Slave to the Scale 🌚

Sunday, November 5, 2023

4:44 PM

So you've been in the gym for a few weeks and the scale isn't moving as quickly as you want it to. When you first got in the gym you probably lost 3-5 pounds pretty quickly, and then your progress stalled… right? Or maybe you've been in the gym for a few months and the mirror just isn't validating all of your hard work and efforts.

Trust me, I've been there.

There can be many reasons why you're not yet seeing the results that you want to see. I'll start with three, and hopefully this helps you along your journey.

The first reason may be your workout program. Many workout programs rightfully involve both cardio and weightlifting. Cardio burns fat, weightlifting builds muscle. If your scale is going up, then you're building more muscle than you're burning fat. If your scale is going down, then you're burning more fat than you're building muscle. If you're burning fat and building muscle at the same time, per your workout program, then the scale won't change much because you're in the process of Body Recomposition. This is not a bad place to be! You are rebuilding your body, brick by brick. It may take longer than you had originally planned to meet your weight loss goal, but by weightlifting you are able to maintain your curves while you shed fat. You may not see much validation from the scale, but you'll start to see subtle changes in the way your clothes fit. Your booty might sit a little higher, you might start to see muscle definition in your thighs or calves… these are all positive signs that you're making progress, regardless of what the scale says. My suggestion is to stop depending on the scale as much, and start taking monthly body progress pictures.

The second reason you may not be seeing the results you want to see is that you may have hit a plateau. EVERYBODY hits a plateau eventually, it's inevitable! A plateau is your body telling you it's time to switch something up. Your goals will determine how to break the plateau.

If your goal is to lose weight, try increasing the amount of cardio you're doing to burn more calories. One trick I used was to increase the incline on the treadmill while I was walking. Walk on the treadmill at normal incline for 1 hour at 3mph, you'll burn approximately 263 calories. Walk on the treadmill at 15% incline for 1 hour at 3mph, you'll burn over 600 calories. Boosting the incline on the treadmill is an excellent way to break a plateau while also targeting your legs and glutes.

If your goal is to gain weight (build muscle), then a plateau can mean that it's time to take a break. Don't underestimate the importance of rest! Your body needs to rest adequately in order to perform at its best. Not only that, your muscles depend on rest in order to keep growing. If you spend several months straight going super hard in the gym, lifting weights, doing progressive overload, eventually your muscles will simply get worn out. The little 1-2 day breaks you've been tossing your body like scraps won't be enough anymore. A plateau in this case is your muscles telling you if you want to see more progress, take a break. Don't be afraid of taking a week off from the gym. Remember you need to consume 3500 calories over your BMR in order to gain a pound of fat: if you've gotten this far in your journey, you likely won't be eating enough to see a regression.

The third reason you may not be seeing the results you want to see is your diet. It really is true, abs are made in the kitchen. If you're still eating more calories than you burn, you will not see progress. If you're still consuming too much salt, or inflammatory foods that don't agree with your body and cause bloating or constipation, your progress will be slow. If you're still eating a lot of junk food, consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, or eating processed foods instead of whole foods, you're not getting the proper nutrients your body needs to meet your goals. This is where being under the care of a doctor will be helpful. Your doctor can help you identify the foods that cause an inflammatory response in your body, and help you to make healthier choices. They can order bloodwork and identify any deficiencies that may be standing in your way.

This list is not all-inclusive, but I pray that it is enough to help you to start investigating why the scale isn't moving. More importantly, I hope that over time you become less dependent on the scale, and focus more on how your body looks and feels. I know it can be hard to avoid tracking your weight every week, but the scale will have you depressed and stressed if you allow it to! Remain disciplined, and the results will follow.

Until next time, my determined friends… be well.

Love,

Danielle