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Is a Measuring Tape Better Than A Scale?


The need to lose weight is something that many of us have. The truth is, however, that we should be seeking to lose fat specifically. Muscle weight is fine, but weight from fat is not.

The problem is that it can be hard to measure your progress when you’re making effort to lose weight. This is especially true if you work out regularly as part of your weight loss process. If you incorporate strength training three to four times a week, you may gain muscle, which will add to your weight. This is not a gain in fat, but in muscle.

The Problem With Scales

If you use a scale to measure your progress, you can never tell the difference if the weight you lost or gained is water weight, fat, or muscle. This is why a measuring tape is more appropriate to track your weight loss progress. By using a measuring tape, you can see if you are losing inches off your body. When you lose inches, chances are you are losing fat. And ultimately, that’s the whole point of losing weight.

Does this mean that you should throw away your scales and rely completely on a measuring tape? Not necessarily. Use both to measure how far you’ve come with your weight loss efforts. Use the number of the scale to see if you are heading in the right direction, and reconfirm whether it is fat that you are losing with a measuring tape. This way, you get a way better picture of how things are with your weight loss. Weight varies from day to day, but fat loss is less variable.

Go Beyond The Measurements

Besides the scale and the measuring tape, what else can you use to measure your weight loss? Well, you can judge by whether your clothes are becoming looser, and whether you feel lighter and fitter. These may be more subjective, but sometimes all you need to confirm that you are losing weight is the fact that you can fit into your old jeans.

Many people also report feeling more energetic, and generally happier and more confident in themselves. So, even if the scale shows slow progress, don’t discount this kind of evidence when it comes to motivating yourself by knowing that your efforts are paying off!

If you want the most accurate measurements possible then there are more ways to measure body fat – calipers, for example. Just know that, by tracking your progress every day or every week, you’ll help keep yourself motivated to continue.


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What Is Water Weight?


Going on a weight loss journey can seem overwhelming for the total beginner, with the amount of usually foreign jargon suddenly having to become an important part of life. One of the most used terms with regards to weight loss is probably water weight. But really, what is this water weight everybody keeps talking about? Well, you’re about to find out.

You probably already know this, but our body is made up of mostly water. All our bodily cells contain stored water, which helps keep things moving smoothly. However, when we take in too much of certain substances such as salt, or if we are dehydrated, our body retains even more water, and the weight of this extra water is called water weight.

Water Weight and Weight Loss

Often when people talk about weight loss, they think it’s naturally fat loss. But actually, weight loss is very subjective. When you see the scales moving backward, it could be fat, muscle or water that you are losing.

Most of the time, the first couple of pounds that you lose is usually water weight. This is why in the first week you often lose a large amount of weight compared to the following weeks. When the water is gone, that’s usually when the body chooses between muscle and fat to burn, depending on how many calories you take in. If you take in too few calories, your body will burn muscle instead of fat since muscle provides more calories than fat.

That’s not to say that you will certainly lose water weight at first; if your diet is still high in sodium and alcohol and if you don’t replenish your body with water adequately, then your body will still cling on to your water weight.

How to Lose Water Weight

There are several things you can do if you want to lose that excess water weight. First of all, be sure to drink enough water – that is, more than eight glasses a day if you can manage it. Also, restrict the amount of salt, sugar, and alcohol that you take in on a daily basis. Do note that if you are a woman, it is possible that your body will hold on to up to five pounds of water weight when you are having your menses. So during this period, don’t stress out if you suddenly put on a lot of weight; just keep to your healthy diet, and when your menses are over the weight will slip off again.

Understanding what water weight is can hopefully keep you motivated if you find that your weight is fluctuating in between weighing sessions.


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Best Practices for Weighing Yourself


If you’re trying to lose weight then the very best way to stay motivated to meet your goals is to track your progress. The weighing scale is a great way to see progress, but you want to get accurate results. Here are some tips for weighing yourself the right way.

Don’t Weigh Yourself Every Day

scalesEven though you’re probably really excited to see results right away, it’s a bad idea to weigh yourself every day. Why? Because you might not always see a change. Worse, you could find that your weight has even increased from one day to the next. This will interfere with your training and your progress, because it stops you feeling motivated to continue.

Remember, just because the scale does not show it, your body can tell the difference. Eating more healthily and exercising on a daily basis does a lot more for you than simply lowering the numbers on that scale. It’ll make you look and feel better, not to mention the fact that you could be building muscle, which actually weighs more than fat!

Instead, try weighing yourself every seven days. Pick a day of the week and don’t weigh yourself on any other day. That way, you’re still tracking your progress, but you won’t be doing it to an obsessive level. You’re far more likely to see real results once a week than you are by weighing yourself every day.

Weigh Yourself When You Wake Up

A good time to weigh yourself is as soon as you wake up, firstly because you have no food in your stomach, so you’ll get a more accurate reading. Did you know that you also lose weight by expelling moisture as you sleep? This is another reason to weigh yourself in the morning. Note that when you do weigh yourself, it should be after urinating. You should stand on the scales naked, as the clothes you wear can also have an effect on the number on that dial.

In the morning, we’re also less prone to the circumstances that can make our weight fluctuate throughout the day. However, if you work on night shifts your body clock will be different. Also, if you’ve been drinking the night before you may seem lighter the next morning due to dehydration. Or, if you’ve been eating in the night, you may appear heavier!

The scales never show 100% of the true story, so it’s a good idea to combine them with measuring your body fat, and also being in tune with the way you feel. Weighing yourself regularly is a fantastic way to stay motivated, however, as long as you follow those tips above for the most accurate readings.