The Scale

_Shelley_

While the number on the scale is not important to me, as I am building muscle and doing cardio at the same time, I have an obsession with seeing what my numbers are.

On some scales I'm one weight and on others I am something totally different. I trust the scales at my gym more than those elsewhere. But geesh, how discouraging is it when you see one number than the next day, on a different scale, it's 5lbs more!

Not to mention, I already feel like I'm not losing since I see no change in my physical appearance. Others have told me I look more toned but I still feel like a blob. It doesn't help when I see those huge differences in numbers. Horray for being way too self conscious. :-\

lizard053

If I take the same bathroom scale from upstairs to down, my weight changes. You need to choose one to use as "accurate" and ignore the numbers on the rest. Each scale is going to be calibrated slightly different, and even tiny changes in elevation can change your weight! It's not an absolute number, your weight will be slightly higher at sea level versus on a mountain top. I'm a daily weigh-in type person. I like to see the day to day changes on the scale. It tells me if I'm eating right, if I ate something I REALLY shouldn't have, or if I'm retaining water. But no scale is perfect! My doctor's scale is nearly 2 pounds different! I use that for my official weight for workout machines, but I use my home scale here. Cause I like seeing the progress!

I'm gonna tell you my "mirror exercise" that I work on most days. Take the time to see the changes in your body. Flex those new muscles you're shaping and admire them. And take time to find the things you like about yourself. Tell yourself, out loud if you need to, that you are doing better, and you are no longer that blob your head tells you you are. It's a tough exercise. Harder than any gym workout! But the rewards can not be beat.

It's about changing your image of yourself in your mind. If you can't see yourself as healthy and fit, how are you ever going to get to your goal?

_Shelley_

If I take the same bathroom scale from upstairs to down, my weight changes. You need to choose one to use as "accurate" and ignore the numbers on the rest. Each scale is going to be calibrated slightly different, and even tiny changes in elevation can change your weight! It's not an absolute number, your weight will be slightly higher at sea level versus on a mountain top. I'm a daily weigh-in type person. I like to see the day to day changes on the scale. It tells me if I'm eating right, if I ate something I REALLY shouldn't have, or if I'm retaining water. But no scale is perfect! My doctor's scale is nearly 2 pounds different! I use that for my official weight for workout machines, but I use my home scale here. Cause I like seeing the progress!

I'm gonna tell you my "mirror exercise" that I work on most days. Take the time to see the changes in your body. Flex those new muscles you're shaping and admire them. And take time to find the things you like about yourself. Tell yourself, out loud if you need to, that you are doing better, and you are no longer that blob your head tells you you are. It's a tough exercise. Harder than any gym workout! But the rewards can not be beat.

It's about changing your image of yourself in your mind. If you can't see yourself as healthy and fit, how are you ever going to get to your goal?

It's funny how I can feel great, people tell me I look great, but I don't think I look great. I have this image in my head of what I want to look like. Having never been fit before, it is hard for me to imagine myself actually looking like that. I do "flex" in the mirror though and see/feel the changes in my muscle tone. I just wish the fat on top of the muscle would vanish lol.

CuteMonkeyGal

I try not to let THE SCALE ruin my mood. I think about how much more energy I have, how much my clothes are fitting me better (and are getting lose!), or how much I happier I feel because I know that I'm doing something GOOD for my body. Focus on the positive and the rest will follow!

deksgrl

Are you taking your measurements to track progress? If not, you should.

_Shelley_

Are you taking your measurements to track progress? If not, you should.

I haven't been but I need to.

Note to self: Measure myself first thing tomorrow morning!

lizard053

It's funny how I can feel great, people tell me I look great, but I don't think I look great. I have this image in my head of what I want to look like. Having never been fit before, it is hard for me to imagine myself actually looking like that. I do "flex" in the mirror though and see/feel the changes in my muscle tone. I just wish the fat on top of the muscle would vanish lol.

I know how that goes! I'm in the same boat! It will go, you have to give it time! I found yoga really helped me sculpt away that annoying fat over the muscles. Should try it. Rodney Yee makes some great, doable workouts!

Kimsied

I don't think weighing yourself on different scales at different times of day really gives you any useful information. It doesn't really matter if the scale you use is accurate (unless you are some kind of athlete that is classed by weight class). The same scale should tell you whether you weigh more or less than you weighed in the same situation yesterday, last week or last month. I weigh myself in the morning every day after using the restroom. I've come to understand some of what causes my weight to fluctuate day to day so it really doesn't bother me to see it go up and down by a couple of pounds day-to-day. It is an overall downward trend over time I am looking for. I don't log my daily weight here though as it would make things to crazy. I tend to log once a week or if I see a new low for a few days in a row.

I also take measurements once a month and that is very useful. I use to do it weekly, but my measurements do not change too much week-to-week so I've went to monthly instead. Weekly is good too, I just found it too time consuming. When I do measurements I sometimes do a bikini picture from different angles (in the same bikini) for my own records. If I compare my first one to the more recent ones, I generally feel pretty good about progress so far. But I don't do it every month mainly because of the time it takes. Monthly would be ideal though for something like that since it is hard to see small improvements in yourself day-to-day. I aim the camera to exclude my face, for some reason that makes it easier for me to be objective when I compare.

I like the mirror exercise Lizard suggested! Maybe I'll try it.

_Shelley_

I don't think weighing yourself on different scales at different times of day really gives you any useful information. It doesn't really matter if the scale you use is accurate (unless you are some kind of athlete that is classed by weight class). The same scale should tell you whether you weigh more or less than you weighed in the same situation yesterday, last week or last month. I weigh myself in the morning every day after using the restroom. I've come to understand some of what causes my weight to fluctuate day to day so it really doesn't bother me to see it go up and down by a couple of pounds day-to-day. It is an overall downward trend over time I am looking for. I don't log my daily weight here though as it would make things to crazy. I tend to log once a week or if I see a new low for a few days in a row.

I also take measurements once a month and that is very useful. I use to do it weekly, but my measurements do not change too much week-to-week so I've went to monthly instead. Weekly is good too, I just found it too time consuming. When I do measurements I sometimes do a bikini picture from different angles (in the same bikini) for my own records. If I compare my first one to the more recent ones, I generally feel pretty good about progress so far. But I don't do it every month mainly because of the time it takes. Monthly would be ideal though for something like that since it is hard to see small improvements in yourself day-to-day. I aim the camera to exclude my face, for some reason that makes it easier for me to be objective when I compare.

I like the mirror exercise Lizard suggested! Maybe I'll try it.

I thought about buying a bikini to take pictures in. I took "before" shots but I think having them with my goal bathing suit on would totally help. Thanks for the inadverant tip I plan on measuring myself tomorrow!