I’m sure lots have scales somewhere in a bathroom cupboard at home or have owned them at some point but let me tell you they are a horrible way to measure your progress – they create a negative, toxic relationship with your body and often end up making you become slightly obsessed with the fluctuating number you see on the scale. 

Instead of thinking about how foods will affect that number, start thinking about what foods make you FEEL good!

Without a number on the scales dictating your relationship with your body, you’ll be able to tune in and listen to what you need and most importantly how you feel, this is a much more constructive way to monitor weight loss. Other ways are to notice how your clothes feel on you, use a good old fashioned tape measure and fortnightly (NOT DAILY!!!) use it at your waist or hips, you could even track your progress by taking pictures. 

Scales focus purely on a number which you then see as your overall weight, but what scales don’t take into the equation is fluid retention, water, sodium intake, fluctuating hormones, undigested food and your muscle mass.

As you exercise more and work out, you are building lean muscle which weighs exactly the same as fat but is leaner. So if your clothes are looser but the scale is the same, this is because of the lean muscle you have built. Building lean muscle has lots of benefits. Building muscle will actually help boost your metabolism so you can burn fat even whilst you rest! Another reason why scales aren’t a wise move and why we should judge our weight on how we feel, how clothes fit us etc. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you’re moving in the right direction. However, if the scale doesn’t change, you may not even be aware that you’re getting real results, especially if you are not taking progress pictures and tracking yourself such as taking measurements or body composition. 

So throw your scales away and focus on a good balanced diet, keeping hydrated and daily movement!