Scales, Who needs them?

nerveracker

Scales, now there's a harsh word for many people, including myself. I hate them, they lie every time I step on one. I KNOW I don't weigh THAT much! sheezh.. And I know after counting all those calories, watching my carbs, and making sure I get the proteins I need, man it's just not moving in the right direction. Ever have this problem? I do, or did.. yes I'm overweight,(@60 lbs by the height weight chart) but I'm also doing something about it. But! I'm NOT using that liar of a scale to benchmark my progress. You can go out and buy the most expensive scale in the world, but it's still gonna lie to ya! (at least that's what you and I think) So, why am I not using a scale to benchmark my "weight loss" ?
One simple answer, it doesn't matter what the scale reads. Here's the truth. It's not necessarily your weight that hurts you. No matter what the media wants to pound in your heads and shove at your face, low fat this, no carb that, low sodium the other.. Most of that is marketing tactics to placate the masses. Here's the real deal. Ask your doctor, ask any nutritionist, ask any physical therapist, or trainer at the gym, and any of them should tell you that it's not what your scale says that's as important as your Body Fat percentage. (there's the money shot) Remember the old cliche, muscle weighs more than fat? well, there's no big shocker here.. because it is true. Lean muscle is dense, and weighs more than that fluffy fat we have hanging off of our bellys and other parts we have it hanging off of , and we all want it gone.
So, now, throw the scales away? Not so fast there Speedy... we do need them, BUT we're not going to mark our progress with those vile evil things... our mark is going to be much much simpler in technology. What's this? you ask, something simple? well, yes, for @ $2.00 at your local Wal-Mart or Target, or where ever you shop, pick yourself up a good old fashioned tape measure. No, no not the kind carpenters use, the flexible kind (like back in the crafts section). I'm guessing you're wanting to know what you're going to be doing with that brand new tape measure. Well, it's time to measure stuff with it. You've got a computer so, there's a good place to record what you measure. Start with your neck, then measure your chest (sorry ladies, yes "the girls" are included in your measurement for your chest ), then your biceps (each side) your waist (yes just below the belly button, boys and girls) now hips, and thighs (both please) Now record your findings, it's ok to have someone help, don't pull it too tight to cheat. Be honest with yourself. Now record what the liar (scale) says might wanna measure your height too if you don't know it . And NOW you have a set of numbers ! Well, almost. I know, I know, what on earth are we doing with all these numbers? Well, having all those numbers will mean something very shortly. take your numbers and go to http://www.linear-software.com/online.html There you will find a body fat calculator. Plug in the numbers it wants for the tape measure method and there ya have it, your Body Fat %.
So, what does this and all these other numbers that I don't need mean. I'll tell you. You're going to use those numbers to compare.
You're working on your nutrition plan, you're eating right, eating healthy and you're eating clean. and you're just not "loosing the weight". Well, along with diet ya kinda gotta exercise to get those muscles eating up those proteins and those carbs and the fats. Cause that's what they do. your muscles are eaters too (they can be hungry buggers too). So, you find a fitness/exercise program that ya like. GREAT!!!!! Now, every week instead of pouncing on those scales just to see what you've lost, take out that tape measure, and re-measure everything, compare it to the week before, did it change? (I hope so) now recalculate your body fat% hopefully that changed as well.
Now here's the biggest secret, an the biggest myth uncovered... Don't sweat over your weight, worry about your bodyfat % because I 100% guarantee that if your body fat % falls into athlete or fitness category, your weight won't be an issue at all, you'll have lean muscle, and you're going to be looking damn good while you're doing it!
There's not a magic pill, or an over-night fix.. remember your weight didn't occur over night. It takes Attitude, Determination, Motivation, Commitment, and Sacrifices to make it happen. You can do it!!!

That is my take on scales... they're just a tool to calculate the real number Body Fat %

Hope this helps!

Also please check out Reparing your broken furnace (Metabolism) for a guide line on streamlining your diet/nutrition to take full advantage of what you eat, and burning that body fat away.

nerveracker

Scales, now there's a harsh word for many people, including myself. I hate them, they lie every time I step on one. I KNOW I don't weigh THAT much! sheezh.. And I know after counting all those calories, watching my carbs, and making sure I get the proteins I need, man it's just not moving in the right direction. Ever have this problem? I do, or did.. yes I'm overweight,(@60 lbs by the height weight chart) but I'm also doing something about it. But! I'm NOT using that liar of a scale to benchmark my progress. You can go out and buy the most expensive scale in the world, but it's still gonna lie to ya! (at least that's what you and I think) So, why am I not using a scale to benchmark my "weight loss" ?
One simple answer, it doesn't matter what the scale reads. Here's the truth. It's not necessarily your weight that hurts you. No matter what the media wants to pound in your heads and shove at your face, low fat this, no carb that, low sodium the other.. Most of that is marketing tactics to placate the masses. Here's the real deal. Ask your doctor, ask any nutritionist, ask any physical therapist, or trainer at the gym, and any of them should tell you that it's not what your scale says that's as important as your Body Fat percentage. (there's the money shot) Remember the old cliche, muscle weighs more than fat? well, there's no big shocker here.. because it is true. Lean muscle is dense, and weighs more than that fluffy fat we have hanging off of our bellys and other parts we have it hanging off of , and we all want it gone.
So, now, throw the scales away? Not so fast there Speedy... we do need them, BUT we're not going to mark our progress with those vile evil things... our mark is going to be much much simpler in technology. What's this? you ask, something simple? well, yes, for @ $2.00 at your local Wal-Mart or Target, or where ever you shop, pick yourself up a good old fashioned tape measure. No, no not the kind carpenters use, the flexible kind (like back in the crafts section). I'm guessing you're wanting to know what you're going to be doing with that brand new tape measure. Well, it's time to measure stuff with it. You've got a computer so, there's a good place to record what you measure. Start with your neck, then measure your chest (sorry ladies, yes "the girls" are included in your measurement for your chest ), then your biceps (each side) your waist (yes just below the belly button, boys and girls) now hips, and thighs (both please) Now record your findings, it's ok to have someone help, don't pull it too tight to cheat. Be honest with yourself. Now record what the liar (scale) says might wanna measure your height too if you don't know it . And NOW you have a set of numbers ! Well, almost. I know, I know, what on earth are we doing with all these numbers? Well, having all those numbers will mean something very shortly. take your numbers and go to http://www.linear-software.com/online.html There you will find a body fat calculator. Plug in the numbers it wants for the tape measure method and there ya have it, your Body Fat %.
So, what does this and all these other numbers that I don't need mean. I'll tell you. You're going to use those numbers to compare.
You're working on your nutrition plan, you're eating right, eating healthy and you're eating clean. and you're just not "loosing the weight". Well, along with diet ya kinda gotta exercise to get those muscles eating up those proteins and those carbs and the fats. Cause that's what they do. your muscles are eaters too (they can be hungry buggers too). So, you find a fitness/exercise program that ya like. GREAT!!!!! Now, every week instead of pouncing on those scales just to see what you've lost, take out that tape measure, and re-measure everything, compare it to the week before, did it change? (I hope so) now recalculate your body fat% hopefully that changed as well.
Now here's the biggest secret, an the biggest myth uncovered... Don't sweat over your weight, worry about your bodyfat % because I 100% guarantee that if your body fat % falls into athlete or fitness category, your weight won't be an issue at all, you'll have lean muscle, and you're going to be looking damn good while you're doing it!
There's not a magic pill, or an over-night fix.. remember your weight didn't occur over night. It takes Attitude, Determination, Motivation, Commitment, and Sacrifices to make it happen. You can do it!!!

That is my take on scales... they're just a tool to calculate the real number Body Fat %

Hope this helps!

Also please check out Reparing your broken furnace (Metabolism) for a guide line on streamlining your diet/nutrition to take full advantage of what you eat, and burning that body fat away.

nerveracker

remember the keys to success here are "diet"/nutrition AND exercise/fitness. Attitude, towards yourself. Commitment to want to succeed. Motivation to get up out of your chair and go do it. Sacrifices that you make to achieve your goals. Finally it takes the true desire to want to change.

lisa811

Bump

krizrose

thanks

cjtx2

Bump.

AquabearGO

bump

MsAnge2014

So Bumping this...

SezxyStef

To be frank one single measurment isn't enough to really tell you if you are healthy.

You have to take them all together and then look in the mirror and decide for yourself how you feel.

weight, measurments, bf%, health numbers such as HR and BP all should be taken into account.

For example I am at goal weight...my BP is good, my HR is good, my measurments are good (for me) but my BF% is not in the athletic range and I don't care if it ever gets there...

So saying one number is the end all to be all isn't necessarily true....

_Zardoz_

I agree with you to a certain degree but then you are putting the same onus on BF% that a lot of people do on weight. BF% in reality is pretty difficult to calculate accurately outside a DEXA scan, Even calipers that people quote as being accurate are dependent on the person who does and still have a pretty high error rate. Even if you think you're doing it the same everytime there will still be errors. To me weight is useful data I take into account possible normal variations. It's a guide to my progress the same way my times running 6 or 10 miles are a guide to my progress.

Data is useful in all it's forms it's how you use the data that matters. I don't really care what my BF% or my Final weight will be because the final goal is do I feel happy with what I'm doing and how I feel. If the answer is yes then that's success

Elektrolyfe

The only time I use scales is to make sure I am not gaining or losing too fast or gaining and losing too slow, otherwise I always go by how strong I am or how I look in the mirror.