Why do we have bathroom scales?? In my view there is little purpose to them!! We have all been there haven’t we – when you step on the bathroom scales expecting to see some weight loss only to be disappointed with the figure in front of your eyes. The temptation to weigh yourself regularly is too real when you have scales in your house.
Your weight can fluctuate as much as 2-3kg a day, depending on what you’ve eaten, drunk, how much exercise you’ve done, how much sleep you’ve had, how stressed you are and for women weight is affected by your stage in the menstrual cycle.
So many things can affect your weight, but what really matters is how you feel about yourself…. When you feel good within yourself the number on the scales are much less relevant – what matters is your physical and mental health.
There is no denying that regular exercise will improve your physical and mental health. Exercise releases feel good hormones called, endorphins, which trigger a positive feeling in the body. The NHS guidelines for physical activity for physically able adults, not pregnant or new mothers, aged 19 to 64 is to do a minimum of 150 minutes (that’s just 2.5 hours in total) of exercise spread over 4 – 5 days a week. With 168 hours in a week – finding 2.5 hours a week to exercise should be achievable by all.
Think creatively about how to fit your exercise in – walking the school run rather than driving, taking the stairs at work rather than the lift, meeting a friend for a walk with a coffee afterwards, going for a family bike ride, download the Couch to 5km app or attending your local parkrun.
Regular exercise along with a balanced diet, consistent sleeping patterns, keeping well hydrated and reducing your stress levels will help keep your body shape consistent and ultimately help you reduce your wardrobe outlay!!
The contents of your wardrobe, clothes, are a real good indicator of what your body is doing rather than the bathroom scales! Clothes don’t lie! The adage “calories in v’s calories out” can’t be truly recorded on the scales – but can by what size clothes you can wear!
Muscle is much denser and heavier than fat – but a healthier body is one that has more muscle than fat. Therefore, your total body weight may be heavier than your “ideal” but your body composition is in a better and healthier proposition.
Keep exercising regularly, eating all colours of the rainbow and ditch the scales!