Sometimes You Just Have to Ignore the Scale

You think you've done everything right. You think you ate well, you did regular exercise, you feel (in fact you know) you've lost some weight. Then you step on the dreaded scale, only to find the number hasn't moved from a week ago (or it's gone up, or it's less than you hoped)! Now you feel discouraged. But what's happened?
Remember, the scale is ONLY a number. When you step on it, it is measuring a total of your water weight, your muscle mass, your fat mass, your bone mass, your organs, and so on. The number does not represent fat alone. For so many years we have stepped on the scale and our brains have been fooled into thinking that number represents how fat we are. It does not.
When the number doesn't represent the effort you've put in, you must realize that you might just be retaining water that day. Most of us who have weighed ourselves on a regular basis, have noticed the scale jump 4 pounds or more from morning to evening, or over a 24 hour period. We know that we certainly didn't eat 14,000 extra calories to make that 4 pounds represent fat.
A fluctuation in barometric pressure can wreak havoc on the scale. It's important to realize that the fluid fluctuations in our body can change by 2 – 4 pounds every single day.
Drs. Volek and Phinney, in their book "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living” discuss why these ups and downs occur: "Humans are about 2/3 water; we each contain about 40 litres of water, and each litre weighs a bit over 2 pounds. Bodies effectively regulate fluid balance, but this is done within a 2 litre range. Within this range, the body doesn't really care if it is up to a litre below or above its ideal fluid level. Therefore we all live within a 4-pound-wide grey zone that fluctuates daily. For people who weigh themselves frequently, this can be maddening.”
Many times during the day I really wish I hadn't put people on the scale. They look at that machine as if it's an ‘oracle': "You passed”, "you failed” or "you didn't try hard enough”. If we are looking to have everyone achieve long term weight loss, then it has to be about helping people learn to eat well and exercise regularly in the reality of their lives. Sometimes the scale will be in your favour, sometimes not. But if you have, or are trying to, establish good portion control, less snacking, and regular exercise, then you will achieve your goal. Don't let a number set you back emotionally.
Remember that it's all about size loss, not weight loss. You want to lose fat and not muscle. You especially want to lose the dangerous belly fat.
So, always be pleased if you tried your best. If the number on the scale isn't to your liking, it does not mean that you are a failure. It does not mean that you can't succeed. The scale is only a tool to guide you over time. A measuring tape is probably a more reliable tool, but we tend always to turn to the scale.
Hang in there. Don't ever give up. Keep up with good habits and you will succeed!
Dr Doug