Weight or circumference — what should I pay attention to when losing weight?

Posted on fitness And tagged BMI, weight loss, weight scale

Setting yourself the right goals on your fitness journey towards better health and wellbeing is like choosing the right vacation spot. What are you striving for?

You want to lose weight. You stick to your training plan and it's going great. You feel healthier — and fitter — than ever before. They are now even wearing one or two smaller clothing sizes. But if you were to judge your success by the number on the scale alone, you wouldn't believe it. The figure hasn't changed for months.

If we were to believe Hollywood movies, TV shows, and “Lose Weight Programs,” the unchanged weight is a bad sign. It must mean you're not training hard enough. Your body has reached a limit and simply refuses to get any fitter and healthier.

Despite what the media suggest to us, The number on the scale doesn't necessarily say anything about your health status. Our weight is subject to natural fluctuations that depend on our daily habits, hormone fluctuations, and hydration. Knowing how much you weigh is therefore only useful to a certain extent and is even superfluous once you have achieved a healthy BMI.

Weight or circumference — that's what science says

As is so often the case, science provides us with the explanation. As you progress in training, your body fat is converted into muscle mass. Muscles — although physically smaller — are denser than fat and therefore weigh more. So when you lose fat and gain muscle mass, the number on the scale stays the same, even though you look and feel healthier than ever. They've become stronger.

If you're at this point — i.e. at a healthy weight that doesn't go down any further — losing more weight can actually be counterproductive. Instead of losing fat, you'll likely reduce hard-earned muscle mass or water in the body — both things that your body needs and that you don't want to lose.

So should we completely ignore the number on the scale?

Before you throw your scale out the window, though, we'd like to remind you that your weight is useful up to a certain point. If you are significantly overweight or obese and aim for a healthier lifestyle and want to lose weight quickly, measuring your weight is a good indicator of your progress and shows you which exercises and meals work best for you based on the change in number.

It's only when you reach a healthy weight range that things change. But — and now things get complicated — the fact that the number doesn't change and you don't lose weight once you've reached a healthy weight doesn't mean there's no more work.

Again, your scale isn't necessarily telling the whole truth. Even if you've reached a healthy weight, you may still have too much body fat — this condition is referred to by doctors as “normal obesity.” Despite a normal BMI, this can lead to a number of health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

To get rid of this problem fat, you need to diversify your exercise plan — and focus on gaining weight instead of losing weight. Diversify your workout routine by incorporating squats, lunges and dumbbells and don't pay too much attention to the number on your scale. Instead, focus on how tight your clothes fit and measure the body parts you're working on to get a clear picture of your progress.

The verdict...

If you want to get healthier, you should pay attention to both the number on the scale and the tape measure. But in general, don't let the numbers drive you crazy. If you are overweight, focus on losing weight. However, losing weight quickly is rather counterproductive in the long term, as this usually triggers a yo-yo effect. If you're reaching a normal BMI but still have too much body fat, focus on your circumference instead of your weight. It is certainly a balancing act - but with a varied training routine, a relaxed posture and sufficient motivation, you can do it.

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Posted on fitness and tagged BMI, weight loss, scale.