Scale: friend or foe? I’ve experienced both.
I’ve been weighing myself lately. And I’m coming to terms with the idea that, through thick and thin (har har), it’s a healthy habit all by itself.
When things are going smoothly — I’m eating right, fasting overnight and through the morning, and getting moving every day — I usually weigh myself on the regular. However, when my habits slip, I start avoiding the scale. Without concrete data, I tell myself, “It can’t be that bad; my jeans still fit.” Without those numbers staring back at me, I can avoid facing reality a little longer.
It’s Just Data
Since the scale has been on my mind, I asked Dr. Naomi Parrella, our Chief Medical Officer, how she advises her patients to relate to their scales. To my surprise, she said that some of us might benefit from stepping on the scale daily, providing it is done from a place of learning rather than self-judgment.
“The more you normalize the way body weight fluctuates on a day-to-day basis, the more it becomes straightforward information rather than this fraught emotional experience,” said Dr. Parrella. She added that stepping on the scale daily helps you see how ordinary weight fluctuations are. “Daily weight fluctuations are almost always due to water weight, whereas fat mass takes time to see on the scale. What you’re looking for are trends over time, instead of panicking over a tiny gain that might ‘vanish’ tomorrow.”
Looking Beyond the Scale
According to my own weigh-ins, I’ve lost about 20 pounds in the last three months. Of course I’m elated — this is what I’ve been working toward. However, it’s important not to lose this weight at the expense of my lean mass. So a few weeks ago I treated myself to a DEXA scan. While pricey ($75-$250 in most cities), It’s a quick, painless process that uses a type of x-ray to analyze your body composition. Afterward, you get a detailed report on your fat tissue, lean mass, and bone density and how those numbers compare to the average population.
I got my first DXA scan eight years ago, and this time I was pleased to discover that at age 54, I actually have slightly more lean mass and less visceral fat than I did when I was 46. I take this to mean that my current approach to losing weight is working successfully, and if my weight stalls or plateaus, that’s just my body adjusting and making sure I’m okay. Human bodies don’t want to compromise healthy muscle tissue by slipping into a starvation state, and neither do I. So if that means seeing the scale number repeat itself for a little while, I’m going to be okay with that. After all, it’s just information.
- Tom’s September Update - September 25, 2024
- Tom’s July Update - July 8, 2024
- Tom’s June Update - June 11, 2024
