We’re a nation of scale-obsessed weight watchers and I’m saying that it’s time to stop.

From a young age I’ve also been scale-obsessed and I’ve seen the numbers on the scale going up and down as a direct contributor to my happiness. At the start of my fitness journey I jumped on those scales every Monday morning without fail and recorded the numbers. Every week for over a year. I even took photos.

Until I realised that it’s not about those numbers. It’s about how you look and feel.

I know that I’m getting stronger, fitter and leaner but I was getting frustrated that the numbers on the scales weren’t going down. And then my belt reached the last hole. And my abs started to pop out again. What was happening?

It’s pretty simple. Solid nutrition + cardio + strength training + perseverance = lean bodies. And as muscle is more dense than fat you can shrink in size while maintaining your weight.

Here’s the (unfiltered) proof:

I’m the same weight in both of these photos which were taken pretty much a year apart. Although the changes are only small I know that I’m leaner, my clothes fit better and I feel great. My body is more in proportion and I haven’t lost the hourglass figure that I love and have been working for. Yes, I have stupid tan marks, I know, blame the sports bra/Spring sunshine combination…

It can be frustrating and it can be difficult to retrain your brain into focusing on feelings rather than concrete stats, especially in this era of the quantified self with smart watches, heart rate monitors and fitness trackers.

But please people, step away from the scales. Use your clothes as an indicator, take measurements with a tape measure if you want to, set up fitness tests to see your strength and CV fitness progress but stop being a slave to the scales, you’re only getting half the picture.