Scale Frustration and Non-Scale Victories

This week and last week I’ve been really frustrated with the scale. I’ve been working out and staying under my calorie goals and sticking to keto. While I did drink a little more than usual this last week, I didn’t think that I did anything to warrant the weight gain I saw on the scale.

First it was 185.6, then it went up to 186.4, then up again to 187.6, and finally to a high of 188.7. Needless to say, I almost lost it.

I was so frustrated and confused and didn’t know what I was doing wrong. After the day that I weighed in at 188.7, I came out of the bathroom and complained to Nate about it. He was, as always, supportive and told me to not freak out because sometime your body holds on to water weird or any number of other things.

I was feeling so discouraged because I had worked out hard for the last two weeks and was angry with the lack of progress I was seeing.

To avoid spiraling into a deeper frustration, I reached for the tape measure we keep on hand and decided to measure my waist and hips to see if my weight increase had led to an increase in my measurements.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled the tape measure around my waist and got a measurement of 30 inches. 30 inches! That’s 2 inches smaller than a month ago! I felt a surge of hope and pulled the tape measure around my hips. Looked at the tape measure and saw 40 inches. That was another 2 inches smaller than a month ago.

No wonder my size 12 jeans had started to fell kinda big.

Seeing those two new (and smaller!) numbers on the tape measure made the scale numbers sting less. Not only that, it totally reinvigorated my fitness motivation. While I am still frustrated at the scale number, it helps to see forward progress with my measurements.

As I sit here in my size medium Zara shirt and size 10 jeans, I feel better amount my progress today. A size 10 pair of pants and fitting into a brand that I couldn’t wear a year ago is one of those non-scale victories that make the scale struggles easier to deal with.

Fitness and health, especially with a weight-loss focus, is measured by so much more than just the number on the scale. It can be measured by your pants fitting looser. By not being afraid to go into a new store because you feel more confident that the clothes will fit you. By walking into a new store and having a salesperson ask you your size and answering “Umm. 10? I think?” and then having the skirt fit perfectly.

If you just focus 100% on the scale number, you will miss all of the other changes that your body is going through.

On the days when the scale is being frustrating, put on a shirt that used to fit you 2 months ago and take note of how it is too big. Purge your closet of the dresses that you know are huge now. Better yet, if you have been lifting, go to the gym and work towards a PR.

While the scale is an important tool to help us reach our fitness goals, it isn’t the only measure of success. Don’t get discouraged when the number doesn’t say what you want. Channel that into more determination to push forward.

You can do it.