Opinion: Why we need to stop obsessing over scale weight

Scale weight means nothing, there, I said it.

Well, not nothing, obviously it's a huge indicator for a lot of health issues, problems, and an abundance of other things. But when it comes down to it telling us how much or how little weight we've lost or gained, scale weight might be one of the most detrimental things. I remember getting upset a few weeks ago after stepping on the scales and seeing I had gained a kilogram since the last time I weighed myself, despite being in a calorie deficit and going to the gym five times a week. I mentioned it to my personal trainer and she was of the same opinion, scale weight isn't a good indication of the improvements I had been making. According to the scales, I haven't lost or gained weight since then despite there being a noticeable difference when you look at me. And there's a very logical reason for this that we all seem to forget, fat weighs less than muscle. As my PT put it, you never look at someone on the street and think "they must weigh 60 kilograms," because, that is an insane thought. Someone could be pure muscle and in peak physical fitness, but weigh 150kg, just like someone carrying more fat could weigh a lot less. When I thought I had gained that extra kilogram and was panicking, I had to constantly remind myself that lifting weights the way I have been was obviously going to create more muscle, and the weight gain I saw was actually a great thing. But the idea of being a certain size and weight depending on what the scales said was so bad for me mentally, I felt suddenly so terrible about myself and thought all the hard work was gone out the window. I'll never forget the same feeling I had when I was around 15 and getting ready for a concert. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to wear and decided to weigh myself for whatever reason. This only led to a breakdown, crying over a pair of jeans that fit perfectly and a t-shirt that would have fit a child. All of that overweighing myself, not understanding what was heavy or light, and just assuming that the figure that showed was bad. Understanding the difference between how fat loss works, how muscle is denser and that just because there's some fat on your body and the scales say so, it still doesn't matter. According to Healthline, not all pounds are equal and your total body weight isn't a "clear indicator of how you look or what health risks you may face." They say: "Two different people who weigh the same amount can look very different when one has a high percentage of fat and the other has a high percentage of muscle. "An extra 20 pounds of fat may give you a softer, less toned appearance. But an extra 20 pounds of muscle will look firm and sculpted. "Muscle also serves a different function than fat. Fat helps insulate the body and trap in body heat. Muscle boosts your metabolism. This means the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn when you’re at rest." It's that simple, they do different things for your body which are both just as important as each other. So next time you get upset about what you see on the scales, because trust me, it happens to everyone, try not to stress. It's only an indicator, not something to take over your life. It's Body Month on Her.