3 Reason to Ditch the Scale

Photo by i yunmai on Unsplash

Have you ever found yourself weighing in every day and getting frustrated at not seeing the changes you want? When you are on a fitness journey and are trying to gain muscle mass, it can be extremely frustrating to not see the numbers you want to on scale and correlating it with failure at not gaining muscle mass. It can almost become an addiction.

First let me say that I am a big proponent in weighing in from time to time when you are starting out. You don’t want to workout for six months and never step on a scale and realize you have not been on track for that length of time.

So I do recommend a once a month scale check-in just to see where you are at. But with that being said, it should not dictate your fitness journey. Here are 3 reasons to ditch the all controlling scale.

1. It can dictate your actions too much. If you are weighing in once a week or more, you may change up your routine too soon. It takes time, Rome and your muscular body were not built in a day, so don’t fall into the trap of weighing in all the time.
2. Is that ideal weight really ideal? Often we get stuck in our heads a certain number that we want to be and we are not happy until we do. But the goal is to be happy with our bodies and how we feel. One time I was convinced I should be a certain weight, and I made it to that weight and felt sick and bloated all the time. I realized it wasn’t my ideal weight and adjusted accordingly.
3. Losing sight of the goal. I always talk about finding your why when it comes to your fitness goals. By focusing solely on the number on the scale we can lose sight of why we started and where we want to be.

So while yes you should weigh in once a month just to get an idea of if you are on the right path, the scale should be simply an aid in your journey not a dictator.