Why are so many of us so obsessed with the numbers on the scale? While no matter how well we eat, exercise, or how well our clothes fit us it will never feel as good as seeing the scale change numbers. Truth be told, the scale does not tell the whole story. Yes, we have all heard that a pound of fat and a pound of muscle all weigh the same, or that a pound of feathers and a pound of bricks all weigh the same. A pound is a pound no matter what the object is, but there is more to this picture when it comes to your body and trying to loose weight.
First of all, your weight may fluctuate several pounds throughout the day. Think about when you weigh yourself first thing in the morning verse at the end of the day. Water weight can definitely move the numbers up or down and cause you to see a slight difference each time you step on the scale.
What many people forget about is that although the scale may not be budging from that set number, muscle is more dense and takes up less space than fat. This is why as the scale stays the same you may still begin to look leaner and your clothes may fit you better. Look at a woman that weights 140 lb. with 15% body fat verse a woman that weights 140 lb. with 35% body fat. The woman that only has the 15% body fat is going to look a lot leaner than the one with the 35% body fat.
Not only does muscle make you look leaner, it also will help you stay leaner and burn more calories at rest. Muscle helps to boost your metabolism, so that although they weigh the same, a pound of muscle will burn more calories at rest than a pound of fat.
The challenge is remembering that even when the scale doesn't cooperate the way you want, you may still be making progress on your weight loss goals. Focus on how your clothes fit, and the healthy tone you develop from working out. These will be your true markers and will help to keep you motivated.
Pura Vida!
Alica Ryan, NTP
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