As a dietitian, I see many people that associate the number they see on the scale with health and how their nutrition or workout plan is working. FACT: the number on the scale does not reflect health or changes in body composition. The first thing I need people to accept is that our bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. Many of us hold a lot of value in how small we can make our bodies look, and that is partnered with a number we see when we weigh ourselves. The second thing I need people to recognize is that body composition is not reflected in the number you see on the scale. For many of us, when we say we want to lose weight, what we mean is lose body fat and gain muscle. If that’s the case, for most of us, that means the number on the scale will either stay the same or actually increase. It’s not that the scale is useless when it comes to assessing your nutritional success, but it may not always reflect what you think it does, and for some people the harms may outweigh the benefits. Now that we got that out of the way, let's look at other reasons why the scale can’t be trusted.

Glycogen storage

Glycogen is the stored form of the carbohydrates in our muscles, and it retains water. For every 1 g of glycogen stored, we store 2-3 g of water. This will be reflected in the number you see on your scale. So if we have a large meal the night before that has lots of carbohydrates, don’t be surprised if the number is higher than what you were expecting. 

Hormones

Hormones have an influence on fluid retention and may influence the number you see on the scale. For example, increased estrogen levels can lead to fluid retention.

Salt

Salt can also cause you to become more thirsty and drink more in response. A meal high in salt content will cause you to retain that water to balance the ratio between salt and water in your body. 

Medications/Supplements

Certain medications and supplements can cause fluid retention such as oral contraceptives, NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and creatine, to name a few.

Exercise

If you weigh yourself after exercise you probably will weigh less. This is not due to fat loss, but everything to do with water loss. 

Bowel movements

How often and how much we poop has an effect on the scale. The amount of poop you excrete during the day can vary from 15 g to 1.5 kg!

So what’s my point? By no means am I saying that you need to get rid of your scale. There’s some evidence to suggest that for some, daily weighing keeps people motivated and adhering to their nutrition plan. IF that works for you then great, but recognize that the number is not necessarily reflective of fat loss but more of fluid retention or hydration/dehydration status.  On the other hand, for some people the scale can bring on feelings of anxiety and possibly start to dictate what they eat or do for the rest of the day. If that’s you, it's time to consider stepping away from the scale. There are so many other ways to assess if your plan is working…

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