Why Is The Scale Increasing?
Remember that the scale has nothing to do with your worth, your dedication, and it may not even be a great indicator of progress. But that doesn’t mean it’s not frustrating when it doesn’t cooperate. There are a TON of reasons why the scale weight will fluctuate, so the next time you feel defeated by the number you see, refer back to this list!
This is a topic that hits close to home for me right now. I’ve been doing a fat loss phase since the beginning of August and while I’ve lost a little over 10lbs, there have been many days when I see increases on the scale and am left feeling frustrated or defeated. I’m doing everything right; tracking my macros, consistent gym sessions, lots of water, and solid sleep. So why am I not seeing the number go down every day?
Even though I’m a coach who has these conversations with my clients on the daily, it doesn’t mean that I’m immune to the feelings myself. And I often have to remind myself that the scale has nothing to do with my worth or dedication and sometimes it’s not even a very good indicator of progress.
The scale 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 Want?
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
When I find myself in my own head and frustrated by the number on the scale, I’ll often refer back to this list as a gentle reminder that it’s normal but also that it’s okay to feel momentarily aggravated. Or you might try to write yourself a little pep talk that you can refer back to in a moment when you need some extra love!
Featured Posts
