The Scale vs. Measurements: Which is more reliable?

​Everyday i wiould get the same question and frustration from followers and clients, "Why everytime I get on the scale, it says the same thing?". What a great question with a simple but complex answer. To answer your question, you might have lost body fat and replaced it with muscle mass, but I must ask, did you take any measurements?
Although we may use the scale to see how much we weigh, taking measurements is a method that is not used a lot by most people, other than training clients and personal trainers, Just as much as you would get on the scale, you need to record your measurements as well.  This way, you can see the missing links to your fitness journey.  The scale itself doesn't separate body fat from muscle mass and bone density - unless you have one of the more expensive scales that does give you separate values.  Regardless if it does or not, taking measurements are the best way to see if you are losing inches instead of actual weight.

How does this happens? If you are on a strict diet and workout routine and you don't see any significant weight loss, it's not because you are not working hard enough, it's because you are losing body fat while gaining muscle mass at the same time.  It's just happens that amount of muscle mass you've gained equals the amount of body fat that you lost.  This is the very reason why most people tend to give after the first 3 weeks of their fitness journey, thinking that their hard work isn't working, or just don't know what to progress with after doing mostly the same thing for 2-3 weeks.

Let me assure you that if you are being consistent with your dieting and exercising, you will become successful throughout your fitness journey. Don't let the scale be your only indicator you use to keep track of your progress. Taking measurements is very vital to keep track with progress because the scale can say 145 lbs for the past 2 weeks but lost 3-4 inches in the waist.  That's just the way body fat vs muscle mass works.  

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