By Natasha Vani, MSc., ATCP

You’re exercising, you’ve been watching your diet and now you want to see results. The first thing most of us do to monitor our progress is jump on the scale. Every day we look down at the numbers, hoping to see the needle drop. While a scale is a pretty good indicator of weight loss, every once in awhile it tricks us; that is, the increase or decrease we read on the dial doesn’t necessarily correspond to an increase or decrease of fat.

Muscle weighs more than fat!
Muscle is 70% water and, as a result, is a relatively heavy tissue—much heavier than fat. On the flip side, fat takes up much more space than muscle, actually three times as much. So when you lose a little fat and replace it with a little muscle, the scale will probably say you’ve gained weight because muscle weighs more than fat. But I promise your size will decrease because the muscle takes up less space. People who focus heavily on strength training, and those who only want to lose 5 to 10 lbs often see a slight increase in weight, but in this case it’s a good thing, so don’t get discouraged.

Diet and no exercise
Yes, diet alone can cause you to lose some fat, but the numbers on the scale decrease somewhat because your body is also losing muscle. It is proven that for optimal weight loss, which should involve the loss of fat only, you need a combination of diet and exercise. Together, this duo creates a greater loss of fat while maintaining or even increasing muscle mass. Remember, muscle increases your metabolic rate and allows you to burn more calories during exercise and at rest; a decrease in muscle implies the opposite. If you are planning on dieting without exercise, recognize that the weight loss you achieve is from losing both fat and muscle, not just fat.

Jump on the scale after an intense workout
Most of us, and athletes in particular, can easily lose between 5 and 10 pounds after a single intense workout. You will lose more when it is hot where you are training and when your workout intensity is higher. Likewise, people who weigh more will burn more in one workout. What you wear also plays a role—I have seen people wearing multiple layers, sweat suits and even rubber jackets or garbage bags while training.

If you jump on the scale after any workout, I guarantee the needle on the scale will drop—no need for ridiculous clothing. You haven’t lost pounds and pounds of fat, however, only water, which is why it is important to stay hydrated while working out. Otherwise, get prepared for that lightheaded feeling that comes with dehydration.

Low-carb diets
If you want to lose five pounds quickly, eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet for a couple of days and watch the pounds come off. For every gram of carbohydrate your body stores, it also stores 3 grams of water. When you eliminate or reduce carbs, you eliminate water and, therefore, weight.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of fuel for the brain and nervous system; eliminating them not only affects these structures, but it also affects your muscles. When you eliminate carbohydrates, your muscles break down to compensate for the lack of usable fuel. Do yourself a favor stay away from the latest fad diets—follow the Truestar Nutrition Plan, which is based on a 40:30:30 balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Measuring success
So should you avoid the scale completely? No, but you should always use the same scale and weigh yourself at the same time every day or every month, preferably in the morning. And, most importantly, include other methods of monitoring success while you work toward your goal. Ask yourself the following:

• How do your clothes fit?
• How do you look?
• Are you noticing any definition in your body?
• Do you have more energy?
• Are daily tasks becoming easier?
• Is it easier now to do some of the things you struggled with in the past?