Why you shouldn't go by the scale?

Remember that the scale won't tell you your body composition, or the amount and distribution of fat and lean mass on your body. Thinking about body composition is important because muscle mass weighs more than fat does. That means that when you weigh yourself the scale may show that you've gained a few pounds.

alexia-clark.com - Here's why you shouldn't always trust the scale - Alexia Clark

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If you’re working out regularly and eating healthily it can feel like all your hard work doesn’t count unless the number on the scale reflects the effort you’ve put in. But the number staring back at you doesn’t always show how fit you are. Read on to find out why you shouldn’t always trust the scale. Health and fitness is a long-term process that requires consistency so it’s not fair to base all your success off one number that can fluctuate so easily.

6 key factors that can impact the number on your scales:

The scales you’re using Time of day How much salt you’ve eaten Menstrual cycle Stress Body composition

Muscle matters

Remember that the scale won’t tell you your body composition, or the amount and distribution of fat and lean mass on your body. Thinking about body composition is important because muscle mass weighs more than fat does. That means that when you weigh yourself the scale may show that you’ve gained a few pounds. But this doesn’t mean you’ve gained a few pounds of fat. What this really means is that you may have slimmed down while gaining muscle that’s totally necessary for a fit, healthy lifestyle. While muscle will account for a higher weight overall, you’ll actually have a slimmer frame.

So, how should you measure your progress?

Check the number on the scales no more than once per week and try to do it on the same day and time each week. However, it’s so important to take the number staring back at you with a pinch of salt. Instead of being focussed on the scales alone, try to focus on other ways to measure your progress such as how your clothes fit and how your mind feel

s.

Measure your strength

Have you thought about measuring your fitness by focussing on what you can do?

When you begin an online program like mine you may not be able to do a full press up. After a month or two, you may go back and test yourself and find that you’re a step closer than you were before, you may have even mastered it! Why not choose a challenge that you want to focus on like a pull up or how long you can hold a plank for and work on it over the next few weeks?

Take progress photos

Taking regular photos of yourself throughout your fitness journey is a great way to keep track of how your body is changing over time. Sometimes it can be difficult to see the progress we are making until we look back at the photos and see just how far we’ve come.

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Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days

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How much more do you weigh with clothes on?

Men can lop off nearly 2.5 lbs to account for their clothing while women can only subtract around 2. And this holds true, unfortunately, no matter what the weather outside.

time.com - How Much Do You Subtract For Clothing When You Weigh Yourself

As swim suit season gets underway, more of us are probably stepping on the scale and squinting at the number that flashes back at us. Then, we do some quick mental math and adjust for the fact that we’re wearing jeans, maybe a robe, and oh, yes, that heavy sweater. So, minus 5lbs?

It turns out that scientists have actually done a real study, published in the International Journal of Obesity, to figure out how many pounds we should be subtracting for what we wear. Led by a team at University of North Dakota (because it gets really cold there, and they’re probably pretty bundled up when they step on a scale), not only did they set up an experiment to weigh people, both clothed and nearly nude, at various times of the year, they also wanted to answer the critical question of whether weighing yourself in the winter gives you more leeway to do this kind of math than in the summer, when we tend to wear less. It turns out that, as with so many things, men and women are different when it comes to how much our clothes weigh. Men, it seems, prefer to swathe themselves in heavier garments while women tend to adorn themselves more lightly. Men can lop off nearly 2.5 lbs to account for their clothing while women can only subtract around 2. And this holds true, unfortunately, no matter what the weather outside. So no more making allowances for that thick wool sweater. Now you know exactly how much your clothes weigh.

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