Get off the Scale

One of the main things I struggle with while trying to get healthy and strong is the obsession in this country with the number on the scale. Everyone asks what you weigh, not how much you can Deadlift. We are taught from childhood, as women, to watch that number and place all our self worth in that number. Never is it valued how far you can run or how high you can jump. In fact, unlike men, those things are seen as a detriment to us.

Everyday I would get on the scale in fear of what that number would be. If it was a bit lower, I was on cloud nine. If it was a bit higher, I was upset and depressed the rest of the day. That scale controlled my outlook every single day! How sad is that; and how many others are the same way?

Then I started training with heavy weights and reading about weight training. You hear all the time how muscle weighs more than fat. It’s not really true. One pound is one pound. But what is true that 1lb of muscle takes up less space than 1lb of fat. This picture saved my sanity. Look at it closely.



Yes, it is a bit gross but this means you can weigh the same thing and be significantly smaller in size. So, the number on the scale may not tell you the truth.  There are several really good blogs with articles on the scale obsession. A few are Rachel Cosgrove HERE and and Nia Shanks wrote this one HERE. Both are great reads on the subject. Even famous trainers struggle with this issue. We have all been brainwashed.

Basically, I learned that as I build muscle over time my weight may go up. BUT, that does not mean I have gotten bigger. To keep track of it, I now measure myself in inches. instead of getting on the scale. If my belly has not gotten bigger, I know I’m doing OK. And if it gets a bit smaller I’m doing great.  I write it down so I can remember what it was and track changes over time. There is also a device called the Zero Scale that just tells you plus or minus and how many pounds from your starting point. You never see the actual number. Personally, I would just worry over the plus or minus like I did the numbers, but someone might like it.

Another option is to get a good Body Fat test done. The scale ones are not very accurate but they may be able to tell you changes over time. The gold standard is a DEXA scan or the Bod Pod. Both are worth in if you can find one in your area.

You have to be realistic as well. You are not going to build muscle in a week or two. It takes a few months to grow muscle. But, as it does, you will get more compact and firm. Isn’t that what we want?

In closing, don’t let a number control your life. Start to judge yourself on fitness goals you reach and how your clothes fit.  It’s not easy because we have been conditioned to the number but it will make you much happier in the long run.