Highlights from a Toward Health coaching discussion about looking beyond one scale reading, learning from setbacks, and remembering why you started.
Medically reviewed by Tro Kalayjian, DO
Updated and medically reviewed August 28, 2026
During a July 2020 online group coaching meeting, Tro Kalayjian, DO, and Health Coaches Amy Eiges and Brian Wiley discussed the number on the scale, ways to recover after a setback, and the importance of being kind to yourself. This article reorganizes the key points, personal examples, and research links shared during that conversation.
The examples below reflect a group discussion. They are not individualized medical or nutrition advice.
What are non-scale victories?
The number on the scale rarely tells the whole story. During the meeting, Amy discussed her own difficult experience with the scale and encouraged participants to look at other measures of progress.
The group highlighted several ways to look beyond one number:
- How you feel.
- How your clothes fit.
- Changes in your measurements.
- Changes in your blood work.
- Where you are now compared with where you started.
These measures do not make the scale irrelevant. They provide a broader view of progress when a single reading feels discouraging or incomplete.
Amy’s original first-person account is still available in Tales From The Scale: The Evil Metal Box.
Why one scale reading may not tell the whole story
Participants discussed having short-term weight changes of about five pounds. The group emphasized that a sudden rise after one meal should not automatically be read as equivalent fat gain and said that these changes were often gone within a day or two.
The practical point was to pause before treating one reading as a verdict on the entire process. Looking at trends and other measures can provide more context.
How the group approached setbacks
Tro, Amy, and Brian discussed using difficult moments as learning experiences instead of treating them as moral failures.
Brian shared an example involving keto treats. What began as a holiday replacement became a six-month daily habit. The example illustrated how a small substitution can gradually become a pattern worth noticing.
The meeting emphasized several practical responses:
- Accept that the setback happened without using it as a reason to give up.
- Be kind to yourself rather than treating the moment as proof of failure.
- Ask what contributed to the situation.
- Think about what could help you prepare for a similar situation next time.
- Return to basic routines when you are unsure what to do next.
- Be mindful of the ways the brain may seek reward and rationalize going off plan, breaking a fast, or eating more.
- Avoid pulling too many levers at once. The group warned that reacting with a long fast, much more cardio or exercise, or severe restriction can backfire.
One analogy from the meeting captured the overall approach: if your windshield had a small chip, you would not use a baseball bat to smash every other window. A setback does not require turning one difficult moment into a larger derailment.
For a fuller discussion of recovery strategies, read How to Recover When You’re Off the Rails.
Remember why you started
A later group meeting focused on “remembering your why”—the reason someone wants to continue working toward better health.
Participants described many different motivations, including being healthy for their family, changing weight or health markers, feeling more confident, inspiring others, addressing medical concerns, reducing medication, or avoiding surgery.
The meeting’s main takeaway was that remembering your own reason can help guide decisions when times are difficult. The reason does not have to be the same for everyone. It needs to be meaningful to you.
Research shared during the original meeting
The original meeting summary reported that one study showed a low-carb intervention reversing fatty liver in nine days, that another linked replacing sugar with starch with rapid improvement, that ketogenic-diet research showed change within six days, and that four weeks of carbohydrate restriction reversed metabolic syndrome independent of weight loss. It also said Tro discussed intermittent fasting.
“These studies demonstrated how fatty liver and metabolic syndrome can be quickly reversed,” said Dr. Tro. “It’s important to realize that ‘cheating’ should not be viewed as a moral failure, but something that can be course-corrected quite easily and quickly.”
The following four studies were linked in the original summary:
- Effects of Dietary Fructose Restriction on Liver Fat, De Novo Lipogenesis, and Insulin Kinetics in Children with Obesity
- An Integrated Understanding of the Rapid Metabolic Benefits of a Carbohydrate-Restricted Diet on Hepatic Steatosis in Humans
- Effect of a ketogenic diet on hepatic steatosis and hepatic mitochondrial metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Dietary carbohydrate restriction improves metabolic syndrome independent of weight loss
These links and interpretations are preserved as material shared during the historical discussion. They should not be read as automatically applying to an individual.
Key takeaways
- One scale reading does not define the full picture.
- Clothing fit, measurements, wellbeing, blood work, and comparison with your starting point can provide additional context.
- A setback can be examined as a learning experience rather than a moral failure.
- Returning to basic routines may be more useful than punitive overcorrection.
- Remembering why you started can help you reconnect with the next decision.
If you want a practical starting framework, continue with How to Start a Low-Carb Diet in 5 Practical Steps.
For support applying these ideas to your own routine, explore Toward Health Coaching.
