## ⚖️ The Scale vs. The Jeans: Who You Gonna Trust? > [!quote] “You’re gonna die, clown!!” – Happy Gilmore (aka how you _should_ feel about the scale some days) --- ### 🧠 Don’t Let the Scale Mind-F You The scale is a tool — not a truth-teller. Your weight can fluctuate 2–5 lbs _in a single day_ depending on: - Salt - Sleep - Stress - Hormones - Glycogen levels - Water retention - That monster burrito you forgot to log 😅 > [!danger] So when you see the number go _up_ even though you trained and ate clean — don’t panic. That’s not fat gain. That’s normal. --- ### 👖 Use Jeans, Not Just the Scale The best tool for tracking real-world progress? **Your pants.** - Got a pair you wish fit better? Use that as your guide. - Are they looser in the thighs? Waist? Butt? That’s _real change_. - Scale stuck but pants fitting better? You’re probably recomposing — burning fat while building muscle. --- ### 📈 When to Use the Scale - Track it weekly, _not daily_. - Log it to see trends, not to determine your mood. - Weigh under the same conditions: fasted, after morning pee, no clothes. That number is just _data_. The real question: Are you moving better? Feeling stronger? Fitting into clothes with ease? --- ### 🧠 Pro Tip: Recomp is Real > [!success] Muscle weighs more than fat but takes up less space. You might weigh the same but look completely different. That’s the _magic_ of staying consistent.