What's more important: Weight or Physique?

ninerbuff
ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I hear it ALL the time. People are so concerned about the scale weight, but want to look great. What's more important? Looking great DOESN'T always reflect a good number on the scale. In fact some people's bodies change completely while the scale doesn't even budge a pound.
You can reach weight goal and still look and feel "soft" and "flabby". So what happens is you exercise and guess what? The weight goes up!!! So then you go through mental jumping jacks because you want to bring the weight back down, but of course that doesn't help the flabbiness you still have.

If you look great, people DON'T CARE how much you weigh. Only you do.


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Replies

  • IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym
    IpuffyheartHeelsinthegym Posts: 5,573 Member
    physique every single day of the week :bigsmile:
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,810 Member
    Physique for SURE. I know what I want my body to LOOK like, but I have no idea what the # on the scale would be to reflect that. And once I'm within a healthy weight range for my height, I'll probably stop weighing myself altogether in favor of measurements/pictures.
  • LilSomethin
    LilSomethin Posts: 545 Member
    def physique...i weigh the same as i did 1 year ago but am in pants that are 2 sizes smaller!!!
  • Krisgren
    Krisgren Posts: 93 Member
    This is so hard to remember, thanks for posting this, my scale has not moved a lot and even my measurements arent really changing, but my jeans have gone down two sizes, my stomach is a bit smaller and I have way more muscle, I feel healthy and can see lots of muscle (I look tough now, lol) I'm not concerned what weight I am mostly but it does get disappointing sometimes when you don't see the numbers moving much.
  • Bankman1989
    Bankman1989 Posts: 1,116 Member
    I hear a lot about weight but not a lot on here about body composition, body fat reduction. Great question.

    You definitely should be more concerned with your physique. Weighing less doesnt even mean you are healthier. i know a lot, a lot of very skinny UNHEALTHY people.

    Taking care of your body is more important than what you weigh.
  • liog
    liog Posts: 347 Member
    Physique. I am only monitoring my weight now because I know about what I should weigh based on how much I weighed before I gained. I set my goal at 150. I weighed less six years ago but I was not toned. I would much rather weigh more than 150 and have an athletic, strong, somewhat muscular body.
  • MotorCityFemmeFatale
    MotorCityFemmeFatale Posts: 222 Member
    physique every single day of the week :bigsmile:

    yep
  • Skinnyminimee
    Skinnyminimee Posts: 19
    for me, it's weight. i need to be as light as possible to be a fast runner. i dont really care if i look like a bag of bones as long as i'm light enough to be a successful runner. runners almost have to be UNDERWEIGHT to be really really good.
  • Fergie2154
    Fergie2154 Posts: 59
    Physique!
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
    Both are important in the long range scheme of things.
  • malins2
    malins2 Posts: 154 Member
    Physique!!!
    I haven't reached my goal weight, but I don't care about that anymore. I am so much stronger than I ever was before, I run faster, I lift heavier and my body looks better than it did 20 years ago before three kids and I was less weight :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
    for me, it's weight. i need to be as light as possible to be a fast runner. i dont really care if i look like a bag of bones as long as i'm light enough to be a successful runner. runners almost have to be UNDERWEIGHT to be really really good.
    Untrue. The best sprinters in the world aren't underweight. Now long distance runners, that's a different story.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • bradthemedic
    bradthemedic Posts: 623 Member
    For me personally if we are talking about sexual appeal for example - physique always matters more.

    2 reasons:
    1. I prefer the look
    2. It's instinct to be attracted to a fit mate.

    I like knowing my partner can run up a mountain with me.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Definitely physique! I'd rather look good than weigh a certain number. Just wish I could get to where my knees stop hurting again...
  • Raddichio
    Raddichio Posts: 162 Member
    If physique includes body composition, then definitely physique. I'm down to the last ten pounds to get to the weight recommended by my doctor and I am far more concerned with shedding body fat at this point. In fact, I used to worry about being "skinny fat," now I'm worried about being "fat fat," as the stubborn fat around my midsection is holding on for dear life. I've been losing steadily, but I now worry about losing fat, not muscle. I'm hoping that's what I'm losing, as I am now averaging about 1/2 to 1 pound per week. I also think that when I get the last 10 pounds off I'm going to want to lose 10 more. As much as I look forward to losing weight, I'm more anxious to see the body fat reduce.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
    Both are important in the long range scheme of things.
    If your physique is right, then weight is probably right too. Low weight doesn't ensure a good look. But I will acknowledge that being way overweight is the main reason people are having health issues.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • dobarber
    dobarber Posts: 611 Member
    Right now I would say weight since I'm at 285 lbs BUT when I get down to 220 or lower then the physique will become more of a priority.
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    Right now, weight is more important, but in the long run, physique is. I know that a lot of people say that BMI is a piece of crap measurement, but it's still important to me to be in the 'healthy weight' classification for my own motivation. Once I hit my goal weight (only 10 more pounds!), I'll still be almost at the max. healthy weight for BMI. However, at that point, if I lose more while I focus on toning, great, but if I stay the same weight but have a nice physique, that's great too.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    For me, weight is priority until I reach my goal. I want to be mid-range healthy BMI. That's my goal.

    Once I'm there, I'm going to work on any physique improvements I want, but not before.
  • emgawne
    emgawne Posts: 265 Member
    Physique for sure! my weight hasnt moved in months but my body fat % has dropped a LOT. to me, that and how i look are way more important than any number on a scale.
  • Roeri011
    Roeri011 Posts: 77 Member
    Weight was more important to me when I started out, but now I care more about physique. I only step on the scale once a week but I have to look at myself daily. I plan on throwing out the scale in a couple weeks :)
  • Wonderwoman2677
    Wonderwoman2677 Posts: 428 Member
    For me, weight is priority until I reach my goal. I want to be mid-range healthy BMI. That's my goal.

    Once I'm there, I'm going to work on any physique improvements I want, but not before.

    I'm no expert, but using your muscles and toning up can help you get your goal. I think the go hand in hand. I've been trying to lose weight exclusively for about a year with very little progress. I need to work out to lose... I've accepted that and I'm ready to do the work! :)
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
    It's absolutely Physique for me too, but being that I am underweight, weight for me also has a particular importance, but with that being said, i have no real goal weight, I just want to keep going till I look they way I'd like to look, or at least better than I do now! So whether that's at 105lb or 120lb I just don't know or care!!
  • Wonderwoman2677
    Wonderwoman2677 Posts: 428 Member
    Physique, definately. I won't care about my scale when I'm strong and healthy. I'm weighing myself often because I really want to see the number go down to a healthy range. It's just extra motivation to work hard!
  • TheBraveryLover
    TheBraveryLover Posts: 1,217 Member
    Many people on MFP certainly think weight is more important than how you actually look. Sure scale weight can be an ego boost (or a downer) and is the quickest way to show progress but I've never put much stock in it and never will. I'm all about how I look in the mirror, and clothing size that I fit into. In fact, the only reason I started to want to lose weight was because I wanted to fit into regular size trendy dresses: not plus size. Now that I can, my goals have expanded and I can enjoy reaching new aesthetic goals without having a race to lose x amount of pounds by x date. :-)
  • kalynn06
    kalynn06 Posts: 368 Member
    Looks and (for me) ability to function definitely, but it's easy to get caught up in weight especially since you may not appreciate incremental gains in appearance. The scale, on the other hand, gives numbers, a much easier, if far inferior, yardstick with which to measure progress.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Physique as measured by weight.

    As in not some arbitrary point from your past or that you heard someone weights that you want to look like, or somehting else of the sort..

    As in the weight at a specific BF% given your current lean mass for cutting, updating that as you go and get closer.
    (187 lbs @ 8% BF for me, 172 lbs LBM)

    With an ultimate goal or a specifc weight that has a target BF% and lean weight.
    (205 lbs @ 9% BF for me, 187 lbs LBM, around the Willoughby Ideal Athlete proportions for my size and the look of an NFL safety)
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    For me, weight is priority until I reach my goal. I want to be mid-range healthy BMI. That's my goal.

    Once I'm there, I'm going to work on any physique improvements I want, but not before.

    I'm no expert, but using your muscles and toning up can help you get your goal. I think the go hand in hand. I've been trying to lose weight exclusively for about a year with very little progress. I need to work out to lose... I've accepted that and I'm ready to do the work! :)

    I'm certainly in no rush to get to my goal, and for me it's better to focus on one thing at once. It's important to me to know that I'm down to a healthy weight, before I start any form of weight training.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,021 Member
    I'm certainly in no rush to get to my goal, and for me it's better to focus on one thing at once. It's important to me to know that I'm down to a healthy weight, before I start any form of weight training.
    Just a thought. Wouldn't it make more sense to get to a "healthy weight" and actually "be healthy" at the same time? If you reach the weight without being physically fit, then how healthy is the weight?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • twentytwobecky
    twentytwobecky Posts: 35 Member
    I totally agree! My happiness does not depend on the number on the scale! I haven't lost a pound in months, but I am a little bit happier with the way my body looks and performs everyday.
    I guess that's a NSV! (non scale victory)

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