Well, this is a common scenario: I recently received a message from a Rockaholic who has been eating better (protein and veggies for dinner, fruit for snacks - NICE!) and exercising 3-4 times a week for the past four months. Welcome to this week’s #ThursdayQandA
“Things started great but this past month the scale didn’t move at all. What should I do?”
When this happens, which is totally normal, the best thing to do is keep exercising regularly and eating plenty of fruits, veggies, and protein. Those are the time-tested champions of long-term weight loss. Long-term weight loss almost never happens on a straight line:
If you’re eating better and exercising more than you were before you started trying to improve, you are on the right track. The scale can be a finicky bitch. It can easily bounce a pound or 3 in either direction on any given day, based on a bunch of different factors- none of which are “you gained/lost a pound or 3 of body fat overnight” or “you gained/lost a pound or 3 of muscle overnight”.
The amount of food you have in your system digesting, the amount of water you have in your system (which is also influenced by salt and carb levels), and a few hormones here or there can all swing things day-to-day- even hour-to-hour! It’s a bitch trying to guess which of these things, or other less-common ones, are causing the daily weight shift we all go through, so it’s best to not stress about the weight. I know that can be easier said than done at times.
Focus on your daily actions and over time, the scale will trend in the right direction. If you can recognize when you’re on top of those daily actions, you will know you had a great week even if the scale stalled or went up a pound. If you can recognize when you’re not on top of those daily actions, you’ll know what you need to improve next week, regardless of what the scale says.
As you can see, daily actions are the most important part. That’s why I’m so big on finding daily healthy actions THAT YOU ENJOY! This may take some experimentation, but it is worthwhile and you're in charge.
All my nutrition and fitness clients have totally different foods and exercises that help them reach their goals. Whenever one of them checks their weight, I ask them “did your behaviour (since the last time you stepped on the scale) match your goals?” The answer to that “yes”/”no”/”mostly” question, is more important than the number on the scale.
Rack up yes’s and mostly’s and the scale will be in a better spot over the long-haul. It will also stay there for the long-haul.
Have fun and do your best,
Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach (American Council on Exercise; Precision Nutrition)