Even with my nutritional experience, knowing what I know about body composition.My day can still be ruined by stepping onto the scale and not seeing what I want to see. For that reason I only weigh myself a few times a year. You could be feeling great, clothes feeling looser, but the scale then tells you that you have actually put on 3kg - and you automatically are put in a bad/less motivated mood.

As a nutrition specialist I get a lot of clients saying I need to lose X amount of weight to reach my goal. It takes time to convince them, and get them to stop living by what the scale says and to think about how there favourite jeans are fitting instead.

In reality all the weight on the scale is telling you is your gravitational pull to the earth.

Im sure you have heard people saying “muscle weighs more than fat” thats not true - It’s the same as that question - what is heavier a tonne of rocks or a tonne of feathers? - they both weigh the same, but one just takes up more space. This is the exactly the same when it comes to muscle and fat. Muscle is more dense than fat so takes up a smaller area. This is also the reason why we can look smaller/more toned but actually weigh more. 

The scales can fluctuate by 1-5kgs each day - that’s why weighing yourself everyday is not the right answer. Different things can alter your weight on the scale. You might have eaten a more salty meal the day before and now your body is holding onto “water weight”. You could be on your period and your hormones are causing you to hold more weight. 

If you do need the reassurance of the scale - i would suggest only weighing yourself once every 2weeks and being consistent with it - same time of day, same clothes, and very importantly - same scale. But don't let this be the only way you keep track of your progress. Have a piece of clothing that you can use to gauge your results. Jeans or a fitted dress are excellent options.

Another excellent way to track your progress are photos. There are apps out there where you can store these photos privately and put them side by side to compare. Try using @healthyselfieapp - just make sure you account is private if you don't want to be sharing your results with the world.

That all being said - If you have a lot of body fat to lose, I would recommend weighing yourself once a week - 2weeks to make sure you are heading in the right direction. Once you get closer to your goal and start increasing your training you might find your weight loss slows down or goes up slightly as your build lean muscle.

There are so many motivational photos on Instagram. @evasaischegg and @wholesome_lee have very kindly let me use there transformation photos to illustrate that weight on the scale does not dictate your results. They both look amazing - and they both weigh more than when they started. These results don't happen over night - these ladies show that it takes time, consistency and commitment to get to where they are. If you keep going you will get there. Every journey is different. We all need to focus on living healthier lifestyles vs looking for quick fixes that won’t last.