THE WEIGHT OF WEIGHT
One conversation it seems I constantly have with clients is why the bodyweight scale doesn’t seem to always go in the direction we expect or are planning on. Few things play with one’s head as much as the scale.
First, the scale should be in the grand scheme of things of very little importance or misguiding. Most don’t care about the actual number, but rather they have a mental image of how they want to look or perhaps what healthy should be, and they associate a number on the scale. However, that number may or may not be the actual number that they should be seeking.
Second, there are a whole host of variables that affect what that scale can come in at. These include (but aren’t limited to) intestinal bulk, water retention, muscle swelling, time of the day, hydration levels, accuracy of scale, activity levels, muscle mass, external temperatures, medications, supplements, sleep patterns, hormones, menstrual cycle, stress, travel and probably some others that I’m leaving off.
All that to say, it’s no wonder we see wild fluctuations and can’t use this number to be the number one (or even the top five) factor of progress.
As a coach, I do have the scale as one of the many metrics I collect and monitor. However, I’ve got a long list of other things I’m looking for as leading (predict results) indicators of progress before I factor in the scale. I would consider the scale a lagging (reflects the past) indicator.
Examples of good leading indicators are nutrition consistency, training frequency, activity levels, sleep patterns, exercise progress, portion accuracy and nutrition quality to name the most common.
The bottom line is the scale should be taken into account with all the other much more important factors. Additionally to even be considered, a review of a trend or average scale readings is what should be analyzed versus a single measurement or two. Don’t obsess over it and instead focus on the leading indicators to predict the progress and the future.
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