Is my scale broken?

rcpayton

Ive been sitting at the same weight (+/- 2 lbs) since November despite staying at or just under my calorie goal (most days) and excercising 5+ times/week (cardio and strength training) for an avg of 30-45 mins each time. I use a heart rate monitor to track my calories burned and exercise output. After losing weight, slowly but steadily, for a year, the scale just isnt moving the right direction. I have taken measurements over time and am not seeing lots of loss there either but my clothes DO fit better.....some are starting to look ridiculously big...which I Iove! I guess the inches lost arent in just the key areas Ive been measuring.

My SW was 189 and Im now at a steady 147....my GW is 130-135. I tried on a dress yesterday that was still snug 6 months ago and it is now pretty roomy so I know my body is changing and I feel like Im getting more muscular. I still cant help but wonder if Im wrong to expect the scale to move soon?

GauchoMark

any chance you have been taking body fat measurements during this time? All this exercise and better food, you might be gaining muscle. If you are seeing results with clothes fitting better and visual changes to your body, I'd say you are getting leaner, but not lighter. Muscle is more dense than fat, so 1 lb of muscle takes less space than 1 lb of fat...

jordanlell

If you're goal is set to 2lbs a week, you might try to decrease your deficit a bit to 1.5 or even 1lb per week. It sounds counter productive, but it's worked for a lot of people when they get stuck at a plateau like you have. It worked for me. I'd say it's worth a shot if you're really stuck. Also, give it more than a week, cause you might gain a bit in the first week or two, simply because you're consuming more, but it should turn around fairly quickly.

Biomisty

I've been stuck for 4 weeks so i can only start to feel your pain, but I think its bc I have trouble saying no on the weekends;-). I have heard when you stall though, if its not that you are eating to many cal, maybe you have slowed your metabolism and should really strive to eat every two hours no matter what. Breakfast (300cal ) snack (100) lunch (300) snack (100) dinner (300) snack (100). Good luck and let me know how it goes.

rcpayton

any chance you have been taking body fat measurements during this time? All this exercise and better food, you might be gaining muscle. If you are seeing results with clothes fitting better and visual changes to your body, I'd say you are getting leaner, but not lighter. Muscle is more dense than fat, so 1 lb of muscle takes less space than 1 lb of fat...

I wish I had taken body fat measurements...is there a simple way/tool to use to track it?

GauchoMark

The quickest, easiest way to do it regularly is to get a scale with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Or you can just get a dedicated one, but the scales combine equipment so you have less things laying around. My Tanita scale has weight, body fat %, water %, lbs of bone, BMI, estimated metabolic rate, and a few other things and cost about $100. They are not extremely accurate, but they are better than nothing.

alaska11

The quickest, easiest way to do it regularly is to get a scale with bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Or you can just get a dedicated one, but the scales combine equipment so you have less things laying around. My Tanita scale has weight, body fat %, water %, lbs of bone, BMI, estimated metabolic rate, and a few other things and cost about $100. They are not extremely accurate, but they are better than nothing.

Wish I'd had that scale when I started!!

rcpayton

I will have to see about getting a scale like that!