Validation through the scale

jules0516

Why is it that some of us (me) rely on seeing the scale move? It is so frustrating! I would love to see the scale move more than it is. I had hit rock bottom and decided this was the time when I had to make changes for a better, healthier life.
I have lost an inch from waist and arm, 1/2 inch from the thigh but my scale is not really moving. I know I'm toning-but waiting for the scale to eventually move. I know it will in time...maybe I was born at the beginning of the "I want it now" generation :laugh:

SammieGetsFit

I really rely on it not just because that's the way I've been condition to want things, but also because I -have- to reach my weight goal in order to join the AF. But even so, I've been really focusing on my NSVs and trying to ignore the scale. I have ordered myself only to weigh in every 3 days, and only that often to make sure that I'm not plateauing.

I completely feel your pain. But the MFP community is really helping me to keep my mind clear. That and taking measurements every time I weigh in. So far I've lost 5 pounds, but I've also lost a total of 2 inches! And I only take the measurements MFP tracks. (I don't want to get more obsessive. Ha.)

Congrats on the inches and the pounds so far. I think you have a great attitude about it so I'm positive you're right, and things will move along steady enough.

Black_Swan

I am also waiting for the scale to move, but I have lost centimeters and I know I am doing all the right things, so I know it will move. Plus I am so close to goal weight that I must be really patient.

Charli666

Try getting scales with body fat percentage on, you don't really see it move when your losing weight, but when the weight loss seems to slow or stop, you still see the body fat percentage go down, it gives me a boost!

Imthatg1rl

I am like you, I depend on the scale more than anything and it is frustrating. You are losing inches, that means you are gaining lean muscle, which boosts your resting metabolism! (yay!)
And don't forget muscle weighs more than fat.

missbeezy

I also depend on the scale, but you know what, my jeans that i bought and could never fit because i'm fat actually buttoned up, so pretty soon I will be able to wear them like in the fall lol! keep it up girl losing inches is great!

ahappyapple

I feel the same way. My scale has stopped moving and even gone up a little. I know for me it's because of the kinds of food I eat. I am going to try to incorporate more veggies into my life and hopefully the scale will go down from there. Good luck!!

hpsnickers1

What we lose through diet and cardio exercise is a mixture of fat loss and lean muscle mass loss. If you doing some good strength training/weight lifting you can help combat losing muscle. We don't actually 'tone' our muscles. They can't get harder. They can get either bigger and/or stronger OR smaller and/or weaker (not sure on smaller/stronger). And as you get closer to your goal or feel like you're in a plateau you will have to re-calculate and drop the amount of weight per week you want to lose.

You aren't gaining muscle right now. It is next to impossible for women to gain muscle. We don't have enough testosterone to do that.

I don't know how long you have been doing this. If you just started you are doing great!! Slow and steady is the healthy way to do this. It's a lifestyle change.:flowerforyou:

JeanneTops

Successfully losing weight is all about learning patience and persistence. Maybe you need to lose it fast for some reason but if you don't learn patience and persistence along the way then you can count on gaining it all back.

Check out the maintenance threads on MFP. They all agree - maintenance is harder than losing because you don't have those goals to strive for anymore.

So use this time when the scale isn't moving as the time to learn how to maintain. Remember - there is a big difference between how you were eating before you started losing and how you are eating now BUT there won't be a big difference between how you are eating now and how you will be eating when you are maintaining. So now is the time to get used to eating and exercising as you are now without the scale going down. This is how it is going to be for the rest of your life. Unless, of course, you're going to gain the weight back.

LorinaLynn

The way I look at it... If the contestants on The Biggest Loser, under those extreme conditions where they're full time job is just to lose weight, sometimes don't lose any or even gain a few... then how can us mere mortals expect to drop every week? We can't. Keep doing what you're doing, and the weight will follow.