Imagine you want to learn a new language.
You read books, watch videos, practice talking with native speakers, and even travel to the country that speaks your target language.
After a few months, to test your language learning progress…you enter a triathlon in Germany. Then feel overwhelmed by defeat when you fail.
That would be ridiculous, right? What you actually measured doesn’t relate at all to what you were trying to get better at.
Now imagine your goal is to get healthier. You start eating whole foods, exercising somewhat regularly, and providing your body with all the protein and minerals it needs.
You’re starting to feel better, get stronger, and have more energy.
But you feel defeated when you see the number on the scale hasn’t moved. In fact, it’s even gone up.
Just like you shouldn’t gauge someone’s language skills based on how fast they can run, you shouldn’t gauge your health just by looking at the scale.
Here’s why.
Why It’s Not All About Weight
Not all weight is “bad”. Your weight isn’t just fat — it’s also muscle, water, bones, and organs.
Which means you can be gaining muscle, building stronger bones, and consuming more water — all while the number on the scale goes up.
Your weight doesn’t tell you if you’re strong, energized, or nourished. If you lost 5 pounds of fat but gained 5 pounds of muscle, the number on the scale wouldn’t move — but you’d probably be looking and feeling a lot better.
While the scale can be one helpful factor in tracking whether your calorie deficit is performing how you expect, it shouldn’t bear the weight of your entire fitness journey. If the scale has the final say in how you understand your health, you’re missing a huge part of the picture.
What to Measure Instead
The good news is, there are several things to watch for throughout the day that can actually be good indications of your overall health. Here’s what to take note of instead:
1. Energy Levels
If you’ve been trying to get healthier, notice — are you dragging through the day, or feeling more clear and steady? (If the former, your diet can have a big impact on this.)
2. Strength & Stamina
Do you find you’re getting better at push-ups, walking longer, or lifting more? Keeping track of your workouts, including writing down the weight, reps, and time, can help you see your progress more clearly in this area.
3. Sleep Quality
Do you wake up feeling rested? Are you sleeping through the night? Since your sleep impacts nearly every area of your health, it can also be a good indicator when something is off.
4. Digestion
Less bloating and more regular bowel movements are good indicators that your gut health is improving. (Learn more about how gut health can impact your health here.)
5. Mood
Better mental health often follows better nutrition†. Numerous studies have demonstrated the relationship between diet and mental health (1). If you’ve noticed improvements in your overall mood, that’s a good sign your brain and body are working with each other, not against each other.
For most people, weight loss for the sake of weight loss alone will actually lead to a decrease in your overall health. Rapid weight loss often means muscle loss, which slows your metabolism and can lead to rebound weight gain. Eating too few calories can mess with your hormones, sleep, and stress levels — all of which would make your health worse, not better.
Losing weight the right way usually means gaining muscle in order to boost your metabolism. Although your weight may remain the same, a higher metabolism will lead to faster fat burning and help you lean out in the long run.
Health is a multi-dimensional goal, and when you shift your attention to more meaningful markers — how you feel, how you move, how well you sleep, how resilient your body and mind are — you begin to build a health foundation that will actually last.
Feed your body well, move it often, rest it deeply, and support it with high-quality nutrients — and you’ll be surprised how far it can take you.
† We are required to say that these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.
Works Cited
1. Adan, R., Van Der Beek, E., Buitelaar, J., Cryan, J., Hebebrand, J., Higgs, S., Schellekens, H., & Dickson, S. (2019). Nutritional psychiatry: Towards improving mental health by what you eat. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29, 1321-1332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.10.011.
