30 days without a scale and proof that the scale "lies"

ecmcnamee

I posted this originally as a blog but I thought I'd share it with the community as maybe a little inspiration for those who are "stuck" like me. I have been gaining and losing the same 4 or so pounds since the beginning of July. I am thankful that I started taking pictures and measuring because I think I'd be a lot more frustrated than I am now. The scale is not the best indicator of what your body is doing ... I never would have believed it if I didn't try it out myself.

On October 1, 2011 I started a challenge on MFP to get rid of the scale for 30 days. Most of you know that the scale had the ability to ruin or make my entire day. It was an obsession and became all consuming. I know why this is, it's totally a mental thing for me. I don't want to weigh over 200 pounds anymore. Why? Because society tells me that anyone that weighsTHAT MUCH is fat. I'm tired of being fat so logically when a 1 starts my weight, I am well on my way to not being fat anymore. ****ed up? Maybe. I really don't know but that's how I think about a lot of this stuff. Or I did.

I took the scale to my parents house because I knew that I would get on it if it was here. I would have no self control and I would never accomplish what I hoped to accomplish with the stupid evil thing in my house. I will admit for that first week I was not happy about it being gone. I obsessed over how my clothes felt, how I looked, kept asking people if it looked like I was gaining weight. Crazy? Why yes, yes I am.

So on October 1, 2011 ... I took my measurements:

Weight 210 pounds
Right Calf 17.5 inchess
Right Thigh 26.75 inches
Hips 44.25 inches
Waist 40.5 inches
Chest 44.5 inches
Right Bicep 14.5 inches

And I took "before" pictures ... here they are



I tried a few different things this month. I zig zagged for about 3 weeks but then this just became something that I knew wasn't for me. I had begun doing a lot of reading on clean eating. Mostly because a very good friend of mine suffers from Crohn's disease and doesn't have a huge support network so I decided to try a modified version of the Paleo diet to support him. I liked it .. a lot. The past two weeks I have felt so much better. I won't say it's easy and I did have a major sugar binge but for the most part, I am enjoying eating clean.

I also started lifting following the New Rules of Lifting for Women and I love it. It's very empowering even though I've had to modify a few things since I work out at home.

My scale came home last night. We had a staring contest ... I won as I knew weighing myself at the end of the day would be a bad thing. So when I got up this morning .... I stepped on the scale for the first time in 30 days. The end result on October 30, 2011 ... a 4.6 pound gain. Talk about feeling like you've been sucker punched. I got on the scale and off about 5 times ... same thing. I changed the battery ... same thing. I ALMOST cried, almost. I could not believe it .. but there the numbers were looking back at me. Every feeling that I had when that scale was in my house every day came rushing back to me. I wanted to say **** it, give up, resign myself to the fact that I was always going to be fat. I mean how the hell could this be? My clothes are literally falling off of me. People are noticing ... I've even been told I'm skinny. Hell my own mother didn't recognize me at soccer last week because she thought that skinny person could not be me. So ... this afternoon .. .I finished the second part of the 30 day challenge and that was to measure. Here's the results ..

Weight 214.6 pounds
Calf 17 inches
Right Thigh 26.25 inches
Hips 44 inches
Waist 39 inches (say WHAT??!! I have a 39 inch waist!!!!)
Chest 42.5 inches
Right Bicep 14.5 inches

When I sat down and figured it all up, in one month I may have gained 4.6 pounds but I lost 4.25 inches ... did you hear me??? 4.25 inches in ONE MONTH!! AND I HAVE A 39 INCH WAIST!!! Hell ... I have a ****ing waist!!! This works out to

.5 inches lost on my calf
.5 inches lost on my right thigh
.25 inches lost on my hips
1.5 inches lost on my waist
2 inches lost on my chest
My biceps stayed the same

So suddenly, that stupid number on the scale doesn't really seem so important and I know, deep down inside, I know that it's not important ... well to anyone but me. I would love LOVE to eventually have a 1 in front of my weight and maybe one day I will but I lost 4.25 inches this month! I am down 2 pants sizes since May and I am HEALTHY and STRONG and that feels amazing!!

Here are pictures from today ... I'm not sure you can see a huge difference but that's ok

sweetheart37

so awesome and so proud of u

KathyEarhart

I definitely see a difference. That's awesome!

hottottie11

Proud of you girl!! I weigh myself once a month as well. The scale is the devil lol

kyliecakes0405

Amazing! What a great accomplishment. Keep it up!

tiggerbounce411

Great job!!!! Thank you for sharing your success!

MrsPike07

I see a big difference!! That is great that you gave up the scale, I thought about doing that but I have to weigh in weekly for a weight loss challenge so it doesnt quite work for me at this point. Awesome loss and great attitude about it! You rock!! :drinker:

smurfette75

Living proof that the scales does "lie"!! I can see the difference.

kini324

I need this today! I have such love/hate relationship with the scale.
You look great!!! Congrats!!!

neilawuk

IVe got a philosophy about lady weight loss.

My fiancee has found the exact same issue. She is toning eating right, training like a beast and yet stays the same'ish sort of weight. I believe since ladies naturally carry less muscle mass and a higher fat percentage when you start exercising your body starts to build muscle. Unfortunately for scales slaves muscle is heavier than Fat so you maybe losing fat and size, but due to you gaining muscle which is heavier than fat then you wont see a lot of weight movement, at least initially. Once you plateau and stop gaining muscle you should in theory see a larger shift in weight as you will reach a point where the body has built enough muscle to cope with the training load and is now just stripping fat.

Its absolutely all about measurements and clothes sizes and not scales and im afriad lady hormones dont help with the fluid retention changes can bring...

flausa

Wow! You can definitely see the difference! Stupid, evil, nasty scale.

stoofers

absolutely see a difference! you've convinced me not to get on the scale for a month!

bookyeti

I applaud what you did. I did it too. I think it's a shame so many of us rely on such an 'empty' number to gauge our fitness successes. That number on the scale doesn't mean much at all. I'm one of those who don't believe good health or fitness can be measured by a number on a scale.

The scale is a blind, unreliable and often-times discouraging gauge - sorry, that's not the kind of 'motivator' I want! So I gave it the boot! So glad I did. I no longer rely on it to let me know if I'm succeeding or not... because so long as I'm exercising and watching what I eat, I know I'm doing things right.

Whittling inches is what I'm aiming for. I got hubby to take the scale to work with him and bring it home once a month for my weigh in. I weigh only once a month to make sure I'm eating enough, or not too much, for my weight. The measuring tape is my friend!

A few quotes that have helped me along the way....

“If you reached your goal weight and looked like crap, would you be happy? What if you only reached half of your goal weight and looked fantastic, would you be upset? What matters are the inches and how you look and feel. Not how much you 'weigh'." -Skip Lacour

"You can completely reshape your body without affecting your weight much. I simply strive to trust in the process and remember: Who sees the scale? Just you. Who sees your shrinking measurements? EVERYBODY! " -Clew & others on MFP

VeganGal84

WOW, you are so inspiring!

In the end, I'm much more concerned about inches than I am about my weight. If I fit into my skinny jeans, I'm happy, no matter how much I weigh.

Great post!

melanie_J

Wow what a difference 30 days can make! You look great and should be very proud!

I completely understand that disappointment!! I struggle daily not to just throw in the towel, even if I'm losing consistently. I lost 2 lbs this week, which put me at 20 lbs lost, but instead of celebrating, all I kept thinking was, I still have 59 lbs. to go...that's impossible!! It's a hard mentality to get past, but it's got to be done...maybe...one day, lol.

melanie_J

oops double post!

evil_rider

WOW! You can tell a huge difference in the pictures. Thanks for posting this, I love hearing success stories like yours. *kitten* the scale and keep on keepin' on.............

cppeace

yeah the scale should never be the all consuming tell all.. I force myself to only weigh once or twice a week and try and neve get bummed by fake gains cause of water and hormones.. I'm steady going down just little lies here and there .. You are doing fine hon and I too see a difference Keep going and keep measuring
nsv are great too and you've had plenty of them as well
-Kimmy

GibsonDarlin

I think you are doing great!!! and ladies should take notice, that the "number" does not make you!!! Eat right, stay moving, and you will be healthier!!!

ranewell

Congrats!! I'm.in the same boat. You're doing an amazing job!

nonafit

It make all sense that non scale victory is far more important than weight. Proud of you. I hope when the time comes I will have the same perseverance.