Checking your weight on the scales every morning could be the single most fattening thing you do.

Despite millions of dollars being spent in the effort to help people lose weight worldwide most of these efforts have been ineffective. The unfortunate reality is that most dieters regain all the weight they lose within five years of a weight loss diet. This leads to hundreds of women undergoing repeated cycles of weight loss and weight gain. Most women weigh themselves in the hope they are controlling their weight, sadly the number on the scales usually only end up controlling their self esteem. One of my clients would get on her scales every day- even in the evening and if the number hadn’t gone down she felt like a complete failure and would spend the rest of the week over eating and depressed.

So what are we measuring when we hop on those scales? Our willpower or our stupidity? I’ve had clients who take off every scrap of jewellery or restrict meals in anticipation of a weigh-in, in fact the whole process can lead to failure as the number on the scales has little to do with tracking success short term.

When you weigh yourself on the scales you are weighing bones, muscles, organs, water and fat. Interestingly fat is one of the lightest tissues you are weighing. You will also have large fluctuations of your weight over the day caused through fluid changes, hormonal changes or just related to the types of food you’ve been eating.

It’s not uncommon for many of my clients to gain 1-3 kilos on the scales prior to menstruation or during ovulation, the weight gain is caused by hormonal water retention not fat. Fat goes on slow and comes off slow The only way to permanently lose fat is slowly, never expect more than a kilo per week, a realistic goal would be between half a percent to one percent of your weight a week. If you weigh 75 kilos this would be a loss of between 350g – 750g of fat per week. Tracking a loss of 350grams of fat on the scales daily is impossible when you take into account the weight fluctuations that occur due to fluid changes. You can lose up to 5 kilos of fat without a change on the scales.

It is not unusual for many of my older clients to lose 5 kilos of fat or 6 percent body fat without a reduction in their weight.

You see woman typically lose up to 500g of muscle mass per year through lack of activity or through yo-yo dieting. When they start getting their nutrition on track and losing fat, their muscle mass starts to increase in weight as they become slimmer.

Change your goal - is your goal weight too extreme?

Many height weight tables are based on old weights that are far to low and unachievable. Having goals is important for weight loss success but the goal should be to make sustainable behavior changes. Weight loss is always a side effect of finding out what behavior led to the weight gain in the first place and setting daily goals to change those behaviors. Take the focus off your weight and start judging your success by how you feel about yourself and your new healthy habits.

Find a different measure

Use the scales as an indicator every two weeks or even monthly. Your bust, waist and hip measurement will be a more accurate guide. How you feel in your clothes and how much energy you have will be a much better measure of success.

Plan for success, there is a better way.

Try not to be persuaded by clever marketing of diets that offer quick fix programs and fast weight loss. The best plan of action is to work out why you are over weight in the first place and slowly work on eliminating unhealthy habits and replacing them with more activity and healthier food choices.

TRY OUR NEW KICKSTART PROGRAM Only $299

Whether you’d like to feel better, lose weight, get super-fit or just want some honest answers on the ins and outs of a healthy diet, Real Nutrition’s Kick-Start Programme is the way to go. With an initial induction session and four follow-up sessions you will be inspired, feel motivated and have a more positive attitude towards taking control of your health and happiness. Chat to a Real Nutrition consultant today and kick-start your life!

Find out how to achieve your ideal fat percentage