To Weigh or Not to Weigh

If there is one thing I wish that my patients would cease tracking it would be weighing themselves as a measure of their progress or success. As a medical provider, I am required to know your weight to dose medication‘s appropriately, give a diagnosis code, or track if you are losing weight too rapidly or underweight. However, for my most common patient and myself included if we are using the number on the scale alone as THE pinnacle goal and therefore the determining factor on whether or not what we are doing is working, you will be woefully disappointed and disillusioned, and you’ll falter and fail way too early. Or worse: Binge and give up the exercise altogether because “it’s not working anyways”.

Strong, healthy bodies in perimenopause aren’t built by chasing a smaller number on the scale… they’re built by reducing body fat and protecting muscle 💪🔥

Here’s the truth many women aren’t told ⬇️

📉 You can lose pounds and still lose muscle — which slows metabolism, worsens insulin resistance, and makes energy, mood, and bone health suffer.

📈 You can stay the same weight — but lose body fat and gain muscle — and feel stronger, more stable, and more metabolically healthy.

👉 Muscle is the “currency” of menopause. It supports:
✔️ steadier blood sugar
✔️ healthier bones
✔️ brain and mood resilience
✔️ better balance and fewer falls
✔️ more energy and confidence

And yes… the type of exercise matters:
🚶‍♀️ Cardio for heart + stamina
🏋️‍♀️ Strength training to build/keep muscle
🧘‍♀️ Stretching + isometrics for joints + flexibility
⚡ Plyometrics / HIIT (when appropriate) for insulin sensitivity and endurance

The goal isn’t punishment. It’s strategic movement that works with your hormones, not against them.

Where did we learn that the number on the scale determines our value, success, perseverance or self-discipline? I’m serious, take a hard look at that. Obviously body image comparison of supermodels and social media is rampant, but even more than that I believe was the unseen impact of our peers and even well meaning teachers or coaches who may have criticized our weight or complimented us for looking thin. Our mass in pounds does not tell you anything about body composition- muscle vs fat vs water retention.

Should we not eat healthy and move our body and take supplements to FEEL amazing and BE healthy? That would be a lifestyle - not a “I’ll try this for 30 days” test.

Now, if you do want an objective marker of progress consider using waist circumference (but not helpful if you suffer from bloating), a body fat % device, or simply how you fit in your clothes. IF you HAVE to weigh yourself, may I suggest doing it only ONCE a month, right after your period when you should be retaining the least amount of fluid, and only if the number will not affect your mood positively or negatively.

Challenge: consider a New Year’s resolution of not weighing yourself all 2026- but continuing undaunted healthy habits every day.

At Fireweed Functional Medicine we assess body fat percent on every client who desires to see metabolic progress.

If you’re feeling frustrated with “doing everything right” and not seeing scale changes — t body fat percentage tells a more honest story than pounds alone.

You deserve a plan that supports your body through this transition — not one that fights it.

Disclaimer: if you are someone who is in denial of the gravity of your health condition and fat gain, disregard everything I just said.