Grand Scale

A recurring discussion theme in the gym lately has centered around numbers on scales, especially among women. Most of us grew up paying a lot of attention to the number on the scale, and starving ourselves to make it smaller. Now we are getting stronger, our clothes are getting looser (except maybe in the thigh area as our quads get strong), and our body fat measurement is dropping, but the number on the scale may be staying put or even going up.

Can you relate?

Guess what…

THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE DOES NOT MATTER.

Weight is a measure of mass, i.e., the amount of matter in your body. Muscle is denser than fat, so a more muscular you is a denser you  – more you-molecules packed into the same or a smaller amount of space. More you-mass means more weight, and converted you-mass – less fat, more muscle, same overall mass – means the scale doesn’t move.

You may understand this phenomenon intellectually, but unfortunately many of us have a weight obsession rooted very deeply in our psyche. We have long conditioned ourselves to worry about gaining weight, no matter the reason. We may get upset or frustrated over working so hard without seeing the numbers drop.

I get it. Unfortunately, most of us feel this way.

What’s an athlete to do?

Solution #1: Figure out the WORST thing that can happen, accept it, and figure out how to make it not so bad.

I’m ripping this off from Dale Carnegie’s classic book, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. What happens if you gain some weight through training? Your clothes won’t fit? Sure, they’re too big now…you can get smaller ones. You’ll catch the mailroom guy/girl (or random strangers, or anyone else) staring at your shapely derriere? Smile and walk (strut?) off. Identify what scares you about numbers on the scale, figure out how to deal with it, and breathe a sigh of relief!

Solution #2: Don’t weigh yourself

Yes, I mean it! Stay off the scale. I tried this for a few weeks and it helped a lot. Instead of worrying about numbers, I paid attention to how my clothes fit. A tad snug in the wrong places? Cut out the wine (ahem), reduce my fat and starch intake – eat more lean protein and leafy greens – and proceed until the clothes fit better. Maybe add some bonus kettlebell swings at random times during the day. Clothes fit fine? Then apparently everything is working – keep doing it! Clothes to big? Yeah! Celebrate and get a new pair of pants that fit!

Bottom line: scale obsession is REAL, and most people have it – sadly it’s common for Americans, especially women, to be very emotionally tied to the number on the scale. Make an effort to break the hangup by putting weight in perspective, and avoiding the scale altogether. You’ll be glad you did, and will be able to appreciate your amazing results much better!