The ever-enduring topic of weight loss has society in the grips of a single data point, your weight. Sadly, many people, like myself, have one point or another struggled with what they saw on the scale.
The science of weight is often taught in schools but rarely applied outside of class. Our weight is actually our mass. It is the density of our bodies at a point in time which is influenced by gravitational pull.
What the scale won’t tell you is how much of that mass is made up of muscle, fat, bone, tissue, and fluids. There are so many factors that make up our weight. Now, it can give you a general sense of those factors if you factor in measurements. But it still isn’t a perfect science. Without fancy lab equipment or sophisticated machines, it’s hard to know the true makeup of our bodies.
I don’t think we need to know the specifics as it is fairly complex to determine. However, having a basic understanding can reassure you that you are in a good place with your body composition.
With all of this being said, it is still hard to accept weight gain or lack of weight loss when you have been consistently following a program and training. I’ll share a few reasons why you don’t need to be discouraged and actually see why a plateau on the scale or even a little gain can actually be a really good thing.
Your body is at its sweet spot
There are many external factors that play into a person’s weight. Activity levels, nutrition, rest, age, gender, etc. However, genetics can play a role in someone’s weight. This abstract gives a high-level explanation of how genes can affect body composition.
What does that mean? It can mean a lot of things. But for the purpose of this post, there are genetic factors that play a role in your weight and body type. If you are eating a well-rounded wholesome diet, getting ample exercise, and rest, then that weight you want to lose may actually be your body’s sweet spot. If you feel good, can do the things you want, and are recovering at the weight you are at now, then likely your body is happy with your weight.
That is such a wonderful thing. You don’t need to fight your body to be a certain weight because you think you need to be a number on the scale. Your body does not care what weight it is. It cares that it is healthy and functioning properly. So that extra 5-10lbs you think you want to lose, your body doesn’t and is happy so it will do whatever it can to keep it that way.
Your weight gain is muscle gain
I love this one especially because I had this personal revelation a few months into my reverse diet journey. If you want to put on muscle, burn fat, and look a certain aesthetic, it will likely mean a few extra pounds on the scale.
Muscle on average weighs 15-20% more than fat. That means it is denser and therefore takes up less space than the same weight equivalent of fat. If you put a representation of muscle and fat of the exact same weight side by side, the muscle would be significantly smaller. Think of a softball vs a football. A muscle may weigh more relative to its size, but it takes up less space. This is great news, you can look fit even if you weigh more.
Your stagnant weight is body recomposition
This is similar to the muscle gain point above. If you are going through a nutrition and fitness program with progressive overload it is very likely that you will burn fat but offset it with muscle gain.
A great way to know if you are recompositioning is by taking measurements regularly. Take measure areas like your waist, hips, arms, thighs, etc. once a week over several months. If they are staying the same or going down but your weight has not budged or even gone up, well you probably have been recompositioning.
Likewise, do your clothes fit or are they roomier or bigger in some areas? This is an easy tell without consistently measuring.
There is no excess fat to lose
You can only lose so much fat safely. There are a lot of opinions on how much fat men and women should carry on their bodies. Naturally, women do carry more fat because they need to be able to support the growth of a fetus if they get pregnant.
If you already have a low body weight and a low-fat percentage, your body will do whatever it can to hold onto that last bit as a survival metabolic function. Hopefully, you are not trying to lose more fat than is necessary.
Are looking to lose weight and you are already at a low body weight? If so, you risk losing muscle tissue and that is not good for overall health and longevity.
There is water retention
Have you ever weighed yourself before for a hot sweaty workout or time in a sauna and then weighed yourself after? Wow, you miraculously lost 2-5lbs.
Well, not so fast. Your mass did go down but all you really lost was that water your body was holding. The same could be true for going to the bathroom first thing in the morning.
Your weight is a data point at one time and can fluctuate like the tides as fluids move throughout the day. If you take supplements like creatine it will up your water retention. Some medications can do the same thing.
Your body needs water to survive more than half of it is made up of the molecule. So that extra few lbs you are trying to lose are a moot point because of these factors you don’t have much control over. Unless you do something drastic like intense sweat sessions and dehydration. Both of which I do not condone.
There are many other reasons you may not be losing weight. If it is a health issue or even a mental health concern I would implore you to seek out professional help. I have used a coach and it was one of my best investments in myself. She helped me to realize a lot of the points I mentioned above.
This reassured me that I was doing the right thing in my health and fitness journey. By realizing why not losing weight was a wonderful thing for my body, I was able to move forward and take care of her in the way she deserved.
Did any of these resonate with you? Do you have any other points about why not losing weight is a good thing? Please share below!
