Along with the Key Eats Ketone Sensor, the scale is a useful tool to track progress on your weight loss journey. Your weight is a good general marker of health, with extremes on both ends being unhealthy.
Doctors will use your weight to gauge your risk for developing certain conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney and liver problems, and even some cancers.
With such an emphasis on achieving or maintaining a healthy weight, it’s not unexpected that we become fixated on the scale. Unfortunately, this can lead to feelings of frustration and hopelessness that negatively affect your health.
So let’s take a look at a healthy, more balanced approach for using the scale.
Important Concepts
Your weight is the sum of everything about you – fat, muscle, water, and bone. It is common to have daily swings in your weight up to 2-4 pounds. These are most commonly caused by fluctuations in water – think of how swollen you feel after Chinese takeout!
Weight loss is often cyclical in nature. It is not uncommon to lose a few pounds a week, slow or stall, and find you have dropped a few pounds the following week.
The scale also doesn’t recognize favorable body composition changes – gaining muscle while losing fat. Using body measurements, feeling how clothes fit you, and even the mirror may be helpful if you feel great but the scale doesn’t budge. Scales that measure bodyfat percentages may be directionally accurate, but even they can be fooled. Don’t rely on them heavily to gauge your progress.
Best Practices for Using the Scale
- The first and most important – Remember your weight is a number and is not a reflection of you as a person. Period.
- Weigh yourself at the same time each day, preferably immediately upon rising after going to the bathroom.
- Weigh yourself when you start the Key Eats and then weekly. Daily weights are not helpful due to variations in water weight, hormonal changes, etc.
- Trend your weights in the Key Eats App so you can see how your Keyto Levels correlate with changes in weight.
- Do not be frustrated if you don’t see weight loss every week, remember, weight loss can be cyclical.
- If your weight is not moving, look for other markers of fat loss like taking measurements, assessing how your clothes fit, or how you look in the mirror.
- Celebrate victories and share in Groups! We love to hear about your successes!