss.1 It's easy for weight to creep up over time, so a scale is useful in that respect.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon