Why the Scale Can Rob You of Your Confidence!

I remember a time when every day I would wake up and weigh myself. I even remember going to the doctor’s office, the nurse asked me to step on the scale and I took off my jacket, my purse, my shoes, and took my cell phone out of my pocket (as if my phone would even make a difference!). I let what the scale said, dictate my life and how I lived it!

I have many friends who do the same and maybe you do to, so I want to shed some light on the scale, and why you should NEVER let it rule your life.

Water Weight

UGH, water weight am I right? Well, 70% of your body IS water. If you are dehydrated your body will weigh less, and if you’re staying well hydrated (like you should) you will weigh more.

Example: Let’s say yesterday I was so busy I forgot to drink enough water. When I wake up the next day and step on the scale I may be surprised to see I weight 3-5 pounds less than I normally do. Let’s also say I get super excited about the weight drop and I go out to go out with friends later that day and order something salty to eat because I’m feeling good about myself.  I also remember to drink water because it’s my day off! The next morning after I wake up and step on the scale, I weigh 3 pounds OVER my original weight, it’s like you gain approximately 6-8 pounds over night! WHAT DID I DO?! Well, I was dehydrated, then I drank enough water, and I ate something salty which caused me to retain even MORE water. SO, what’s wrong with that? NOTHING it’s your body being normal and life happening, don't let that scale difference ruin your day!

Time of Last meal

Another thing that can affect your weight is the time of your last meal. Our schedules can be chaotic (especially with kids, work, or when in college!). Some days I eat dinner at 6pm go to bed a few hours later and wake up around 730-8am. One day I woke up feeling more refreshed and lighter, out of curiosity I decided to weigh myself! I weighed 9 pounds less than my average weight.  NINE POUNDS! That's crazy! I still ate all the things a normally do and plenty of it, but because I stopped eating earlier in the day, I gave my body 13-14 hours of rest from food. This helped my body was to completely digest everything and reset itself. Not to mention who knows if I drank enough water the day before.

Eating later at night will also affect your weight! If you get off work late and eat dinner later, you might wake up and weigh more than you normally do. That doesn't mean you actually gained weight it just says that your body didn't get enough time to reset itself or digest all the food properly. Don't worry, it’s not the end of the world and you shouldn't let it get to you!

Bowel Movements

EWW, What?! Yes, bowel movements can totally affect your weight! Especially if you haven’t been regular or constipated the last couple of days! If you go to weigh yourself you may also weigh more because everything is backed up and more bloated than normal!

Muscle mass

Finally, MUSCLE MASS! This is a huge one for people who are trying to lose weight! The amount of space 1 pound of fat versus 1 pound of muscle takes up is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!

If you are starting a workout routine and you are staring at the scale everyday STOP! You’re wasting your time, and creating way more stress than needed on yourself! As you get into a workout routine you will lose fat, but you also will gain muscle! Many people doing a workout routine will step on the scale and say “I weigh the same, but I have been working so hard! Why am I not losing any weight!?”. Well the answer might be that you are gaining muscle, whilst loosing fat. I recommend 86ing the scale and using pictures and measurements for references on if you are actually losing fat.

So, the point I’m trying to make, is don't let your weight on the scale completely control your life.  There are several things that dictate your weight, which can change daily. The scale doesn’t weight just fat, it weighs your muscles mass, how much water you did or didn't drink, when you decided to eat last, and if you have gone potty or not. I think it is much more important to focus on how your body feels!