The scale can be a useful tool. It can keep you honest and sometimes give you that wake-up call — “Whoa, I can’t go any higher.” For those who aren’t working out and lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle, the scale may be one way to stay on track.
Changing your diet alone can lead to weight loss — and that’s often a good thing, if the changes are sustainable. Not crash diets. Not fads. Cleaning up your eating habits and making long-term, realistic changes is what matters. That kind of shift is not only healthier overall but will likely move the scale in the right direction anyway.
But here’s where things get interesting — and where the No Scale Challenge really comes in.
Once you start exercising (which you should, for so many reasons), the scale can become misleading. Exercise brings massive benefits: prevention of chronic disease, better strength, agility, power, balance — all of which help us stay independent as we age.
But when you add movement and clean up your diet, then judge your progress only by the scale, you might feel discouraged. Why? Because the number on the scale can fluctuate based on so many non-fat-related factors:
- Hydration levels
- Hormonal shifts
- Water held in muscles after workouts
- A salty or carb-heavy meal
None of these mean you’ve gained fat — often it’s just water weight.
Here’s a perfect example: our second-place winner from a few weeks ago. The scale said she lost 18 lbs. But she gained 12 lbs of lean body mass (LBM). That means she actually lost 30 lbs of body fat — that’s the missing piece most people don’t see.
Now, if those numbers were reversed — with high weight loss on the scale but LBM dropping — it would have looked “better” on paper but actually meant more body fat was still present. This can leave people weaker and lead to sagging skin — definitely not the goal.
If Arlene had only gone by the scale, she would’ve been defeated. We rarely notice our own progress in the mirror, which is why progress photos are so powerful. They capture the changes we don’t see day-to-day.
Again, if you are looking to get healthy have lasting effects then join us for our No Scale “Summer Shape Up” challenge, where we will look beyond the scale and take into consideration much, much, more.
Whatever goal you have, we are here to help you achieve it!
When is it?
It is starting April 21st-25th. This first week will be for newcomers to get their footing in the gym and do initial assessments for everyone. The assessments include measurements and a check-in to see where you’re starting.
The challenge will go until the last week of June, about 10 weeks.
If you’d like to join our Summer Shape-Up Challenge, let us know and we’d love to have you!
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!
Mikkie Nettles-Pollon, Certified Personal Trainer/Holistic & Sports Nutritionist
Not sure where to begin, contact me at info@deemhealth.ca
250-541 -0411.
www.deamhealth.ca
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