Just a Girl in the Country...: For the Love of All Things Holy...

PLEASE STOP letting the scale control you!

Let me explain a few things about our vile enemy the scale and why you need to STOP letting it determine your success/failure and define your results.

Weight fluctuation on the scale can be frustrating and even discouraging. Even if we do everything right, drink enough water, workout and follow a proven meal plan to the letter, it isn’t uncommon to see the number on the scale jump around. I’m not talking here and there, I’m talking daily, guys. Even throughout the day.

Before I get into some of the more common reasons that we see our weight “jump around” like that, I really want to address the issue of frequent weigh ins.

I do not recommend weighing yourself on a daily basis. I can hear you asking “Why not?”. Well, for a couple reasons, really.

First, it is a completely inaccurate representation of our progress. If you had access to a lab to run a diagnostic daily you would be able to discover “why” the number is fluctuating, but that still wouldn’t tell you how you are doing fitness wise.

Second, it causes us to doubt the program we are following and the results we are getting, due to seeing the daily weight fluctuation. When we doubt our progress/results, we get discouraged. We then begin to self-sabotage by eating junk, skipping workouts…

Throw in negative self-talking and eventually we simply give up and quit. I cannot stress how strongly I recommend that you only weigh yourself once a week at MOST. This gives you a more reasonable idea of how you are progressing on your chosen program, but still, don’t let that number be how you measure your progress.

Now, I want to take a look at some common reasons that we see our scale weight fluctuate from day to day.

Reason #1: Time of Day. I recommend that you weigh yourself at the same time every day. Our weight increases as the day progresses, so we generally weigh our “lightest” in the morning.

For most of us the goal is to live a healthier lifestyle. Whether your goal is trying to lose fat, build muscle, or just cut out the junk, this means drinking our daily quota of water. For most of us the amount of water we need to drink is in the neighborhood of a gallon. Did you know that a single gallon of water (approx. 128 ounces) weighs 8.35 pounds?

For the sake of argument, let’s say you only drink a half gallon of water per day. That means that your weight will be fluctuating up and down as you drink, and make your subsequent trips to the bathroom.

Additionally, as you eat throughout the day you will be adding the weight of the foods you are ingesting. Depending on your caloric need combined with how much of what types of food you eat to meet that requirement, you could be increasing your weight by a few pounds by evening.

These are two reasons I strongly recommend weighing yourself first thing in the morning. It only takes a couple seconds and you should only be doing this no more than ONCE per week.

Reason #2: Attire. You might think that this one is intuitive, but not everyone thinks about what they are wearing when they step on the scale. It may seem like a trivial reason but let me explain why it’s not. There can be anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds of difference added to your scale weight if you are not weighing yourself wearing roughly the same thing each time you weigh in.

Try to make sure you weigh yourself wearing the same clothing (or at least as similar as possible). I personally recommend that when you weigh yourself wear just a swim suit or underwear/underwear and a bra. (You can weigh yourself sans clothing if the setting is private and you want to be as accurate as possible. I have not personally noticed a difference in weight on my scale between swimsuit/undergarments and nothing.)

Reason #3: Dehydration. When we don’t drink enough water, our bodies begin to store up water from any source it can. It is our body’s way of keeping us hydrated. This not only causes visible signs like bloating, fatigue and diminished cognitive abilities, but the stored water causes the number on the scale to creep up.

It is important, both for your “results” and your health that you make sure you are drinking enough water. This is especially true when temperatures are up and when you are working out. If you are going to be exerting yourself, you need to make sure you are properly hydrated.

If you see that number on the scale creeping up, think about whether or not you have had enough water to drink. The standard recommendation is to drink a minimum of half your weight in ounces. (Ex. You weight 140 lbs. You should drink 70 ounces.) When you exercise or are out in the sun for a prolonged time, you need to increase that number.

Which leads me to reason #4…

Reason #4: Constipation. Everyone’s body is not necessarily on the same page with waste production. Most people are on different schedules (which is good news for restroom lines…).

Did you know that it is actually quite common for people to be constipated? There are several factors that can have an effect on regularity and consistency. (Yuck, I know, but relevant none the less. Overall health includes our digestive system.) Some things that tend to influence this are diet (are you getting enough fiber?); dehydration (even slight dehydration will have an impact on our waste); an increase in stress can result in constipation; traveling for a lengthy period of time; lack of/poor quality of sleep; even hormones associated with a woman’s menstrual cycle can influence how our bodies process waste.

Even if we are getting the correct amount of water and fiber in our diet, (which does help to minimize the risk of constipation), it can still happen as a result of other factors and it will have an effect on the number we see on the scale.

Reason #5: Edema. Edema is also known as water retention. Basically, it is swelling of the body. (We hear it called bloating.) It is primarily caused by fluid retention. It occurs in either the spaces between the cells in our body or in our circulatory system.

Edema results in puffiness/swelling of the face, feet, ankles, and/or abdomen. In some cases it may also cause shortness of breath, changes in our mental state, and be responsible for muscle aches.

One cause of Edema, or water retention, is excessive intake of salt. Basically, eating too much salty food. The main component of salt is sodium. The body’s response to excess sodium is to dilute it by increase the water level. Salt makes you thirsty, you drink more and your body retains this water to create the proper balance. Reducing the amount of salt in your diet will help you to release a little water retention. Water retention can make a 2 pound difference in weight.

Edema is also a symptom of potassium deficiency. Things like fish, dark leafy greens, mushrooms, avocados and bananas are healthy sources of potassium.
Be mindful of both of these possible factors if you see an increase on the scale or notice that you are experiencing bloating.

Reason #6: Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can play a significant part in weight fluctuation. When we eat more carbohydrate than our bodies need our blood sugar levels increase. Excess carbs are stored as glycogen in our liver, muscles and fat cells. Our bodies need to maintain a balance between glycogen and water. The ratio is roughly 1 part (ex. gram) of glycogen to 3-4 parts (grams) of water.

If you are consuming excessive amounts of carbohydrates you will gain weight. Likewise, if you are not eating roughly the same amount of carbohydrates each day, you will see your weight fluctuate up and down.

This is another reason that it is better to only weigh yourself weekly as opposed to daily. Doing so reduces the mental/emotional impact of seeing sometimes drastic daily fluctuations.

Reason #7: Location. You may have never considered this, but where we place our scale can have an impact on the number we see. For example, if you place my scale on a soft surface, like an area with carpet, your weight will read lower by as much as 11-17% depending on carpet thickness and padding. When it is placed on a firm surface, you will see that weight difference restored.

This is because of varying degrees of compression. With increased compression you will see a decrease in “weight”. For example if I put my scale on the couch and stand on it, it reads 35.1 lbs., but when I place it on the hard wood it reads 130.03 lbs. Soft surfaces make it difficult to obtain an accurate scale reading. For this reason you need to place your scale on a flat, hard surface.

It is also important to place the scale on the same type of flooring each day to prevent false fluctuation in readings.

Surviving the Scale and Keeping Your Motivation..

The first thing to accept and remember is that daily weight fluctuations are normal. Eating the exact same thing each day is not only boring it is incredibly unlikely. Never mind that it is not at all balanced. Variety is good not just for our palates, but for our nutrition.

What is important is that you do your best to make healthy lifestyle choices. Get in that workout to help reduce stress and improve your sleep quality. Reduce your intake of junk food, high sugar and caloric beverages. Decrease your sodium intake. Don’t put artificial/synthetic products into your system. Most importantly: STOP letting the scale determine your success and worth!

When you do weigh yourself, (NOT DAILY), keep the time of day consistent, make sure you are wearing similar attire, and place the scale on the same, hard, surface. This will reduce some of the excessive fluctuation you see.

To emphasize this point I weighed myself daily for 6 days, wearing the same thing, on the same surface, at the same time in the morning and evening. The following photo is the result.