The Scale is Not the Full Story
I used to be a member of one of those very popular weight loss programs. You know those programs where "points" was the main focus? Yes, that one. Well there would be a "weigh-in" every week to see your results of either losing weight or gaining weight. And although, the concept makes sense, it was truly mind boggling on how much focus was on the scale. If I lost a pound, my clothes still felt the same. Yet, I was celebrated for the loss. But what did I really lose?
Not much! The scale does not tell you if you lost a pound of fat, muscle, or water. If you lost fat, then bravo. If you lost muscle, well I don't suppose that's a good thing. And if you lost water, then you didn't lose anything at all. But how would you know what you lost from using a scale? You wouldn't.
One of the most important numbers that the scale will NOT tell you is your body fat percentage. Your body fat percentage is how much of your body weight is made up of fat. So if the bulk of your weight is mostly fat...no bueno! That's a pending health disaster. Ever wonder how two people weighing the same can look so different? Someone with a very high body fat percentage can weight the same on the scale as someone with a lower body fat percentage. Remember muscle weighs more than fat and looks can be very deceiving. Which is why the scale does not tell the full story.
So with my clients, I use an InBody scan to conduct a body composition analysis. Not only will the client know their initial and final weight, they will be able to compare their muscle to fat analysis (how much fat vs muscles they have) as well as their body fat percentage. These numbers are critical in weight loss, muscle gain, and a predictor of your overall health. Now those are the numbers that are worthy of knowing!
The scale tells you a number. And that's not even half of the story.