Weighing less versus weighing more when trying to maintain

May 1st, 2017 by

We have a scale rant article on the web site that is often given to clients, when we get concerns about not losing fast enough by scale weight. We have been taught that the scale is the end-all be-all for so long, that the concept of using it only as a small part of gauging progress feels foreign.

I know first hand that being heavier is better, if you can be leaner at that weight. The closer you can stay to your bodies “comfortable weight” the easier it is to maintain your success.

Weighing less means fewer calories needed to maintain your weight. If you are used to maintaining on 2200 calories, then cutting so much weight that you now have to maintain at 1700 can feel really hard. Of course some people have to go down on the scale significantly in order to be satisfied with their progress. If you have a lot to lose, that is just part of the deal. The point is, the goal should always be to stay as close to your set-point as possible while still reaching your goals. That number looks very different for everyone, but the more extreme the approach, the more consequences you have to deal with due to adaptations that aren’t always fun. There is a reason the rate of the successful maintenance of weight lost is so low.

Next time you get on the scale, remember that is it a measure of gravity. It isn’t the sole indicator of your progress. A few pounds one direction or another of the right kind of weight can make a big difference, it doesn’t have to be 20 pounds (or whatever magical number you have in mind) to make a change. Getting hung up on a number is just holding on to past beliefs that no longer make sense.