If you suspect the scale might be sabotaging your weight loss efforts, you might consider ditching it altogether. After all, there are a number of reasons the scale can seesaw.
In their landmark book, Intuitive Eating, registered dieticians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch claim that “the scale ritual sabotages body and mind efforts; it can in one moment devalue days, weeks and even months of progress”. If you’ve stood on the scale only to find that the number reflecting back at you isn’t quite what you were hoping for, this scenario might seem all too familiar. “Ironically a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ scale number can both trigger overeating – whether it’s a congratulatory party or a consolation party,” say Tribole and Resch.
If you suspect the scale might be sabotaging your weight loss efforts, there are a lot of reasons to consider ditching it altogether. One of the most persuasive arguments is that the scale isn’t always an accurate representation of where your body is at, or of how healthy you are. We chatted to Amanda Weber, a registered dietician based in Cape Town, to find out more.
What causes the scale to seesaw?
“There are a number of factors that can affect what your body weighs that aren’t necessarily an indication of fat gained or lost,” says Amanda. These include:
- Exercise: Muscle mass weighs more than fat. If this increases as a result of your exercise regime, you will weigh more. But this is a good thing, since muscle is much more metabolically active than fat and is a sign that your strength and fitness are improving.
- Hormones: Your hormonal cycle can easily add 1 to 2kg to your weight, and both hormone replacement therapy and birth control measures can cause you to retain water.
- Water retention: High-sodium foods such as sushi with soya sauce or popcorn with lots of salt will make you weigh more. In moderate amounts, these foods aren’t unhealthy, but can cause a moment of scale-induced panic.
- Medication: Pain medication and anti-inflammatories can both play a role in what the scale says.
What are the alternatives?
If getting on the scale makes you depressed or stressed, walk away! There are alternatives to knowing whether your body is a healthy state. “We all have a pair of jeans or a dress that fits us when we’re feeling comfortable,” says Amanda. “Use that to gauge your weight instead.” You might also want to track how eating healthily makes you feel, or watch your time improve as you train towards your first 5km run.
If walking away form your scale feels completely impossible or unhelpful, try to be more mindful about how often you weight yourself. Regular weigh-ins can make the scale a massive and unhealthy preoccupation. If you’re trying to lose weight, it shouldn’t be about a number, but rather about an improvement in your physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Sources:
- Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program that Works
- My Fitness Pal: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/5-signs-scale-sabotaging-weight-loss-quest/
Daily Burn: https://dailyburn.com/life/health/weight-loss-success-non-scale-victories/
