79: Why the Scale is Lying to You (And What to Focus on Instead)
Why the Scale is Lying to You (And What to Focus on Instead)
The scale doesn't measure your health, strength, or progress. Tara shares her journey from disordered eating to strength training, plus better metrics to track your fitness goals beyond weight.
Picture this: You're sitting alone in your dorm room, heating up another sad, tasteless frozen meal while everyone else is laughing together in the dining hall. You tell yourself you're being "disciplined." You think eating less means you're more in control.
But really? You're exhausted. You're constantly hungry. And you're trapped in a vicious cycle of restriction and bingeing that's slowly destroying your relationship with food and your body.
This was Tara's reality for years. And then came the email that would change everything, her coach telling her that if she didn't lose weight, she'd lose her scholarship. Oh, and the entire team was cc'd on it, because nothing says "motivational coaching" like public humiliation, right?
That was the moment she realized her body wasn't hers anymore. It was just a number to be judged, controlled, and criticized.
If you've ever let the scale dictate your self-worth, if you've ever felt like your entire day could be ruined by a few pounds, this one's for you. Because here's the truth: the scale is lying to you, and it's time to stop letting it run your life.
Your Body Isn't Defined By a Number
Let's get real about what the scale actually measures: your body's relationship with gravity at a specific moment in time. That's it. It doesn't measure your health, your strength, your progress, or your worth as a human being.
The scale can't tell the difference between fat loss and muscle gain. It doesn't know if you're bloated from last night's salty dinner or retaining water because your period's coming. It has no clue that you had an extra glass of water before bed or that you're constipated (hey, we're all friends here).
Yet we give this stupid piece of metal so much power over how we feel about ourselves. We let it determine whether we're going to have a good day or a terrible one. We let it tell us if we're "succeeding" or "failing" at our fitness goals.
And for what? A number that fluctuates constantly based on factors that have nothing to do with actual body composition changes?
Why Daily Weight Fluctuations Are Completely Normal (And Meaningless)
Tara breaks down why those day-to-day weight changes don't actually mean anything. Your weight can fluctuate by several pounds daily, and it's all totally normal.
Here's what actually causes those fluctuations:
Water retention from sodium intake, hormones, or inflammation from hard workouts
Carbohydrate intake (carbs hold water, so eating more carbs = more water weight)
Digestive system contents (yes, we're talking about poop, or lack thereof)
Menstrual cycle (your body can retain several pounds of water before your period)
Sleep quality and stress levels
The time of day you weigh yourself
None of this has anything to do with actual fat gain or loss. But if you're weighing yourself daily and freaking out over normal fluctuations, you're going to drive yourself crazy over literally nothing.
The Trap of Comparing Yourself to Your Past Self
Here's a mind trap that Tara discusses: comparing your current weight to what you weighed in high school, or college, or before you had kids, or during that time you did that extreme diet.
First of all, your body changes. Your metabolism changes. Your life circumstances change. You're not supposed to weigh the same at 35 as you did at 18, and that's perfectly okay.
Second, was that past version of you actually healthier? Or were you restricting, over-exercising, constantly stressed, and potentially doing real damage to your body to maintain that weight?
Tara's lowest weight came during her most disordered eating period. She was miserable, constantly hungry, had no energy, and was trapped in a restrict-binge cycle. Yeah, she was lighter, but she was also deeply unhealthy.
This is why the "goal weight" concept is often so problematic. You're chasing a number that might not even be realistic or healthy for where you are right now in your life.
Better Metrics to Track Your Progress
So if the scale is lying to you, what should you focus on instead? Tara lays out some actual indicators of progress, and spoiler alert: they're all way more meaningful than a number on a scale.
How your clothes fit. Are your jeans getting looser? Is that shirt fitting better across your shoulders? This tells you way more about body composition changes than the scale ever will. You can be the same weight but look completely different depending on your muscle mass versus fat mass.
Strength gains. Are you lifting heavier weights? Doing more reps? Progressing in your workouts? This is concrete evidence that your body is getting stronger, regardless of what the scale says. And honestly, being able to deadlift your bodyweight is way cooler than fitting into a certain size.
Energy levels. Do you wake up feeling rested? Can you make it through your day without crashing? Do you have energy for your workouts? Feeling good in your body matters infinitely more than weighing a certain number.
Performance improvements. Can you run faster, jump higher, do more push-ups? Are daily activities getting easier? These functional improvements show that your body is actually getting more capable, which is the whole point.
How you feel mentally. Are you less obsessed with food? Do you feel more confident? Are you spending less mental energy worrying about your body? Mental health is progress too.
Body measurements. If you want objective data, measurements can be more useful than weight. Waist, hips, thighs, arms, these can show changes in body composition that the scale misses.
Embracing Strength Over Smallness
The biggest shift Tara talks about, is moving from chasing "smaller" to building "stronger." And this isn't just a cute phrase; it's a fundamental mindset shift that changes everything.
Diet culture has conditioned us to believe that smaller is always better. That taking up less space equals success. That shrinking ourselves is the ultimate goal.
But what if instead of trying to be smaller, we focused on being capable? On building muscle that makes us metabolically healthier? On getting strong enough to do things we never thought we could?
When you shift your focus from weight loss to strength building, everything changes:
You start eating to fuel your body instead of starving it
You celebrate your body for what it can do instead of criticizing it for how it looks
Your relationship with food becomes about nourishment instead of punishment
You start seeing your body as powerful instead of problematic
Strength training doesn't just change your body composition (though it absolutely does that). It changes how you think about yourself. It gives you goals that have nothing to do with a number on a scale and everything to do with your actual capabilities.
Breaking Free From Scale Obsession
Here's the thing: you don't need the scale. You really don't. If weighing yourself sends you into a shame spiral, gives you anxiety, or determines your mood for the day, it's time to break up with it.
Try this instead: hide the scale for a month. Focus on how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how you're progressing in your workouts. Check in with yourself based on actual quality-of-life indicators instead of arbitrary numbers.
You might find that without the constant feedback loop of scale anxiety, you actually make better choices. You eat when you're hungry. You move your body because it feels good. You make decisions based on how you feel instead of what you weigh.
And if you do decide to weigh yourself occasionally? Do it as just one data point among many, not the defining metric of your worth or progress.
Your Body is Capable of So Much More
Tara's journey from that humiliating email to where she is now, strong, confident, and helping other women build strength, proves that there's so much more to fitness than a number on a scale.
Your body is capable of incredible things. It can get stronger, faster, more powerful. It can carry you through marathons, help you lift heavy things, let you play with your kids without getting winded. It deserves to be fueled properly, trained consistently, and appreciated for what it can do.
Stop chasing smaller. Start building stronger.
What metrics do you track besides the scale? Share your non-scale victories with the Broads community on Instagram @broads.app, we want to celebrate your strength gains, energy improvements, and all the ways you're getting stronger.
