Wait on Weight!

My first nutrition job out of college was at Gold’s Gym. Honestly, this was a godsend. The people I worked with knew their bodies well and could tell when something wasn’t quite right. I use to test body fat, weigh and measure people weekly.

Last week I was speaking to a client, and she felt like her clothes were becoming looser and when she weighed herself she didn’t lose any weight. Suddenly, I recalled my tape measure at Gold’s Gym and remembered I noticed a trend. One week (or more) people would lose pounds, but not inches. The next week they would lose inches and not pounds.

Muscle and fat weigh the same but are completely different tissues.

Muscle is composed of healthy, metabolically active tissue that appears lean and smooth, while fat takes up more space and gives your body a different appearance.

Testing your body fat and trusting your clothes is a better measure of progress than the scale. Losing muscle mass can lower your metabolism and increase your body fat, which can lead to higher body fat and lower energy.

If you are connected to the scale, I recommend testing yourself consistently for one month to observe patterns and fluctuations throughout the month. Women can observe their hormonal pattern and menstrual cycle weight changes which can happen from one day to the next. Then after the month, only weigh when you feel empowered and supported, not to beat up on yourself or make yourself work harder. This stress alone can increase your cortisol and add more body fat.

Hold the scale, please
Heather Fleming