Why the Scales May Be Telling You Lies…
Is it that time of year again?
Summer sun (?) and the thought of wearing an overcoat over the bathing suits is not the most practical solution.
It is this time of year that there is a huge resurgence in people’s motivation to lose weight.
Yes – you may want to ‘feel good’ and ‘gain more energy’. But the over-riding reason why you delve into your health and fitness plans in earnest is to look good naked.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
However, come September the eternal dieter has reached a point where frustration and the inability to shift the stubborn pounds has reached its zenith.
The eternal dieter hits the sugar, inactivity and drink hard. What’s the point?
Diet comes from the latin ‘way of life’ rather than ‘restriction’, ‘suppression’ and ‘live like a trappist monk’.
True – there are some foods that we wouldn’t recommend. But the trade off is more energy, optimal weight and a lean physique. Not bad eh?
Some foods for example we are just not designed to eat.
For example, even dairy raises a question mark. Imagine our Caveman ancestors pitching a stool under a wild beast whilst trying to milk it. It just didn’t happen. For one, they were twice the size and twice as vicious.
Only since Roman times have these ‘beasts’ become domesticated. Only since then have we been able to drink the milk.
There is more to the fat loss conundrum than meets the eye.
Did you know that fat around your love handle area is reflective of your insulin and blood sugar management? Enjoy a diet rich in bread, pasta, rice, cakes, biscuits and pastries and watch the fat ‘maliciously’ accumulate there.
Fat around the back of the arms, particularly in women, and around the chest area in men, is reflective of your estrogen-testosterone balance.
Enjoy a lifestyle rich in beer drinking (males and females), over-exposure to toxic chemicals, heavy metals and stress will aid the fat depositing there.
Anyone can lose WEIGHT. Weight Watchers has proved that for years. The walk of shame up to the scales to see whether or not you have lost a pound or two forces you to ‘stick to the plan’.
In essence it is a fantastic system. But deep down I have a small problem.
It really doesn’t address the deeper health problems. It is fantastic to lose weight. But how much of that is body fat, muscle mass and fluid?
My biggest concern when flogging the calorie debate is that we neglect the role of muscle mass and how important it is to not only maintain our existing muscle mass but even to build it.
One of the biggest indicators of aging is decline in muscle mass. This starts in your 30s.
But can you imagine the disappointment, public ridicule, and whispers behind the back when Mary pops in the scales at Weight Watchers only to find that the scales haven’t moved.
Some give up. Some soldier on with calorie control, restriction and avoiding temptation.
But most of all, all of them have overseen the true picture. You see Mary started resistance training three weeks ago. She also walks but her weight training at her gym gives her a lift, a boost. She can’t explain it.
In that time, her body fat levels have dropped 3 lbs in 3 weeks. But she has also put on 3lbs of muscle. In the long run this will result in a dramatic body shape change. But the scales haven’t moved.
Over time, however, she continues with this pattern and focuses on her body fat levels. Her shape changes and the scales eventually read what she wants them to read.
If you are not resistance training then it more than likely that weight loss is a result of fat loss, muscle and fluid loss.
So look at the bigger picture before you decide to throw in the towel and then explore all the avenues.
Tags: Fat Loss, personal trainer