Why the Scale is the Most Bogus Way to Measure Fat Loss

Weight loss & fat loss are related, but they are NOT the same thing.

For example, you can step on a scale and see you’re down a few pounds, but the reality is that weight loss you’re seeing may not necessarily be from fat- it can be from water loss. This is why in a sense, the scale can “lie.” And this is why I always tell my clients to train for a look, not a number.

Chasing an “ideal weight” will often leave you feeling discouraged and unmotivated.

I encourage my clients to look at the scale as just a tool, but not the only tool to measure progress. If that requires you to put the scale away, I encourage that. If you choose to use the scale as a means of progress, then I encourage you to view it more as a series of data points or a range rather than a reflection of your worth or overall progress.

Let’s take two clients of mine as examples to prove my point.

Amir had a goal to lose body fat and build muscle. In this photo, he clearly looks completely different from the left to the right.

According to the scale though, he had only lost one pound. He went from 137lbs to 136lbs. He lost ONE pound over the course of his 4-month journey.

At first, he was stressed, “Why is the scale not budging?” He would ask me.

And despite how good he felt and the obvious progress he was making in the gym, I had to explain it to him: When you simultaneously build muscle while losing body fat, the scale may not move much, sometimes at all.

Let’s get one thing straight: Muscle does not weigh more than fat BUT is more dense than fat. Which explains why a person who is busting their ass in the gym may not see the scale number move at all.

Clearly, from the start of our 4-month journey to finish, Amir was leaner. That’s pretty obvious. But it’s because he replaced fat with lean muscle, something the scale cannot differentiate between. Had he went only by the scale to measure progress, he would have been majorly disappointed.

My next example is my client Melanie. Melanie was chronically under-eating for years. Her goal was to become stronger and lose body fat.

We started to slowly add more food into her diet over the course of 8 weeks while simultaneously putting her on a 3x a week progressive strength training program. The pictures tell a completely different story from what you would think.

She looks leaner on the right, yes?

Well, she was BUT according to the scale, she actually weighed more. Yep. She went from 133lb on the left to 137lbs on the right.

Melanie became leaner but ended up weighing more. If Melanie solely relied on the scale to measure her progress, she would have also been severely disappointed. According to the scale, Melanie actually gained weight BUT looked and felt a hell of a lot better. Her clothes even fit looser despite the scale going up! She was stronger, had more energy throughout her day, noticed an increased sex drive, more regular bowel movements and was even sleeping better- all signs of progress.

When this all became obvious to Melanie, she ended up saying “the hell with the scale!” and actually threw it away. This was a pivotal point in her journey and one I was honored to be apart of.

If you continuously use the scale to measure progress, that’s fine. But keep in mind there are tons of factors that can influence daily & weekly body weight such as:

• A higher salt or carb intake than normal

• If you’ve had a solid poop

• Hydration levels

• Food still in your stomach

• Food intolerances

• Stress

• If you have your period

• Hormones

• Supplements

• Soreness from a heavy/intense workout⠀

Here’s the reality: Fat loss takes TIME. Sometimes months or even years. It’s important to recognize and be aware of this so you don’t get frustrated and quit. Instead of focusing on the scale to know if you're progressing, focus on other things like:

• Progress pictures

• Body measurements

• How clothes fit

• Your energy levels

• An average of your weight over the course of a few weeks/months

It's easier said than done, but try not to let your daily/weekly fluctuations in body weight discourage you. Remember, progress is not linear and the scale does NOT always reflect your fat loss progress.

Questions about fat loss or the scale? Don’t hesitate to reach out to me.