Are You Afraid To Step On The Scale? You Need To Read This.
Key Takeaways
Roller coasters and weight loss are similar because they’re exhilarating and unpredictable.
Gravitophobia is the official term for fear of weighing yourself. It’s very common.
The antidote to gravitophobia is the realization thay weight fluctuations are normal and expected.
Just a few of the things that can influence your scale weight include:
Eating more carbs, increasing water retention
Eating more sodium, increasing water retention
Drinking more water
Eating more food volume in general (if you eat 10 lbs of lettuce, you’ll momentarily be 10lbs heavier)
Your menstrual cycle
Sickness or changes in medication
Changes in sleep
Increased stress
Over the course of 3 months, my client Eric lost 15+ pounds while experiencing over 30 weight spikes.
Full Story
If you like roller coasters, you’ll love weight loss.
Roller coasters and weight loss are exhilarating because of the:
Fear of being out of control
Unpredictable twists and turns
Assurance that you’ll be safe, even if it doesn’t always feel like it
Feeling of your stomach dropping (get it?)
Adrenaline rush after you’ve survived
The ups and downs are exciting, but they can also be stressful.
I can’t help you if you’re afraid of roller coasters (that’s outside of my scope of practice). If you’re afraid of weight loss, you’ll want to keep reading.
Gravitophobia
How do you feel about stepping on the scale? At the doctor’s office, in your bathroom, or in the gym locker room, do you absolutely dread the moments of anticipation before that little mechanical ticker decides your fate?
You’re not alone. In fact, if you’re afraid to weigh yourself, I have one long, fancy word you:
Gravitophobia.
It’s the official term for fear of weighing yourself. Do you know why being anxious to weigh yourself has a whole word dedicated to it? It’s because it’s a common experience.
The Antidote
Expect the unexpected.
If worrying that the scale will go up is the cause of your anxiety, there’s a simple solution. The antidote is the realization the weight fluctuations are normal and expected.
Your body weight is influenced by a million factors, many of them out of your control. Just a few of the things that can influence your scale weight include:
Eating more carbs, increasing water retention
Eating more sodium, increasing water retention
Drinking more water
Eating more food volume in general (if you eat 10 lbs of lettuce, you’ll momentarily be 10lbs heavier)
For ladies, your menstrual cycle
Sickness or changes in medication
Changes in sleep or stress levels
In other words, you can do everything perfectly, with calorie intake and activity level perfectly on point, and the scale could still go up in the short term. It’s okay. Your daily body weight doesn’t matter one bit.
What does matter is the long term trend. Don’t worry about weighing less on Wednesday than you did on Monday. Instead, focus on progress over time (weeks and months rather than day to day). Temporary weight fluctuations will not set you back.
Oh, you want proof? Here’s your proof.
Eric’s Perfect, Bumpy, Up-And-Down Weight Loss
After going from 0 to 20 push ups and adding over 120 lbs to his squat, Eric decided it was time to lose some fat. A naturally thinner guy, he was the heaviest he’d been in his entire life.
At 6’2 195, he didn't have much weight to lose but was starting to feel slow and sluggish. He set a goal to get back down to around 180 lbs to feel lighter on his feet. We adjusted his calories and protein, and he got to work.
What happened next was nothing short of unpredictable and even unbelievable at times. Check out the ups and downs of Eric’s daily weigh-ins below:
Eric’s rate of weight loss over 3+ months.
If Eric’s daily weigh-in graph was a rollercoaster, it would make even the most iron-stomached nauseous after riding (apparently) (1). If it was a song, it would have more ups and downs than T-Pain’s 2013 hit, Up Down (2). For both of our sakes, I hope you get my point.
Let’s Study The Graph
If you look closely at the graph, you’ll notice a light blue line. While his daily points are a mishmash of ups and downs, Eric’s long term trend line is precisely linear. In fact, it’s glorious.
Eric lost about a pound per week, a perfect rate of loss for maintaining muscle while losing fat. He surpassed his goal weight of 180 and his hunger never even approached unbearable levels. His progress over 3 months was truly was a textbook example of efficient, sustainable fat loss.
Despite his steady progress, he was not immune to weight spikes. Check out the graph one more time and count the amount of times his weight spiked up after he hit a new low. My count is at least 30.
Weight fluctuations are a normal and necessary part of the fat loss process.
(You can read all about Eric’s terrific progress in the first year he worked with me below):
Wrap Up
Bodyweight is a touchy subject. Giving it your all in the kitchen and weight room only to step on the scale and see the same number, day after day, can be discouraging.
Don’t lose hope. You can’t control the number on the scale, but you have the power to make healthy choices each day. Over time, the scale will reflect your efforts.
I hope this article helps you understand that short term weight fluctuations are a perfectly normal part of your weight loss journey. Don’t let the ups and down upset you - hold on tight and do your best to enjoy the ride.
If you’d like a partner to ride with you through the ups and downs, you may want to consider my VIP 1 on 1 coaching service. In addition to Eric, I’ve helped hundreds of people achieve the body of their dreams and get in the best shape of their lives.
If you’d like to learn more, the first step is to fill out a quick coaching application below:
In the meantime, keep doing the best you can. Never let a hunk of metal with some numbers on it determine your self-worth.
Sources:
GIF Sources: Scooby Rachel Scale Dave Despicable Me
(giphy.com)