Reasons Why The Scale Isn’t Changing
Frustrated that the scale isn’t reflecting the effort you feel like you’re putting in towards making body composition changes? Here are a few reasons why the scale might not be cooperating the way that you hoped!
Sometimes the scale is our worst enemy… or at least it feels that way. Maybe it’s increasing when you’re in a caloric deficit, decreasing when you’re trying to bulk, or it just isn’t budging at all. It can be SUPER frustrating when you weigh yourself only to find that the scale just isn’t reflecting the results that you had hoped for.
Remember, the scale has nothing to do with your worth, your dedication, and may not even be a great indicator of progress. It is just one tool that we have that ultimately just tells us about your relationship with gravity. It's also not reflective of body composition changes and can be a very bad indicator of body fat loss and/or muscle gain if both are happening at the same time.
There are a TON of reasons why the scale weight will fluctuate. The next time you feel defeated by the number that you see, refer back to this list and remind yourself that our bodies are dynamic! We feed it and move it differently each day so we can't expect it to always be consistent even if that's really annoying sometimes.
So why is the scale not reflecting what I had hoped?!
The Scale May Not be Cooperating Because…
Physical stress (super sore from training session / poor recovery)
Mental/emotional stress (leads to increased water retention and inflammation)
Irregular digestion (constipation or diarrhea)
Irregular sleep (more or less zzz's than usual)
Travel (especially air travel)
You went out to eat
You had a meal higher in sodium (more salt = more water retention)
You ate a big meal before bed
You weren't fasted upon weighing (food or water)
You have your period
You haven't drank enough water (dehydration)
Alcohol Consumption
It’s understandable that these things lead to frustration… it’s a normal human reaction. But here’s your reminder that the scale is just one progress indicator and is certainly not a reflection of your effort, your progress, or your value. You’re more than the number that the scale reflects!
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