Is Your Scale Telling You The Whole Truth?

When you step onto your scale, what is it really telling you? Is it telling you the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Your scale may not be entirely truthful. In reality, when you step on the scale, you’re reading about your weight loss and not your fat loss. Additionally, if your scale does include fat loss it is never 100% accurate.

Your scale measures your overall weight and not your body fat per se. If you weigh yourself in the morning before breakfast after you have a bowel movement, you will probably see your lowest reading of the day. After a night of sleep and not eating anything, your carbohydrate store is running low and therefore you are even lighter without the stored carbohydrate known as glycogen. The reality is that you simply lost weight, not fat.

To test this theory, weigh yourself again after dinner when you are fully replenished. It may surprise you that you could weigh up to 4 pounds more. This shows that you gained weight and maybe fat as well! I think you see how the picture is starting to shape up. Your scale only shows your weight loss at a point in time but leaves out key details such as fat loss.

There is a huge difference between weight loss and fat loss. It is important to understand the difference between the two. Weight loss may cause you to lose muscle and in turn, make you gain body fat later.

Historically people have attempted diets but were not successful. Most end up in a “yo-yo” cycle where they lose several pounds and then gain them back plus more. This happens due to the severe restriction of food or calorie intake when following a restrictive diet. Your body will then signal to your mind that you are in a starvation mode and the body is designed to store fat for impending famine and will use up your muscle for energy in your daily activities.

Next time you get on your scale, make sure that you understand what the scale is telling you. All weight loss is not good. Instead of thinking simply “weight” loss, think “fat” loss. Your nutrition plan should be more than just a diet. It should be a plan that is scalable and sustainable. Think of it as a lifestyle change. With this distinction clearly in mind, you will then know how to lose fat effectively, preserve and grow your muscles and at the same time see progress on your scale. This mindset is an ideal way to achieve your weight loss objective because you will lose body fat instead of just weight.