It’s Not All About The Number on The Scale
Welcome back Wolf Pack! I’m glad you’re here and you are doing great! Let’s get into it!
Many people turn to their scale to measure their progress hoping that it’ll reflect the efforts they are putting in to achieve their goals. The truth? The number on the scale is only one piece of the puzzle. The truth is— when you’re lifting and improving body composition, that number can go up, and that alone doesn’t mean you’re derailing your progress or doing something wrong. In this blog I’m going to walk through why the scale doesn’t tell the full story, how you can weigh yourself (and when) for better consistency, and what other metrics matter more when you’re on a muscle-building/fitness journey.
Myth “Muscle weighs more than fat” — What’s really true
A common phrase that has been thrown around is “Muscle weighs more than fat.” That can be misleading and is in fact a misconception. A pound is a pound. One pound of muscle weighs the same as a pound of fat.
What is true:
Muscle is denser than fat. That means for the same weight, muscle takes up less volume (it’s more compact) and therefore you’ll look leaner and firmer.
Due to that density, you could be gaining lean muscle mass (which is good!) while losing fat mass— and your weight on the scale might stay the same, or even increase slightly, yet you’ll look better, feel better, feel stronger, and perform better!
The key is body composition (fat vs. lean muscle mass) vs. just body weight alone.
So if you’re lifting, whether that be at home or in the gym, and making progress in your training, you don’t have to stress if the scale isn’t showing huge drops or even shows a slight rise. It could well be muscle gained and fat lost.
Why the number on the scale can go up when you’re doing “good” work
Here are some reasons why you might see the scale tick upward — and why that might be okay.
As you build muscle, especially if you are doing strength training, heavier weights, taking in the proper protein— you’re adding lean mass, which has weight. Even if fat is dropping, the net of that effort may be stable or slightly upward.
Muscle tissue holds more water, glycogen, etc; lifting leads to adaptation and this may temporarily increase weight due to water, inflammation, and repair.
Even fat loss doesn’t always immediately show up as a lower weight because muscle is denser: you may lose fat (volume) while gaining lean mass (weight/density) — the net of that progress may show a small change on the scale but your shape is improving.
Daily to weekly fluctuations: non-fat mass (water weight, glycogen stores, digestive contents) vary often, so the scale can bounce up or down even when you are overall trending positively.
When you’re weight training or engaging in physical activity, focusing on the scale can make you miss the big wins you’re making! You deserve to notice and be proud of how strong you’re becoming, the improvements in your body, your clothes feeling better, and more confidence! If all you’re focusing on is the scale, that can become discouraging if all you’re fixated on is the number dropping or going up.
Weighing Yourself: How to get the most consistent measurement
Since the scale can give you a useful point of reference —just make sure you do it in a way that makes the measurement as consistent and meaningful as possible. Here’s how:
Weight yourself first thing in the morning, after you’ve used the bathroom and before eating or drinking anything. This helps minimize fluctuations due to food, water intake, and digestion.
Use the same scale, under the same conditions (same clothing or no clothing, same time of day, similar hydration levels). Consistency trumps absolute accuracy.
Don’t panic over day-to-day swings. The number may fluctuate due to water retention, sodium, carbohydrate intake, menstrual cycle, previous meals etc. It’s the trend over several weeks that matters.
Why “the scale” is not an all inclusive way to track your fitness progression
Relying exclusively on the scale has limitations. Here are some key reasons:
The scale doesn’t differentiate what type of tissue comprises your weight (fat vs muscle vs water vs bone). So you could be losing fat and gaining muscle and not see a big drop in weight.
It doesn’t capture shape changes, or where fat is lost or muscle is gained. Two people of the same weight look very different depending on their composition/density.
It’s not inclusive of non-scale victories: improved posture, better mobility, more energy, fitting into clothes differently, or your body becoming firmer and more defined. These are huge!
Hyper-fixating on the scale can be demotivating or misleading, especially if the number stays the same or increases slightly and for good reasons, like muscle gain!
What you should track alongside (or instead of) just the scale
Here are some better, complimentary metrics that give you the full picture, especially as someone who is beginning their fitness journey!
Measurements: Tape measure around waist, hips, thighs, arms, shoulders. If your waist is shrinking and your arms are gaining size, that’s progress. Even if your weight is a steady measurement, growth in other areas can signify progress. For example: growth or shrinking in your legs and arms, which can depend on your goals. Some want to gain bulky muscle, some want to tone and slim.
Photos (my personal favorite to track progress): Progress photos every 4-6 weeks under the same lighting, same time of day, and similar clothing or lack thereof. This can be very helpful to visually see changes that the scale doesn’t show. As well as highlight areas that you can improve upon. Trust me, despite how you feel about your body in the moment, you will be so thankful for giving yourself the ability to marvel at what great strides you’ve taken. It’s like opening a time capsule—it can be mindblowing.
Performance metrics: Are your lifts progressing? Whether that be running a mile faster, being able to perform more reps, or lifting heavier weight. Those are major indicators of progress.
Body Composition: If available, use tools that can breakdown body fat percentage, muscle, etc., or even just a rough estimate. Knowing lean mass vs fat mass gives you insight. For example, there are ways to measure this via a doctor or sports and wellness facilities that have DEXA Scans and Air Displacement Plethysmography (Body Pod), which are considered most accurate.
How you feel/ how your clothes fit/energy levels: These are subjective but real signs that can matter. Less fatigue, stronger bike rides, better recovery, and increased confidence. These things matter and shouldn’t be overlooked or belittled by a number on a scale or hyper focus on the goal of just fat and/or weight loss.
In Conclusion
The number on the sale is useful, but can be limited. It doesn't tell you the full story of muscle vs fat, shape vs size, or strength vs mass. If weighing yourself, do so under consistent conditions as much as possible, and this will provide you the most accurate reading. Fluctuations are natural due to many things, even stress; focus on your progress in your activity and how you feel! Celebrate your non-scale victories: stronger lifts, fitter body, better posture, more confidence, and your clothes fitting differently. All of these little things are also signs of progress and something you should be proud of. Even if these things aren’t visible right away, they will come as long as you keep trying with educated consistency! Thank you again for joining me today, have a beautiful day Wolf Pack.