Most of us use weighing scales to track our progress. It’s direct and easy to do, right? However, this can be one of the worst ways you can evaluate your weight loss progress especially if it’s your sole basis and, in this article, we will tell you why.

You see, for most women, it’s not just about the numbers that they see, it’s also about the validation that they get when they reach certain milestones. While there may be nothing inherently wrong with that as it can be a way to motivate yourself, it can also be a hindrance if we obsess on it!

Thoughts such as, “Oh no I’ve gained 2 kgs again! I’ll never lose weight at this rate!”, “Okay, since this is my weight right now, it should be good if I starve myself for at least one day, right?” and other thoughts that drive self-destructive behaviour.

As numbers on the scale can affect our emotional state, it’s important to realize what are some factors that can affect our weight such as:

👉 Food

Eating more carbohydrates such as white bread, rice, and others can cause us to retain more water and thereby weigh a lot more because of it. So, if you had a hearty carb meal last night, you can blame it for the sudden rise you see in the morning. Some people also get swelling and inflammation that they don’t notice when eating certain kinds of food such as those who are lactose intolerant.

👉Lack of Quality Sleep

Didn’t get a good night’s sleep? Well that can be a reason for your numbers to rise on the scale. Having improper sleep causes us to retain more water in our bodies in addition to slowing down our metabolism which leads to more fat!

👉Stress

Stress causes us to eat a lot more and can warp the way we see our bodies. A tiny increase in our weight can cause a breakdown when we’re under a lot of stress. That’s why it’s important to make sure we aren’t in an emotional state when weighing ourselves!

👉Hormones

Ladies know this best. When we’re on our period aside from the pain, we also feel so bloated and none of our pants seems to fit anymore during the day. It’s not really that we’ve gained fat, but this part of our cycle just causes us to retain more water in our bodies. You may see yourself gaining weight today, but also losing it right after your hormones subside.

Conclusion

Remember that weighing scales don’t always tell the full picture! Just because you don’t see your numbers dropping doesn’t always mean that you aren’t losing fat. It’s totally possible to gain more lean muscle and lose fat in the process while being in the same weight!

Hence, you shouldn’t let the weighing scale define you and your progress. Don’t let it demotivate you and stop you from reaching any of your fitness goals! Remember that weighing scales are tools to help us see where we are in terms of weight and not a benchmark whether we are succeeding or not.

Let me know if this helps.

Louise 💕