Image by © Michael A. Keller/zefa/

Throw out the scale. Just throw it out.

I know, I know.  I’m being a bit over dramatic here so you don’t have to junk pile it, just give it away.

O.k. Don’t give it away, but at least hide it in the closet so it’s out of sight and you won’t feel compelled to use it.

You really don’t need it to reach your goal anyway.

Reasons to get rid of your scale.

We “diet” to “lose weight” and track weight loss by using a scale.

We think the scale can accurately capture our progress. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. It’s neither a good indicator of fat loss nor does it give a good picture of your fitness level.

If anything, it can add even more frustration to the process of losing weight.

Here’s what I mean.

1. It only measures body weight

Duh, you know that already.

There is one big problem with this.

Losing weight doesn’t necessarily mean you’re losing fat.

You could just be losing water or more importantly, you could be losing precious lean muscle mass.  Losing lean muscle mass slowly decreases your metabolism over time, thwarting any attempts of accomplishing your ideal physique.

If you take two individuals who both weigh 150 pounds but one has 10% body fat while the other has 20% body fat there is a drastic difference in how they look, even when they weigh the same.

That’s why it’s more about how much body fat and lean muscle you have, the weight is irrelevant to how you look and feel. Less body fat and more muscle is your way to a better physique.

2. Water can swing your weight up and down

Have you ever followed your diet program to the “T” only to step on the scale at the end of the week and find that you’ve gained weight?

If you’ve experienced this before then you know how frustrating it can be. If you’re not losing weight why bother? Right?

Before you give up consider this, your fluid levels fluctuate based on the needs of your body.

If you dropped 7 pounds in one week there’s a good chance a large portion of that weight loss was water, up to 6 pounds.

As a result, your body must now retain more of the water you drink to make up for all fluids lost from the previous week. We then see little to no change on the scale or in some cases weight gain.

3. It’s out of your control

You can follow your diet and do everything right but still not lose weight.

How is this possible?

There are numerous variables that can have a big impact on your body weight.

When you take into consideration the time of day, the amount of food you may have just eaten, sodium intake from the previous and current day, carbohydrate intake, scale calibration, water retention and muscle gain you can begin to see how little control we have on accurately measuring our body weight at any given time.

That’s playing a high stakes game with your frustration levels so avoid this mental setback by avoiding the scale all together.

Here’s something you can be more confident about.

Focus your energy and time on creating the behaviors that move you toward improving your health and sculpting a better physique.

This can be done by eating 5-6 small meals per day, going shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables 2 times per week, walking 30 minutes every day, eating 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables, or resistance training three times per week.

You’ve got to track your action steps to see change.

Instead of using a scale to measure body weight, focus your time and energy using a food diary or work out log.

You’re now taking actual steps by creating certain behaviors or habits in your daily routine to help your body lose fat and improve your health.

Let your coach handle the numbers

Let your coach track your progress with your full physical measurements. He or she will have an accurate and in depth look to continuously assess your fitness program.

Your coach can then make the necessary adjustments to your nutrition or change your exercise regimen for your desired results.

So ditch the scale and let your coach focus on the game plan while you focus on taking consistent action.

It’s what makes the whole thing work without all the extra frustration.

In Strength and Longevity,

Edward Scaduto

If you need a coach or just need your measurements taken, please feel free to contact us at 719-640-0141 or email at info@precisionfitnesstrainer.com

P.S. Let me know what you think in the comments section below. Can you do it with out a weight scale? or do you absolutely need one?