The scale is a subpar way to measure health and fitness. For many people, like myself, it’s not even “better than nothing.”
Here’s why.
The results can make negative results feel like positive ones.
People say things like "I want to lose 20 lbs this year," but do they?
When you measure results in pounds, you miss the forest for the trees.
What if all 20 of those pounds were muscle? Sure that’s unlikely to be the case, but all weight loss includes a certain percentage of muscle loss.
I’ve experienced nearly 1:1 muscle to fat loss when focusing only on cutting pounds. 20 lbs lost means something like 10 lbs of fat and 10 lbs of muscle!
What if you didn't lose a pound, but instead, lost 20 lbs of fat but gained 20 lbs of muscle?
The scale ignores body composition. I made this mistake the hard way. I cut calories dramatically in 2024 to lose some stubborn belly fat. It worked but to disastrous effect.
It was a mission achieved unsuccessfully, so to speak because I lost the weight
BUT most of it was the muscle mass I had worked years to build.
Now, I don't care about the scale. I care about my body composition.
Not BMI, but body fat percentage, lean muscle mass and circumference measurements of arms, legs, chest and stomach.
#1 Measure Composition
I accomplish this in two ways.
First, a weekly scan with the Withings Body Scan scale.
If you're serious about hitting your fitness goals and love to track every detail, you want this scale.
This tells me more than just my weight, it shows my my body fat percentage, lean muscle mass, visceral fat and area specific changes.
Next, I measure actual circumference size of my extremities and core. You can do this with any standard measuring tape but I prefer to use one like the Renpho smart body tape measurer. It has an app that lets you monitor changes over time.
#2 Monitor Hormones and Nutrients
There are countless people with absolutely amazingly aesthetic bodies that are miserable. Physically and mentally.
Zac Efron explained that when he got into the best physical shape of his life for BayWatch, he felt horrible.
What is even the point of all of this if we don't feel good?
That's why I recommend regularly getting blood work done and ensuring that your hormones and critical nutrient levels are where they need to be.
There are several options for this, but I prefer a company called Super Power.
For example, my results showed I needed to reduce my blood thickness.
They do a fantastic job of analyzing all of the critical aspects of your health and giving you recommended steps for addressing any issues.
They explain clearly what each biomarker means, why it matters and how to address it.
They do offer upsells on the supplements and care that can help, but it's totally optional.
The lab work was easy and affordable. They show you locations nearby where you can get your blood drawn and help you schedule it in the app.
Mine took less than 10 minutes to complete.