What Is The Best Way To Measure Progress In A Body Transformation?

Have you ever stepped on the weighing scale after eating a few more carbs, and noticed your weight increase? Have you ever wondered why your weight increases in the days leading up to your period? You may feel frustrated by the fluctuations on the scale. However, they are perfectly normal.

When used correctly, the scale can be an invaluable tool for progress that will help you and not cause you to have a headache. Find out what you need to about your bodyweight measurements, and how they relate to your fitness and health goals.

What is the Scale Weight?

The scale weight is the most common tool for measuring progress. It’s easy to use and readily available, unlike other more complex and advanced methods of tracking body composition, like DEXA scans or calliper measurements.

The bodyweight measurement can be very helpful in achieving and maintaining fitness and health goals. Research on people who successfully lose weight and maintain it shows that self-weighing regularly is a trait common to those who are successful[1].

Scale weight is often misunderstood, as it only shows how much weight we’ve lost, gained, or maintained. It does not tell us what weight that represents.

The weight of your body includes all the physical components in it: muscles, bones, organs and tissues, water as well as food that you ate yesterday. It can only give a crude picture of your current condition. It can’t tell if the weight loss is due to water, muscle tissue, or fat.

Any fat loss diet will also result in some weight loss. The rates of weight gain versus fat reduction differ greatly (especially for women). It is therefore unlikely that you will ever achieve body composition without a drop in the number on the weighing scale. The difference is it’s a proxy for progress and not the final goal. Scale weight is only one of the tools available to measure progress. Others include progress photos, caliper measurements (if they are available) and circumference measurements.

Why are so many women obsessed with their scale weight?

Remember how you felt when you got married or before you had children? Dieters often look back at the time when they were at their happiest and decide that this is where their goal should be.

Your body composition, hormone profile, lifestyle and more will not be the same. It’s therefore important to start from where you currently are.

Fat loss, rather than weight reduction, is more likely to help you achieve your goals.

This is called ‘body composition’.

Learn how Corrie, the company director, achieved this ‘body recomposition in 13 weeks’ by losing fat and maintaining muscles.

You can easily become obsessed with your weight, and the number you see on the scale every morning. When weight fluctuates, it is frustrating, confusing and demoralizing.

Scale weight alone can lead to unhealthy and unsustainable behaviors. Here are some of the common mistakes we see clients make when they come to Ultimate Performance.

Crash dieting

Crash diets can result in rapid, short-term weight losses, but they rarely lead to fat loss. Crash diets can be unsustainable, and they increase the risk of muscle wasting (so that you end up looking like a’skinny-fat’). They also cause hormonal disruption, low performance, low mood and low sex desire, as well as a host of other problems.

Use of laxatives and diuretics

You may have used laxatives and diuretics to try to get the weight off the scale. These drugs are not without risks. They can cause an irregular heartbeat, kidney problems, allergic reactions and digestive issues.

Excessive exercise

It’s not necessary to do hours of cardio to reach your goal. Overdoing cardio can lead to injury, menstrual disruption, muscle loss and increased stress, which will make the scales even more resistant to move. If you are serious about improving body composition, stop using exercise to burn calories and instead focus on becoming stronger through resistance training. You can increase your calorie burning by using low-impact activities, like walking.

Unreliable weighing

How many times have you heard about the “dreaded weekly weight-in”? Is it any surprise that you feel anxious, stressed and worried when you take only one reading a week? Scales can only give you an idea of how much your body weighed that particular day. It is important to weigh yourself three times per week, but up to seven would be better. Then you can take the average of all your weights for the week and account for any fluctuations. Record your weight as soon as you wake up, after using the toilet and before eating and drinking.

Find out more about the myths surrounding cardio and weight loss.

What causes bodyweight fluctuations?

It is normal to see your body weight fluctuate by 1-3% per day, regardless of any changes in body composition. You’ve probably been there before: you ate poorly or slept badly. You’ve gained a kilo and are now panicking.

To put it in context, to gain an extra kilo solely from body fat you would have needed to eat 7,700 calories on top of your maintenance calories. This is equivalent to 14 Big Macs. You can be sure you did not gain weight if that did not happen. The cause of your weight gain is more likely to be one or several factors listed below.

You consumed some high-calorie food last night.

Sodium is often found in foods that are high in calories. This can cause the body to store more fluid. If you ate at your favorite pizza joint last night, do not panic if the scales are higher today.

Yesterday you ate extra carbohydrates.

Your body increases your weight when you consume carbohydrates. It converts them into glycogen, which is then transported to your muscle cells with the help of water. This is a natural and necessary process, and does not mean that you’re not losing body fat.

You didn’t consume enough water yesterday.

Dehydration can cause your body to try to retain water. Set a daily goal to hydrate yourself. For most women, three litres of water per day is an ideal starting point.

Maybe you’re feeling stressed or that last night, you didn’t sleep well.

Stress and sleep disruptions can increase cortisol production, which causes water retention. Plan time each week to journal, meditate, or book a pampering session. By practicing good sleep hygiene such as avoiding devices that emit blue light in the hour prior to bed, you can improve both your quality and quantity of sleep.

You’re expecting your period.

Weight gain is common in the days leading up to your period due to an increase in the level of aldosterone. This hormone controls fluid and sodium levels. You can track the weight on the scale and predict the next month’s numbers by tracking the data.

You may be constipated or experiencing stomach irritation.

It’s not unusual for the scale to show a higher number if you have noticed recent changes in your digestion, such as constipation. If you are experiencing a flare-up in your gut, it’s possible that there will be some swelling and water retention. Focus on increasing fibre, reducing inflammatory foods and drinking lots of water in either case. Your weight will return to normal once things get back to normal.

Tips to reduce stomach bloating.

How can you stop feeling so hung up on your scale weight?

Take your mind off the numbers you see every day and focus instead on these things:

Creating A Consistent Calorie Deficit

You must have a deficit in calories to lose weight. This can be achieved by combining a decrease in food intake with an increase in activity. Remember that the calorie goal you set at first is a guess and may need to be adjusted later.

Add Resistance Training to Your Program

Resistance training is a primary way we tell the body to burn more fat than muscle when on a diet. Resistance training is essential if you are looking to tone up and define your body. Women have low testosterone levels so it’s unlikely that you will end up ‘bulky.’ Instead of doing hours of cardio, increase your daily activity by walking. 10,000 steps per day can be a good start for most.

Achieving Your Daily Protein Goal

It is essential to minimise muscle loss when on a diet because protein helps repair and build tissue. Protein is also very satiating. You will feel fuller longer. For those who are in a deficit of calories, a good goal is to aim for 2.2-2.8 grams per kilogram of lean mass.

Trends

Focus on trends rather than micromanaging your weight every day. You can make better decisions by looking at the weekly averages. A rate of change between 0.5 and 1% of total body weight is a good balance for most women between adherence to the program and noticeable progress.

Consider All Factors before Making A Change

Weight loss plateaus occur less often than you think. In most cases, a better diet and exercise plan can help to resolve the weight stall. If you’re not seeing any progress in your weight, consider these questions:

• Do you feel stressed or unable to sleep well this week?
• Have you eaten different foods or drank less water than normal?
• Do you notice a drop in your level of activity?
• When can you expect your period?

Compare it to other tools for measuring progress, like progress pictures or circumference measurements. Stay patient if it’s only your weight that isn’t moving. It will eventually drop. If you notice that your progress has slowed, it may be time to make a change. You could reduce calories or increase your level of activity.

Learn how Zrinka was able to overcome her endless cycle of crash dieting and lose 53kg. She also shares the tools she used to maintain a healthy lifelong weight.

The Bigger Picture

The bodyweight measurement has some flaws and shouldn’t be used to determine your progress or your worth. If you look at them as a measure of progress and not an absolute, they can be incredibly helpful.

The Key Takeaways

• The scale weight is a simple and easy to use tool that can be used as a progress marker. However, like all tools, it has some flaws.
• The scale weight is not a direct measurement of fat loss, but rather a proxy. It tells us the amount we have lost or gained rather than how much.
• The scale weight is only one of the tools available to track progress. Other tools include progress photos, body composition tests and progress photographs.
• Dieters often have a weight target that is tied to a picture of their ideal body, or to a certain time in their lives.
• It is important to distinguish between weight loss, and fat loss. If you want to achieve a more defined, ‘toned up’ look, then improving your body composition by losing fat should be your main focus.
• It is unlikely that obsessing about the weight on the scale will lead to your desired goal. However, it may result in unhealthy behaviors.
• The number on the scale is affected by carbohydrate intake and sleep, stress levels, hydration, menstrual cycle, and stress.
• The key factors to improving body composition are a consistent deficit in calories through increased activity and diet, along with resistance training.