Body weight vs body composition.

Cassandraw3

As I was looking through old pictures on my tablet from 4 years ago, I discovered some old pictures of me. I wanted to share these to demonstrate the how body composition (body fat to muscle) matters so much more than your weight and the number on the scale. The picture on the left was me pre-crossfit, pre-baby weighing somewhere between 120-130 lbs. On the right is from a couple weeks ago at about 150 lbs. Lifting weights does not make you bulky. It adds muscle tone and definition.

88olds

Great work. And thanks for posting this. Unfortunately you likely won’t find many converts here. Its all about the scale, austerity eating and the ensuing funk.

I’m surprised at how few posts there are here showing that there is another path.

Laura5662

Good work!!! I'm with you. Body composition is what matters most. I had it measured recently and have 21% body fat which is ok for my age group & gender, but I want it lower.

Cassandraw3

Unfortunately there is not a good way to measure body composition yet that doesn't have a large margin of error. It is easy to hop on a scale to see how much you weigh. And lifting adds a lot of the muscle definition women want (even though my body doesn't quite show that yet. Still have some more fat to lose.)

sardelsa

Wow, you look fantastic! Great job

I found the same thing, if I compare photos of myself before I started lifting, I look so different now even at a higher weight. I feel and look better, not to mention because I'm heavier I get to eat more

kimny72

OP you look great! I have been so much happier with how I look since I started strength training, and people tend to think I'm still losing weight, even though I'm not.

I think body weight is most important up to a point. But once you get into the healthy weight range, body comp can make such a huge difference and often have a greater affect on how you look than losing another 5 lbs.

Luckily I think the tide is turning and the myths about women lifting weights and getting strong are at least starting to fade away.

I'm so fortunate I found a community like this where people are encouraged to lose weight slowly and strength train, to focus on recomp rather than trying to get to the bottom of the healthy weight range, and to eat an enjoyable diet to fuel an active life.

Great work and keep it up! And thanks for sharing

4hopeyem

Thanks for the post, a great reminder. I still struggle with the scale but know the number I would like to see may never happen because of all my strength training. People keep thinking I am losing weight but I am losing inches. As it gets harder to lose the weight now, it is something I have to remind myself. Not what the number says, but how you feel. Especially after losing over 100 lbs.
Great post!!

thisPGHlife

I hope that it really is changing. I don't know that I've ever wanted to be skinny skinny. I've always appreciated having bigger thighs because they are muscular from biking. Now that I've started martial arts I'm looking forward to getting to an appropriate weight so I can show if my muscles. I don't want to be bulky so I don't train to get bulky. I want to be able to show off what my body can do and be proud of my strength.

Different strokes for different folks though. I think @kimny72 is right in that there is a time and place for making weight the priority but overall this is a great place to talk to people who are grounded and more balanced in their lifestyles. Thank you all for this.

Cassandraw3

Thanks everyone for the kind words!

I agree there is a time and place for making weight the priority. Part of this was for me, too. I was disappointed I let myself gain so much weight. Being able to see these pictures side by side, knowing the changes I've made, It's more lean mass than I realized. The number on the scale doesn't tell the whole story.