Why You Shouldn’t Solely Rely on the Scale to Track Your Progress

If you’re reading this, then the chances are you are looking to make improvements in how you look and feel. Most people will typically use the scale as an indicator to whether or not they are doing the right work and eating correctly, but this isn’t the only factor you should be considering!

This blog covers the other areas you might not be considering and what else you can be doing to build a better picture of how you view yourself, and more importantly, your progress.

Understanding Scale Weight: How It Works and Its Limitations

Now, scales are the most simple approach because they are affordable and give you real time feedback in a matter of seconds. If your aim is to lose weight, they will give you the data needed to see if you’re creating the necessary deficit each week to get the desired weight loss.

This also works if you’re looking to add some weight on - it gives you useful data which can influence what you do moving forwards.

When it comes to tracking your progress though, there are some considerations and practices that I would suggest to get the most reliable data.

How to Weigh Yourself for Accurate Results

1. Keep conditions the same. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning, wearing minimal clothing and after a trip to the bathroom.
2. Aim to be collecting data between 4-7 times per week, then use an average.
3. Keep track of fluctuations and make note of any significant things which may have influenced the number on the scale (e.g. - long walk yesterday, went out for pizza)

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using the Scale

1. Don’t freak out over day to day fluctuations (see figure 1.0 below)
2. Don’t let one day ruin the rest of your week. So often people throw in the towel over one number which can be influenced by something as simple as salt intake. 

Understanding weight fluctuations:

1. First week in, bodyweight dropping as habits and food choices typically are better than normal.
2. Big spike from one day to the next; not to be worried about though as something as simple as more salt on your food or a few more carbs can cause these fluctuations.
3. Same thing again. Trend going upwards before a big drop off. Day-to-day fluctuations are normal, it's the overall trend which as you can see here is moving downwards!

Why the Scale Can’t Show the Full Picture

1. Stress from work, relationships or just the fact that you are in a calorie deficit for extended periods can cause the body to hold more water - hiding what is actually going on.
2. Plateaus - it’s common for people to hit the wall with a specific number for up to 10 days sometimes, and instead of trusting the process people make premature alterations which in turn make things more difficult.
3. Women experience greater fluctuations, especially linked to water retention due to the menstrual cycle.
4. It can mask really positive changes. Say you weighed 70 kilos, you’ve been dieting for 6 weeks, and you get on the scale and it says 70 kilos again despite dropping 2 inches off your waist? You’ll have actually burned some fat off and gained some muscle (providing you’ve done the right type of training) but that number doesn’t paint the correct picture.

The Importance of Progress Photos And Why You Should Take Them

So now that we’ve covered benefits, practices, and issues with the scales, what else should you be tracking to gain a better understanding of your progress?

Visually recording data using progress photos.

Now a photo seems really simple right?

Yet people will quickly forget to take them despite the visual changes being the ones that other people will notice quicker than any others.

How To Take Progress Pictures For The Best Results

1. Take the photos in the same place to get consistent lighting and perspective
2. Take photos from the front, side and back
3. Ideally take the photos in the morning before having breakfast and fluids
4. Aim to take photos every 5 weeks as a minimum

Photos will also give you an idea of what areas you’d like to work on more when it comes to how you look and feel too.

Body Measurements: A Better Way to Track Changes

Body measurements are also super helpful for gauging if you’re losing/gaining size in the right places. An open ended tape measure works best, and even better if you can find a friend or partner to help you out!

If you’re more concerned with weight loss, I'd suggest taking measurements of the following areas as they are the most common places that fat is stored:

1. Waist
2. Hips
3. Mid-Thigh 

If you are more concerned with adding muscle and size, then these are the areas to collect data for:

1. Shoulders
2. Arms
3. Waist
4. Mid-Thigh

Key considerations for taking measurements:

• If the measurements are decreasing despite no changes in the scales then you are losing weight
• If you have gained size on measurements but your waist has stayed the same, chances are you’re building muscle with minimal fat.

Should You Track Body Fat?

For most, just seeing the scale change and tracking key site measurements is enough, but if you really want to know more, then there are different methods you can try.

There’s different ways of tracking body fat specifically, but you have to question their reliability along with the cost benefit. Here’s the most common ones and some thoughts if you’re curious.

DEXA Scan 

This is one of the most reliable and accurate ways to measure the body but it does cost a lot more than most methods. It does however give you more metrics such as muscle mass, how much water you’re retaining and bone densities. Most expensive, but reliable.

Find our more information about the DEXA Scan here:: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dexa-scan/what-happens/ 

Bioelectrical Impedance Scales

These are more expensive scales than standard household ones and require you to hold on to handles whilst they run an electrical current through the body to get data such as body fat, water weight, muscle mass etc. They are highly inaccurate though, and things such as hydration and food can throw the numbers off wildly. Not worth the cost in my opinion.

The Best Way to Track Your Progress

When it comes to tracking your weight, either losing or gaining, then scales don’t always provide the full picture. I believe that tracking your progress though is vital to understanding whether or not your approach is working or not.

Use a combination of these:

• Scales for overall weight monitoring
• Photos to see the progress yourself - we miss it day to day in the mirror
• Measurements of key sites to see if you are losing/building from the desired areas

Remember the following:

• Don’t be disheartened by day-to-day fluctuations of the scale
• Food choices (not just calories), stress, and the menstrual cycle have bigger impacts on the scale than we often realise
• Build consistency when taking measurements to gain a real understanding of how you and your body individually respond to different approaches