F the Scale!

Welcome to afitnewyou!  This week I would like to motivate you to F the scale.  And the F is a double entendre; but mainly I want you to FORGET the scale.  I would have to say that the largest percentage of people who are either working out, or want to work out are those “trying to lose weight”.  And that goal could be for many reasons, for health and/or for appearance.  But, the truth is, simply lowering your weight, that number on the scale, isn’t always the healthiest or even the most advantageous approach.  The healthier approach is to lower your body fat percentage.

Although stepping on the scale and checking your weight is a simple, clean, and cheap way of assessing your body composition and exercise progress, it can often be discouraging, and particularly for all of the wrong reasons.  People need to understand a few things about body weight measurement.  First, your weight fluctuates throughout the month, week and even day just due to your normal activities.  You may even weigh more after a workout if you had consumed a significant amount of water during the routine.  Second, every scale is different.  You can weigh yourself at home, get a number, and then go to the gym and get a different number on the gym’s scale.  Third, some of the most effective exercise routines might actually have you gain weight as a result of putting on muscle.  It’s this last reason that needs further explaining…particularly to the large number of people who have their main exercise goal to “lose weight.”

If you were to take an equal volume of both fat and muscle, you would see that the muscle has more mass, and therefore more weight, because it is denser.  In other words, denser, more massive muscle weighs more than fat.  But, the other way of looking at this is that muscle takes up less volume then the same amount of mass of fat, so you actually become leaner.  Ask yourself this, what would you rather be, 10 pounds lighter and wearing the same dress/pant size, or weighing 5 pounds more and wearing a smaller dress/pant size?  I think many people would rather opt for the latter.  After all, no one else will be able to see the number on the scale, but everyone will be able to see your body’s figure.  It is for this reason that instead of worrying about your number on the scale, you should instead focus on your body fat percentage.

Body fat percentage is the calculated ratio of your fat mass compared to your lean body mass.  It is the most telling assessment of your body composition.  Your weight simply looks at how much total mass you have…the good, the bad and the ugly.  But your body fat percentage essentially compares your fat to everything else.  The leaner, more fit you get, the lower that number will become...even if your weight goes up because muscle, which is leaner, has a faster rate of metabolism, and is obviously more useful, is denser. 

There are many ways of calculating your body fat percentage, and some are more effective than others.  But for the general population, there are hand-held devices, and dare I say it, even scales that can measure your body fat percentage in a quick non-intrusive way.  You can either measure your body fat percentage simply at home with one of these devices, and/or most gyms should have someone there who can measure it for you.  Preferably, you would have a qualified personal trainer measure it for you as there is a correct technique.

Measuring your body fat percentage is the most effective means of assessing your body composition.  Simply worrying about that number on the scale can be discouraging even when you are becoming more fit.  So, F the scale!  Focusing on improving your body fat percentage rather than trying to “lose weight” is the healthier way to reach a fit new you!