Attention: everybody who the scale makes cry!

lotusfromthemud

I have posted this link three times in the past two days.

Attention, everybody: the scale isn't telling you the whole story!

Here's a great article, on a great blog that will change your life. It's entitled "Why The Scale Lies", written by Renee Cloe.

http://www.skwigg.com/id12.html

Now, step away from the scale and carry on.

:flowerforyou:

katlou2

bump for later, the scales doens't make me cry but is aggrevating at times...

Amarillo_NDN

It always amazes me how people think weight equals fat. It not like our body is only made of fat and that the only thing the scale tells us.

If peole would get off their butts and do a little research before crying about what they scales are saying, we might get a few less post about it.

I am with you on this one.

Skinnyme87

Thanks for sharing the link!

Aeriel

Great article, thanks! I knew most of it already, but nice to see it confirmed by someone else.

spaniel

bump

agdeierl

Great article!!! Thanks so much for posting! I already knew the first half, but I learned a lot in the last half, and plus it's always nice to have a reminder of what's REALLY important! :flowerforyou:

iamstronger247

It always amazes me how people think weight equals fat. It not like our body is only made of fat and that the only thing the scale tells us.

If peole would get off their butts and do a little research before crying about what they scales are saying, we might get a few less post about it.

I am with you on this one.

for reals? sometimes it is discouraging esp. for us newbies.. so maybe we do get off our butts and do research and maybe some days we just want to cry about it... i am pretty sure you as well got frustrated when u first started losing weight.. and i am pretty sure you had ''down' days and needed to vent.

nj_rider

Do NOT get on the scale more than once a week AT THE MOST and pick the day and stick with it. Weighing yourself every day will just discourage you.

PS - I use a Tanita scale that weighs and calculates body fat. Both numbers are coming down slowly but regularly.....and that's THE secret to permanent weight loss. Losing weight and fat slowly.

agdeierl

Do NOT get on the scale more than once a week AT THE MOST and pick the day and stick with it. Weighing yourself every day will just discourage you.

PS - I use a Tanita scale that weighs and calculates body fat. Both numbers are coming down slowly but regularly.....and that's THE secret to permanent weight loss. Losing weight and fat slowly.

How does it calculate body fat ? It doesn't seem like a scale could accurately do this...

lotusfromthemud

Do NOT get on the scale more than once a week AT THE MOST and pick the day and stick with it. Weighing yourself every day will just discourage you.

PS - I use a Tanita scale that weighs and calculates body fat. Both numbers are coming down slowly but regularly.....and that's THE secret to permanent weight loss. Losing weight and fat slowly.

How does it calculate body fat ? It doesn't seem like a scale could accurately do this...

The scales use bioelectrical impedence, and it's not very accurate. Although if you're measuring progress, it's a better tool than scale weight alone.

Navie42

Meh, I get the point the article is making, but things such as stored water or glycogen are always going to be in the make up of the number the scale tells us. It reads more like one person's attempt to make themselves feel better than a researched essay. I mean, one can step on the scale in the morning and see a half pound increase and say to themselves "oh, its probably just water" but we are made of mostly water and, well, to tell yourself otherwise is really just kidding yourself.

The article would've done better instead to analyse the psychological effects weighing yourself everyday has, it would help more people.

lotusfromthemud

Meh, I get the point the article is making, but things such as stored water or glycogen are always going to be in the make up of the number the scale tells us. It reads more like one person's attempt to make themselves feel better than a researched essay. I mean, one can step on the scale in the morning and see a half pound increase and say to themselves "oh, its probably just water" but we are made of mostly water and, well, to tell yourself otherwise is really just kidding yourself.

The article would've done better instead to analyse the psychological effects weighing yourself everyday has, it would help more people.

Not really the point of the article (psychological effects), nor is it scholarly, although the author is a trainer and a registered dietician.

The point of posting the article, is that most people (or a lot of people) aren't realizing that the scale reflects water and glycogen retention, and it's very discouraging to them. Just trying to dispel some ignorance, and maybe help someone get a handle on the information on which they're relying.

agdeierl

Do NOT get on the scale more than once a week AT THE MOST and pick the day and stick with it. Weighing yourself every day will just discourage you.

PS - I use a Tanita scale that weighs and calculates body fat. Both numbers are coming down slowly but regularly.....and that's THE secret to permanent weight loss. Losing weight and fat slowly.

How does it calculate body fat ? It doesn't seem like a scale could accurately do this...

what is an accurate way to measure body fat then ?because i am worried that i'm losing muscle and not fat.

The scales use bioelectrical impedence, and it's not very accurate. Although if you're measuring progress, it's a better tool than scale weight alone.

agdeierl

(sorry my Computer Is acting up. ) what is an accurate way to measure body fat then ?because i am worried that i'm losing muscle and not fat

lotusfromthemud

The current considered gold standards are an underwater weighing technique and something called the "bod pod". You may want to google around in your area to see if any gyms, universities ,or YMCAs offer either of these.

The easy way to make sure you don't drop muscle mass is to make sure that you don't make your calorie deficit too large, especially if you don't have much to lose.

LotusF1ower

Do NOT get on the scale more than once a week AT THE MOST and pick the day and stick with it. Weighing yourself every day will just discourage you.

PS - I use a Tanita scale that weighs and calculates body fat. Both numbers are coming down slowly but regularly.....and that's THE secret to permanent weight loss. Losing weight and fat slowly.

How does it calculate body fat ? It doesn't seem like a scale could accurately do this...

From what I gather, you stand with your feet on the metal bits and it sends electrical charges through to your body. It measures the resistance and this gives the fat reading - as the more resistance, the less or more (can't remember which way round it is) fat there is on the body.