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The Truth About the Scale: How to Build a Healthier Relationship with Your Weight · FitMitTuro Fitness Podcast

• 1:09
  Turo Virta: Hey, and welcome to this fit mentor fitness podcast episode today I'm talking about how to build a healthier relationship with the scale. So in this lesson or in this training, you will learn how to actually learn to recognize the difference between emotions and between data and what actually matters. So if you are someone who is jumping up on the scale in the morning, and either what kind of number you are seeing, either you are getting very happy, or very disappointed. So that kind of your whole day is ruined, if you see the number of what you don't like to see, or but also an opposite what most people are thinking that you are jumping around when you see that scale have moved, and you have seen a different number on the scale. So this is, this is one of the biggest mistakes, and one of the things what I see that you have a lot of emotions with the scale. So in this lesson, we are talking about our relationship with the, with the scale, and how to actually improve what kind of things are affecting to that scale, and how to how to deal with. So we all have kind of different relationships with this scale.
• 2:27
  Turo Virta: For some, it's a tool to track your progress. For others. It's a source of stress, frustration, and even dread, but it doesn't have to be this way. So let's start to learn how to view the scale differently. And, and how to use it as a guide guidance and a guideline for your fitness journey. So I tell you first I love to tell a little bit story.
• 2:54
  Turo Virta: So how I measure myself. So I take my myself. I beat myself every single day. And I'm just basically collecting data. So it's, it's a one way I don't I don't like if I look today, for example, today I sometimes the scale I had I was doing I was hitting my protein goal I had workout, I had almost 15,000 Steps yesterday, but my scale went up almost one and a half kilos. So why is that? I had later at night, I was eating more carbs, and usually a lot of sweets. So that was the reason like a way that scale rate went up. I might I probably wasn't to be honest in a calorie deficit.
• 3:40
  Turo Virta: But there are days that I know, as a matter of fact that they have been in a calorie deficit, but the scale rate is going up.
• 3:46
  Turo Virta: And also not Besides, when I know there are days from from the fact I know that I haven't I have been taking in more calories than I have burned. But my scale went went down. And why is that happening? So I will go to that. All those reasons little bit later. But first, what I wanted to start this training is that that that scale doesn't define you. So it's, it's just the one tool, what measures one aspect of your health and that is a weight and it doesn't measure your strength. It doesn't matter your commitment. It doesn't matter your axioms, it doesn't matter your progress in ADRA Atari years it doesn't reflect what you are as a person. So what I what I often see is that most people that they are they are actually what is the biggest reason why people are stopping they don't they don't see long term progress is that you escaped or it is not moving you feel so frustrated you think that the team what you're actually doing is not working.
• 4:59
  Turo Virta: So that makes you feel frustrated. And as a reason you are thinking that what is the word what is the point to keep going because I scale is not going down I'm not making any progress. And that is the thing what most people don't understand that you might be making progress in other areas then scale rate, but you just don't realize it and that's why skate rate weight loss and fat loss are two different things and and how to actually know if you are losing fat or if you are losing weight. So weight is one way to measure your fabulous progress if you think that there are other things would measure more accurately for example, your how your clothes are fitting. So if you feel that you see that your clothes are fitting better you're you are going down with the band size your belt you have to use your one whole morning. Gotta put it on a little bit tighter. So those are all signs that you are actually making progress. You are losing fat, but you might not see it in ours on on scaling, in the beginning, especially in the beginning, or at some point of your journey, so what is the how used Wait, wait is Wait is only one way.
• 6:15
  Turo Virta: And if you are making any other progress, if you see difference in your pictures, if you see measurements, you did some deep measurements, like what is even more accurate more data you are kind of collecting more informed decisions you can make, if you're that team what you are actually doing if it's actually working or not. And this is one of the Latin parts, what most people are missing is that they don't, you don't take any pictures because you might be in situations that you don't, you don't likely take pictures you don't want to see yourself with underwear you don't maybe don't want to even watch yourself in a mirror. Or you don't want to you know, you don't like the way how you're looping. And that is causing that you are not, there is no way that you are going to take pictures from from yourself. But this is this is exactly that. It's it's it's a tool, it's even you don't enjoy at the moment what you're doing.
• 7:14
  Turo Virta: But for more most of my clients or almost all of them, I asked them to do it like obviously you don't need to, if you really can't stand it, it's not necessary but it's so beneficial. You don't need to take pictures every time but you are at some point, you are so thankful that you did it even if you don't enjoy it, just close your eyes, take that picture you don't need to watch it after.
• 7:40
  Turo Virta: Save it somewhere that you have it later. And and this is this is one thing like the clients who I have been working for longer, they don't I encourage them to take those pictures, all of them are not doing it to be honest. But those who have done it even it doesn't feel good.
• 7:56
  Turo Virta: They are so thankful later on that they have done it even they didn't feel like it because then if you let's say that, three months, six months from now, you are dating another picture how you are looking and when you have something where you can compare yourself what you have been how you have been in the past. And now you are able to see that how much progress you have been actually made me how your body has changed. And this is this is that giving the feeling that you are actually making progress you might have lost less weight on a scale as you think it ideally should be.
• 8:36
  Turo Virta: But if you have something you have pictures like your bike feel like you know you have your clothes feel kind of little bit different, but it's not it's never visible. So if you have something what is visible, you are seeing the picture how you are losing losing your body is changing that is giving you belief that you know that you are doing the right things you don't need to change anything so because time is working for you not against you. So this is that's why take pictures take measurements are other way like just simple tape measurements, when you take them like clothes are also put into gear which is kind of the same thing. But when you see that number, if it's a couple inches couple centimeters, you see that there is actually there's it's a fact it's not just the feeling that there might be something you see that it's something that you can see. And when you are doing those things when you see the some of these things, either you're seeing improvements in your pictures, you are losing some insights, those are signs that you are losing actually fat skate weight is a one way to measure the progress. So let's then talk about like rate fluctuations and how you should actually be using that scale rate to make as a one way to measure your fat loss progress.
• 9:52
  Turo Virta: So it's, it's totally normal to see your rate is going up and down. It's usually daily it can be during the day, like all the time like that it's an it's not perfect, it's not a sign that you are doing something wrong. I tell you a couple examples. No I was I was recently a couple of weeks ago with the Italian National Ice hockey team and we were waiting those guys every single morning before practice and later they were practicing two times per day and after sacred practice so they revise that lost within one day three to four kilograms which is like it's almost like 10 pounds eight pounds.
• 10:39
  Turo Virta: If you're if you're using pumps in a day, and why is that it's all because of water. So why why it's happening like for guys, what what was causing that fake weight fluctuation was that obviously in the morning, some guys add a little bit bigger breakfast when they come into practice. Then divers reading a lot and maybe eating something and reading even more within a second practice. So there was a four kilos regular, so they were very dehydrated at the moment.
• 11:08
  Turo Virta: So obviously then they were eating hydrating and mixed morning where it was more or less same. But they were not in a kind of trying to lose fat or anything, it's just a matter of hydration. So that was the reason we didn't one day almost been bounced that way it was going up and down, depending how much you were trading. And there was nobody, none of those guys are losing, as you know that you don't lose fat within one day.
• 11:33
  Turo Virta: But scale rate was totally different on on even on the same day, and then guys were all in one day, they were having a afternoon off. And some of them went to eat for pizza or eating little bit later than usually next morning scale rate was up like one two kilos, what was the day before? So those are those are all kinds of phrases like obviously, they are not nobody was gaining fat, two kilos. But those were just the reasons why that flake rate your state rate might be fluctuating daily, depending what you are doing. It doesn't mean if you are in a calorie deficit or not. But but that is that is just an example.
• 12:15
  Turo Virta: Like, why it's, it's happening.
• 12:21
  Turo Virta: And and those those senses they can be they are from water is water retention. Is that the that's the by far the most common one. So what are other reasons why you might be seeing scale rate going up? Like usually, it's whatever it is, but there are some other factors like for example, verticals. So what is what is that this was something what I didn't know, but now now I have learned it and I see the trend, every time when I when I have for example harder strength training or harder workout, and that they after harder workout. Even I know from the fact that I wasn't I haven't been eating, I have been eating well, I have just had a hard workout. But next day I see scale weight is going up and why is that happening. So when you are when you are doing a harder workout. So for example strengthen when you train your bigger muscles like for example for me if I train my legs or back, which are like relatively big muscles. So you are pushing when you are training like strength training you are causing you are damaging that your muscle tissue so so to muscle to get stronger, you need to you are damaged every single time when you are strength training. And so you are pushing yourself off the limits and you cause damage in your muscle tissue. And then in your body, it's a process to get somewhere is that your body when you are recovering when you are resting, it's repairing those muscles damaged muscle tissues. And during that process, your body needs something called glycogen.
• 13:59
  Turo Virta: So it's a form of carbs which is stored in your muscles. So and during that process lubricant is something like that it needs every gram of glycogen needs three grams of water to store it. So let's say that you damage your muscle tissues, you're now your muscles storage cysts are full of glycogen because your muscle needs glycogen to store and let's say that you have a place for 250 grams of glycogen, which is stored in your muscles to help you to repair those damaged muscle tissues. And that 250 grams of glycogen needs 750 grams of water in order to repair those muscles. So your scale rate is going one kilogram up says basically because of water it is. So this is this the one of the reason like if you see that scale rate is going up on after harder workout days.
• 14:53
  Turo Virta: That's the reason why that scale rate is fluctuate. Other thing, like an oversized example is that for for example, alcohol, like if I if I see the time I go out on a day before I eat, I drink a lot of alcohol next day, I had some I know that I know for a fact that I haven't been in a calorie deficit. But next day when I start to step up on the scale, I see that my scale rate is going down. And I'd rather Polish if that went well.
• 15:24
  Turo Virta: Nothing happened I lost weight.
• 15:24
  Turo Virta: But alcohol is something that it's it's dehydrating. So it takes that even you drink some liquid, it's taking that water away. So your body is holding temporary LIS water. So as water retention is working opposite with alcohol. And that and usually for example with alcohol if I if I go out, I drink more alcohol than usually. And that next day, the next day, my scale rate might be lower, but then it's something back it's higher, maybe two three days after I have been doing the valuable whole even those days I didn't.
• 16:03
  Turo Virta: So that's the that's the reason why why that scale rate, it's fluctuating. It's for women, it's that time of the month, like when you have your menstrual cycle, like your periods, it's very individual.
• 16:14
  Turo Virta: But for most women, it's affecting what time of the month it is. And it's there are some some weeks that your scaling rate is going up. Also your sleep, all kinds of things like that they are affecting your state, that how to feel like that if you feel frustrated every single time that when your scale is going up, you can imagine how much frustration you are feeling. And it's but understanding that this is everything is totally normal.
• 16:50
  Turo Virta: It's part of life. If you are, for example, what I was feeling about that glucose and carbs, if you are version who is for some reason, like those low carb slide, I think that is the one of the biggest reasons why those low carb diets are so popular, because they make you lose scale rate in the beginning and a lot.
• 17:12
  Turo Virta: So if you leave your carbs away, it doesn't mean that you are losing it, they are a better way to lose fat, but you are losing a lot faster stalemate, because when you are, let's say that you are a person who is eating carbs are normally and we have that they are going to be so glucose in your body and every gram of glucose and like you learned earlier needs three grams of water for some now you are starting to restrict your carbs, you don't have any glucans. So you have less energy. And and that causes that when you your toes when you are still keep moving, your pupil can storage cysts are getting empty. And at the same time, it's not, it doesn't, that doesn't mean that you are losing any fat, but you are losing a lot of water weight. So you are your scale is going down relatively fast. And then at some point, you know, if you don't have any Globocan anymore to lose, it's you're you're not going to lose scale weight faster as you have to still be in a calorie deficit to lose that fat. So how much system if you don't know how much is one kilo or one pound of fat in a calorie so it's the only way to lose fat is to be in a calorie deficit and one kilogram of fat is around 7000 calories or 7500 depends a little bit on person. So it's if it's if you're using pounds, it's 3500 per pound, calories per pound.
• 18:43
  Turo Virta: So that is the amount what you need to be losing fat. And at scale rate you could be losing, like I said, used in those examples earlier, you could be losing three, four pillows, like up to 10 Bounce, even within one day without losing actually fat.
• 19:02
  Turo Virta: But so, so this is just understanding why that scale is fluctuating what are the reasons behind and how to feel that remove little bit that that trust racing away. So so don't let that scale control your happiness. So, you can it can exceed your weight goal, it can be happy moment, but they're remember that you are actually you are more than that number.
• 19:30
  Turo Virta: So, what are what are the more important are kind of those if your goal is to lose weight, or you might actually most people want to lose fat, but they are using only weight as a way to measure that that was progress.
• 19:42
  Turo Virta: And doing it like that those what are those kinds of non scale victories like what are helping you in the long term Are those your actions which are leading to that fat loss or weight loss what you always wanted. So, if you are able to do your workouts, you are able to hit your protein goal you are able to hit your step goal you are you make better decisions with your food sources, you chose something what is maybe a little bit healthier, you were able to go for three minute minute walk or a five minute walk. So those are all kind of things what you can affect what you can do today, your actions, those are the most important things and once those your actions are aligned, that scale rate and weightless will follow.
• 20:30
  Turo Virta: So this is this is something like kind of mindset shift what you need to be making and what is what is then important is that how to use that scale in an accurate way. So scale rate it's thing it's only data you are collecting you should not have I know that it's easier said than done, but you should not have some kind of emotions with it.
• 20:58
  Turo Virta: It's just one number you are tracking. It's like number that you are tracking. Whatever you are tracking, you're tracking your or steps, you are tracking your calories, you are tracking your protein intake. And it's not that you have some kind of emotion. So if you are, let's say that what I tried to track myself, I track my steps, I tracked my protein intake. And if I hit my, let's say my protein goal is 150 grams per day. And if there are days that I get 200 grams, it's not that I get so pissed off and angry at about for myself, that's why I didn't eat it. It's, it's really, it's just the number that okay, next day, I try to improve. And it's same thing, but if I get to hit my goal, it's it's that that's a good way, that's how it should be.
• 21:48
  Turo Virta: But there is no like real emotion within it says the data I track and then trying to implement strategies that are helping me to achieve that goal.
• 21:59
  Turo Virta: And that read the scale rate, it's kind of same thing, it's just one data point. And how you can actually use it to see if you are losing fat is that what I highly recommend is to rate your learning rate yourself every single day. And but use only one number per week. So take your average number per week. So why is that important?
• 22:20
  Turo Virta: Because there are those fluctuations, they are every single day different. So for some reason you might be eating later at night, you will have been eating maybe more carbs than usually you have been maybe you are drinking some alcohol, all kinds of all you had a harder workouts all kinds of possible you had more sodium, those are all reasons what are affecting to your scaling. But when you have one number per week, and then you see the player that trend is going that is a really good indicator of how your fat and weight loss is going in or long term. It's not every single week. But if you have let's say that I have one average number per week and compare that average number for next week. If your your progress within a long term, let's say that it's it's a month, two months, three months or even more, it's your scale rate number on average should go down what is a good amount of calorie defeat if you are going like sustainable realistic expectation is half kilo per week, so one, two weeks, one pound per week. And that is like that's a very that's it means that you are minus 500 calories a day, every single day. So let's say that it's if it's if you have lots of blood weight to lose, it could be more, but for most people sustainable, that is some somewhere what is realistic, and what is also sustainable. So it can be it can be different. But when you are using that average number per week, you don't have that frustration that it why that scale is fluctuating why it's going up and down. But it says the data what you are collecting, you see where the trends are going. And when the trend when you are doing, if the trend is not going down, let's say after two months, it's still you are eating very little calories, you are not seeing that scale rate on average day rate is not going down, then honestly, you probably are not in a calorie deficit. Or then there are some other reasons like that you are just too stressed the start if you're working out you are gaining muscle mass, you are holding temporarily more water. So it could be there is no no weight loss, no measurement, no measurements are not anything, you're not seeing pictures, difference in a picture, then you are in a plateau but before you have saved him, everything of these things, you don't tell yourself that you are not losing anything, you are not making progress. Because for most people you are making, they are probably making progress, but they don't realize that they are making the progress. So so use that use that ski as a as a as a tool, not to judge you. So it's it's because you are you are more than number on the scale.
• 25:17
  Turo Virta: So, you are a person who is like you are doing your best you are learning you are growing, you are trying to get stronger. So there are so many other things that are affecting and that scale is just not the most accurate or the best way how to add follow your progress. So these are these are all things that you have to consider when you are doing and setting those realistic expectations. So what you probably are seeing in online life you see those crazy weightless feats are promising like to lose a lot of scale in a short period of time. And that is that is possible. It's not it's not hard to get scale going down. But the thing is that it's never going to be sustained. But it's you're never going to keep those results. So I just wrap up this thing I tell you quick stories from my, from my clients who was participating for weight loss competition. So for some reason C decided to participate in she thought that that's a great motivation for herself to motivated z have to be in some amount of scale weight, what was it like 150 pounds, or whatever was the goal weight. And she needed to be on that date like that she has, she had said that timeline for weight loss goals.
• 26:42
  Turo Virta: And we were like I was when we started to work I I'm kind of lighter, I was lying to her, I said that I can get you there.
• 26:52
  Turo Virta: But we it was it was little bit too much, to be honest, to be realistic. But we started I started to use metrics with a sustainable way. But obviously, the results were not as fast as as they should be. And then there was like, four days missing. And C needed to lose nine pounds. And C didn't have too much weight to lose. So but don't panic, don't like we will get you there. And when you are manipulating you are spreading everything out, you start you leave all carbs survey, you manipulate your fiber, sodium intake. And basically you just spit out that water your scale rate is going down. And like for her because her she was reading that Betsy got actually wasn't even some gas prices to hit that scale number. But the way how she felt she said that that was the worst feeling like that was her weight, what she wanted to be. And she thought that this is that it's going to make her so happy. But then see, hit that Wait, she said that she felt the worst ever in her life when she hit that goal number because there was only restricts. And those couple of days they were hard, you know you are you are spreading everything out. Basically, if you want to do extreme things, you don't even take a shower, you just try that sweat off and limit your water intake, everything. So you can get that scale going down. But it doesn't mean that that you are you are actually feeling to be what you think that that number is representing you. Because for most people that number, especially women, it's a number of what is coming from the past, like if you like she was in mid 40s. And that number was the she was telling me that she was in her 20s She felt great. He had a pair of jeans, she was able to fit when she was weighing that 150 pounds or that number. And she thought that she won't she was chasing that same feeling.
• 28:56
  Turo Virta: And what was that number was was representing that feeling, what she thought that she needs to accept that same number to feel that same way than she was in her 20s. So but the lesson what she learned is that number doesn't mean that you are actually feeling the same way.
• 29:14
  Turo Virta: And that as that was the worst day of her life, how she fed despite she was eating her way to school. So remember that it doesn't, it's usually it's a memory from the past. And you think when you exceed that scale number, what you think will make you happier. It's not the scale number, what the what that number of that machine is giving you. It's that feeling what you are doing, how you are doing it.
• 29:41
  Turo Virta: And that is like obviously great. It's important. But it's not the only thing that matters.
• 29:45
  Turo Virta: So for this, I'm hosting next day, next days, starting from August 21. So if you're listening this before that, Peter you after 35 seconds, and there'll be there's a link in Sonos, or in my social media everywhere to register and join for that sentence. And in this sentence, we are going to talk about all kinds of things, what are possibly what are making you to help you to be healthier to get fitter, after 35. So this is this is kind of my present to give you I'm going to teach you all the methods I use with my coaching clients. And it's a five day boost to start to get to increase your success rates doesn't matter where you are in your fitness journey. And I hope to see you Tennessee is going to there's going to be five days life lessons with me with some mini tenancies every single day.
• 30:44
  Turo Virta: So you're going to expect that it's a 2030 minute live session with some mini challenges where you are going to see why you have failed in the past and what to do to increase your success rates. So I hope to see you in that silence challenge is in my private Facebook group fitness to a fitness friends for life and all instructions if you join for tenants, you'll find a link for acceleration beats, and it's totally for free. So I really, really hope to see you inside there. So thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. I hope you've had an amazing day and talk to you soon.