The greatest health related myths, the most misleading advertising and the worst piece of gym equipment ever invented, the scales, all revolve around one term, "WEIGHT LOSS." Whenever anybody talks to me about their health and fitness, the term "WEIGHT LOSS" is inevitably thrown in there somewhere. Every new diet, every new Ab busting machine and every reality "WEIGHT LOSS" shows biggest selling tool is the term "WEIGHT LOSS." We are obsessed by it but we are confused by it. It is so engrained in our sub conscious that it has lost all meaning and thus is associated with everything to do with being healthy.
Weight is a unit of measurement yes? Kgs or Lbs, that is all. So when we are talking about the human body, what does our weight tell us? How much muscle we have? No. How much bone mass we have? No. How much water we are holding? No. Our percentage of body fat? No. Our BMR (Basil Metabolic Rate)? No. Our resting heart rate? No. Our blood pressure? No. Nutrient levels? No. Our VO2 max? No. How we look in that dress or that pair of Jeans? NO NO NO NO NO!
SCALES TELL US HOW MUCH WE WEIGH. THAT IS ALL!!!!
So why do we insist and obsess over our weight? When you get on the scales what are you learning? The problem is, as I stated previously, every health and fitness product advertised by mass media sells "WEIGHT LOSS." They brainwash you into associating what the scales tell you with how fit you are, how good you look and most dangerously, how healthy you are. Why? Because it is much easier to lose "weight" then it is to lose FAT. I am yet to see a new fad diet promise FAT LOSS, which is exactly what everyone is after. FAT LOSS PEOPLE, FAT LOSS!
The irrelevance of scales is highlighted when we look at how many people in the community actually NEED to track their body weight. So far I've come up with Jockeys, and any other sport that has weight divisions. That's it! Someone else suggested fighter pilots, but I haven't been able to confirm this, regardless, this is a frighteningly short list of people who actually NEED to use scales! What percent of the population do you think is made up by Jockeys, Pro Fighters and Weightlifters? And yet all of us have a set of scales in the bathroom, The Biggest Loser and shows like it use the scales as their only form of assessment, and every product on the market promises weight loss, not FAT LOSS.
When we get fitted for clothes, does the shop assistant weigh us or measure us? hmm But so often we relate our weight to looking good.
We need to start thinking in terms of FAT LOSS, not weight loss.
Here are a couple of facts about how the makeup of your body relates to the number on the scales:
Fact: Muscle weighs more than fat... sort of... what this really means is muscle is much more dense than fat, so 1kg of muscle is much much much smaller in size than 1kg of fat.
Fact: Fat is one of the bodies fuel sources, along with protein and carbohydrate. To use more fat we must burn more energy then we consume i.e. If you eat 2000 calories a day, you need to burn more than that to have an effect. To burn more energy we need to increase our base metabolic rate ( the rate at which we burn fuel at rest) . This is done through exercise and muscle mass. Muscle needs a lot of fuel. The higher your muscle mass, the higher your metabolism. Oh but the scales won't like that because muscle is heavy.
Fact: Muscles work on a supply and demand basis. If there is no demand for them i.e. If we don't use them, they atrophy (shrink, waste away). So yes, you will "weigh less" as a result of not exercising. Will you lose fat? NO. Will your body fat percentage go up? YES. With less muscle, more of your body composition will be made up of fat.
Fact: The body is made up of 80% water, so stop drinking it and yes you'll lose "weight". First you'll get headaches, then back pain, then your vital organs will begin to shut down, but the scales say you weigh too much so who cares right? This is most relevant to females. Depending on where you are at with your cycle ladies, hormone levels will cause water retention, every litre of water weighs 1kg. With this in mind, ask yourself again, Why is my weight relevant?
Fact: A flat stomach has nothing to do with what you weigh, it's how much body fat you have covering the six pack that all of us are born with. Yes that's right, we all have a six pack, some are just better insulated then others.
Fact: Your Jeans do not know how much you weigh, they know how big your waist is and how toned your butt is.
Fact: A set of scales is not going to tell you if all those bicep curls you've done have been working.
Fact: A set of scales will not tell you that your about to drop dead from an artery blockage.
Using the term" weight loss" and the use of scales is the most dangerous, misleading, overused and overrated practice in the health and fitness industry today. I'm on a mission to change your mentality from weight loss to FAT LOSS, and get scales out of everyones fat Loss tool box.
Get skin folds assessed, get a body scan, get a bio electrical impedance test done, take girth measurements. Do anything but get on the F'ing scales! Make your goals clothing size or performance related.
The next time you see or hear an ad for losing weight without exercise, or dropping 10kg in the first week or your money back, read the muscle and water facts again and think about what these idiots are actually trying to sell you.
If your trainer or doctor has put you on the scales (except if you are pregnant) they have already failed you. Find a new trainer, find a new doctor. Better yet, ask them how your weight is relevant and watch them stumble over an answer.
A NUMBER ON THE SCALES WILL NOT MAKE YOU HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MIRROR!
Peace
