Why The Scale Doesn't Matter

A common reason why many people work out or eat clean is to lose weight. We often think that if the scale is dropping, we are progressing. However, this is not ALWAYS the case. Today I'm explaining why your weight does not determine how healthy you are and why it's not extremely important.

One thing that I want to be clear about is that your weight has some importance but it's not everything. Something that we tend to forget is that our weight is just a number. We are not walking around wearing our weight as a label. You don't know my weight and I don't know yours. So why do we care so much about it? 

Our health and fitness levels are not determined by the scale. Here's why:

Let's say you are starting to exercise and eat healthier. You may lose 5 pounds of fat BUT you also gain 5 pounds of muscle. The scale will show that you're at the same weight BUT you will look completely different because muscle is denser than fat. In fact, fat takes up 15% more space than muscle!

If you care about numbers, look at your body fat percentage rather than your weight. You can figure out your body fat percentage by calculating your BMI (Body Mass Index) or doing a DEXA scan. A DEXA scan is very accurate at measuring your body composition.

Keep in mind that being healthy is not only about your physical body. Mental health is extremely important too. When you're at the gym, try to focus your goals towards skill rather than what's going to make you sweat the most and burn fat. When I lift weights, I focus on trying to lift more than I did last time so I can improve. I rarely check my weight because I believe that your fitness and health goals should be about how you feel, your energy levels, and your confidence.

Hope this helps! Subscribe to get notified when I post a new blog post!
Love,
Gabby