Ho ho ho 2014 Challenge

Join

The scale does not tell the whole story

Options
skittlesnhoney
skittlesnhoney Posts: 651 Member
in Social Groups
From January through the end of March I lost over 16 lbs and 2.8% body fat. From March to August, my scale has fluctuated between a 2-7 lb loss depending on the day. This was very frustrating but I finally went and got my body fat percentage checked again to see if I had lost any more. I have lost 9% more body fat since adding a lifting routine. I'm trying not to focus so much on the scale and more on how I feel in my clothes, marveling at my strength gains, etc. Had I not known that I'd lost that much body fat, I would have given up or tried something else thinking this wasn't working.

Just wanted to share my NSV! :bigsmile:

Replies

  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    Options
    Well done! You must be so happy. This is a fantastic accomplishment and a good message for all of us.
    Congratulations!
  • myepsen
    myepsen Posts: 1,794 Member
    Options
    From January through the end of March I lost over 16 lbs and 2.8% body fat. From March to August, my scale has fluctuated between a 2-7 lb loss depending on the day. This was very frustrating but I finally went and got my body fat percentage checked again to see if I had lost any more. I have lost 9% more body fat since adding a lifting routine. I'm trying not to focus so much on the scale and more on how I feel in my clothes, marveling at my strength gains, etc. Had I not known that I'd lost that much body fat, I would have given up or tried something else thinking this wasn't working.

    Just wanted to share my NSV! :bigsmile:

    Thank you for sharing - this puts the journey into perspective. We focus SO much on a number but it is only a fraction of the whole story.

    Keep up the great work!!

    Query...what is "NSV"?
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Options
    That is awesome!!!! I am a strong believer in strength training! Keep up the good work! :drinker: :flowerforyou:
  • Missmandy33
    Missmandy33 Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    NSV = Non-Scale Victory

    I just figured that out last week!
  • rlallain
    rlallain Posts: 376 Member
    Options
    Great job!!! And oh so true! I recently stepped away from the scale for a few weeks because the constant fluctuation was driving me nuts. I got back into my strength training routine and feel so much better! I will take 150 lbs.and STRONG anyday over 140 lbs. and flabby!! I haven't measured my body fat %, though. Might be interesting to keep track of that.... Besides a scale that measures it (that I know is heavily dependent on your hydration level), how else do you get body fat % measured?
  • mulecanter
    mulecanter Posts: 1,792 Member
    Options
    Same question. I had my body fat measured in a dunk tank years ago but it was a one time perk with a health club membership. It would be nice if the scales that run a current through your body to measure % fat really worked.
  • syvret
    syvret Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    Great job!!! And oh so true! I recently stepped away from the scale for a few weeks because the constant fluctuation was driving me nuts. I got back into my strength training routine and feel so much better! I will take 150 lbs.and STRONG anyday over 140 lbs. and flabby!! I haven't measured my body fat %, though. Might be interesting to keep track of that.... Besides a scale that measures it (that I know is heavily dependent on your hydration level), how else do you get body fat % measured?

    I have a hand held "Fat Loss Monitor" (Omron) that will be good enough to give me an idea about where I am. I have only lost 6 lbs on my latest trek, but it registered a small loss in body fat precentage. I don't need an absolutely accurate measure of my body fat, just a gentle reminder that I am heading in the right direction. Since I plan to ramp up weight training in my weekly regime, this will help to balance out the additional muscle mass as I lose weight.
  • rlallain
    rlallain Posts: 376 Member
    Options
    I'm latching onto this thought process this week. Had a 0.6 lb. gain, which sucks since I stuck to my calorie goal every day and got some great workouts in. (The fast food I had for dinner last night likely caused water retention.... at least, that's what I'm telling myself!) BUT, on the idea of the scale not telling the whole store, I'll say that I did roughly 70 push-ups in a class this week - real full-fledged push-ups, not girlie push-ups! - so clearly I'm building my strength back up. And I logged my longest run of the year this morning of 4 miles :o) My clothes are fitting better. My tummy is definitely flatter. And I feel great!! I'll take it!!!

    I'll have to look into the Fat Loss Monitor, though.... I wonder if it's similar to the scales that measure body fat.
  • skittlesnhoney
    skittlesnhoney Posts: 651 Member
    Options
    http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/handheld-bodyfat-monitors-work-10637.html

    We did follow strict protocol when testing it. I'm pretty sure the actual body fat percentage might have been off. But I chose to focus on the change in the numbers. You're right though, there probably is a room for error, but still it's trending down. And I consistently tracked calories in vs. calories out. So I should have lost a whole lot more weight than that. Where did that weight loss go? I'm guessing that my muscles utilized it. :smile:

    We also used the Tanita.
    http://www.tanita.eu/

    From what I've read, the bod pod is the most accurate but I don't think we have one of those in town.

    I may just have to invest in some cheap calipers also to utilize all the tools that are available to me.

    Oh and the strength gains have been awesome! I started with the 45 lb. bar in May. As of August I was up to 135 lbs. for my highest strength gain.

    Since then, I've had a little bit of health issues and have had to take a little break in September, but I am hoping to get back to the strength training ASAP! :bigsmile:

Categories