That scale is a real big liar.
I cut my calories for eight weeks after January 1 and lost 2.2 pounds. I went from 158.8 down to 156.6. Then I decided to do a couple of weeks of maintenance. I went up to my maintenance calories. I weighed in after those two weeks, and the scale said 160.2.
Now, people would freak out, right? I went from 156.6 up to 160.2. Obviously, I can’t eat my maintenance calories because I gained all this weight. I decided to switch back to my deficit calories to finish out what I started.
The next three days, I ate 1,757 calories, 2,024 calories and 2,183 calories. I took my deficit off of my Fitbit. Whatever my Fitbit gave me, I subtracted 500 to 700 calories, depending on how I felt. When I weighed in after those three days, the scale said 156.2.
So, the scale is a freaking liar. It says one thing, it says another, but you have to stop going to it for all of your validation. Because there’s no way a human being can go from 160.2 solid real weight down to 156.2 in three days unless there’s something else going on, like water retention, fluid retention, things of that nature.
If you switch to your maintenance calories, there may be a bump up on the scale after that. It’s temporary. A lot of it’s water weight. It’s food volume. Eat to fuel your body. If you want to go back to your calorie restriction to lose more weight, do a gradual cut. Don’t do thousands of calories; focus on 500 or 700. Most importantly, remember that the scale is not the end all and be all of what you do.
The scale is a liar. It does not reflect the whole truth. Don’t just think that it’s accurate, and also don’t be afraid to eat your maintenance calories. I really urge you to take breaks and do it. It’s great for your mental and physical health.
What will be your proof of success instead of the scale? Comment below or on Facebook and let us know about more honest measures that you rely on.