We all know how absolutely frustrating it is to step on the scale every morning trying to maintain a healthy weight and see the scale either moving the wrong direction – or if it is moving in the right direction its not fast enough at all.
Working with my clients, I do emphasize that just maintaining a weight is actually a valuable skill to practice. We are so used to moving up and down in weight that we never realize that just maintaining a weight is something to be proud of as well.
It’s also important to not confuse losing and gaining weight over the long term with the daily fluctuations that can occur and often discourage us even when our long-term trend is downward!
Remember these 6 truths about daily fluctuations in your scale weight
1| Scale weight is not a true measurement of your health. It is one of many variables you should be taking into account to determine if you are approaching or maintaining your optimal body weight.
2| When you wake up after fasting – usually for around 12 hours, you’re completely dehydrated and at your lowest weight of the day. This is why it’s recommended to weigh yourself first thing in the morning after you’ve been to the bathroom and before you eat or drink anything.
3| Speaking of voiding… you can experience daily weight fluctuations of 1-3+ lbs due to waste that could be lingering in your large colon. Who knew poop could be so heavy?
Be sure to keep the bowels moving with plenty of fluids, plant-based fibre and targeted supplementation, if necessary.
4| Your scale doesn’t just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, organs, water, and as you just learned – poop!
When you lose weight, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve lost body fat as the average bathroom scale has no way of telling you what bodily tissues you’ve lost. Weighing “skinny” on the scale does not always translate into healthy off the scale.
FACT: The more muscle you have the more energy your body burns, even when you’re just sitting around. That’s one reason why a fit, active person is generally able to eat more than say the chronic dieter who is unknowingly breaking down and losing muscle.
5| Likewise, the scale can’t tell if you’ve gained muscle.
Building muscle makes it possible to drop clothing sizes (and lose inches) without a significant change, if any, in scale weight. Building muscle is also what gives that firm lean look. Don’t forget to be lifting those weights!
THINK OF IT LIKE THIS: a pound of muscle is like a small, compact brick, whereas a pound of fat is like a bulky, lumpy pillow. So that’s why when you gain muscle and lose fat, your figure appears slimmer and more firm – but your scale weight may not change much.
6| For all the ladies out there…it’s not you, it’s your HORMONES!
Some women can gain up to 10 lbs right before or during their period. No joke. This is because of the natural drop in Progesterone just before your period often causes digestive issues like water retention and constipation. And, let’s not forget how heavy poop can be!
Our bodies also tend to lose Magnesium in the days before menstruation, which drives our Insulin levels up leading to an increase in food cravings – especially for sugar.
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that keeps blood sugar levels in check but is also considered a fat storage hormone.
THE BOTTOM LINE: these yo-yoing numbers have nothing to do with your long-term progress and they are just part of the overall health optimization journey.
Simply do your best to maintain an overall healthy lifestyle and understand that daily weight fluctuations are completely normal!
“The scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it.
It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength or love.”
— Steve Maraboli