This is a weight loss board

kayemme

whoo, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the futon....

skinnylove00

I personally feel that there are a LOT of people who are being extremely rude here! Lets be SUPPORTIVE!

YES LETS STOP BASHING AND MAKE MFP A PLACE OF SUPPORT AND NOT A BUNCH OF HIGH N MIGHTY FITNESS FANATICS

ahsongbird

The only way to lose weight is to lose fat, if you lose fat you lose inches, hence why people are asking if you've lost inches, you can't lose a lot of weight without losing mass.

Pookylou

BMI is flawed at it core as it is a generalisation, the entire Englnd rugby team would be obese but very very fit. I know if a job requires a BMI of a certain levels (is that legal?) there isn't much you can do about it. But do bear in mind it is not the be all and end all.

Not the end all be all...but it is the start.

I totally agree, seeing my BMI go to obese was my main motivator to getting control of my weight.
But as I get closer and closer to goal it gets less important. Don't diminish others efforts by saying it is more important. One day you'll be wishing for half an inch over half a pound too!

dansls1

The ENTIRE site might be a fitness site but this board...is WEIGHTLOSS.

Perhaps its title should be changed to Weightloss and Body compesition Help?

But like I said....I do NOT care to be smaller if my BMI still screams obese. And if BMI doesn't matter tell me why it matters to insurance companies? Because when are you trying to get health insurance, or my case a job, weight on the scale matters.
Not Body Fat Percentage, not the size of my hips and waiste...BMI.

End rant.

And not a rant board either...

tscagg

.........................First of all, you cant come on here complaining about discussions/comments made to you from the past, thats actually going against an MFP policy....

Secondly - yes.. Measurements are more accurate than a scale. People who suggest taking measurements are genuinely trying to help you see past the scale and to help you understand and realize that when the scale doesnt move, you may have lost inches.... To continue to obsess over the scale will only cause you to create cortisol - and cortisol causes weight gain.

When you gain that weight, it will be because you allowed yourself to stress over a piece of equipment that didnt show a numerical result - its not worth it... seriously.. its not worth it.

I agree with people who follow the "measuring tape-rule" because its more realistic and accurate......................
[/quote]

Thank you for reminding me about the numbers and scale, that stepping on a scale every day, and every night, or in the middle of the night (Yes I've done it!) is not good. I think I've become obsessed with the scale, because I was told, "most people gain some weight back" and I'm determined that I'm not going to be one of them. I started measuring and am going to go back to that and use the scale once in a while. I'm getting rid of all the clothes that don't fit, and for now on I'm going to be fit and in shape, to chunky and flabby. YIPPEE!

Hmrjmr1

:huh:

This is the stupidest rant ever.

No but it's close

angieleighbyrd

The reason people ask if you take measurements when the scale isn't moving is because muscle takes up less space then fat. So even if the scale isn't moving, you can still be losing fat.

StartingOver4Me

well I guess she got the dramatic discussion she was hoping to create........................

Personally---I'd rather my pants to fit (measurment) than for the scale to show me a different #.

Qskim

Lol...Thanks everyone I enjoyed that... N I'm sorry to original post but sometimes I think MFP too heavy for too long. FYI I weigh and measure and waist measurement stays same even if scales bounce. Sometimes my waist is an indicator of the loss to come. I don't care bout arms n legs cos they'll follow waist n I'll b stuffed I'm going to measure all of them n write it down. Good luck with your weightloss.

Duck_Puddle

A large part of this process is keeping motivated to keep on keeping on-especially at times when the movement on the scale slows or stops and we think we are doing everything right. I feel you on the BMI piece-regardless of it's overall validity-I need a "normal" BMI for insurance rates and so forth-so I too care very much about the number on the scale. But, I also measure myself & my body fat % because at the times the scale isn't moving the way or at the speed I'd like, a reduction in inches or body fat % provides me the encouragement to know I am making progress. The scale always catches up eventually.

Many people are here for encouragement & motivation as well as weight loss/fitness. Suggestions to measure things other than weight (such as fitness levels, inches, body fat%) really are attempts to help someone else find those little pieces that keep us going when progress is slow. Or that's my take at least.

ZebraHead

I disagree. Nuf said...

cramernh

well I guess she got the dramatic discussion she was hoping to create........................

Personally---I'd rather my pants to fit (measurment) than for the scale to show me a different #.

...and I know I dont want people singing "Pants on the ground!" because mine almost fell off at the gym about two weeks ago! LOL!

cranberrycat

Yes, I agree that it is hard to lose weight, and that we are sometimes judged unfairly by the BMI. However, truth be told, the BMI works pretty well for the average person. It is those who have an above average percentage of lean body mass that are screaming about the BMI not being fair.

If you want to focus on JUST your weight, that is fine. But your weight can change without you ever losing any fat at all. And, honestly, your BMI is not going to change drastically with water weight shifts.

However, if you can try to change your focus and look at your other measurements of success, you will definitely see the difference. Even if you gain some muscle mass, that muscle is going to help you to burn the fat more efficiently--thus changing your BMI and resulting in weight loss.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I personally feel that there are a LOT of people who are being extremely rude here! Lets be SUPPORTIVE!

Wow, so let's recap. I'm assuming she asked for weight loss advice on another thread on which people started asking her about other indicators like inches. So then she created this post specifically to rant at the people giving her advice and asking about other reasonable indicators. I find it completly acceptable to support and encourage a person on their journey, but ludicris to suggest that this is a reasonable and supportable original post.

Pookylou

BMI is flawed at it core as it is a generalisation, the entire Englnd rugby team would be obese but very very fit. I know if a job requires a BMI of a certain levels (is that legal?) there isn't much you can do about it. But do bear in mind it is not the be all and end all.

.............................You are not a professional athlete. Sorry it didn't work out.

My dad played rugby to a very high level, is short and very well built, going by BMI alone he would have been considered very unhealthy. As would a lot of people, not just professional athlete, with a high muscle percentage, when in actuality he was very fit. That is what I was trying to say it applies to "normal" people as well as athletes.
Yeah I tried to be a ballet dancer but my huge boobs prevented me progressing, thanks for the sympathy :flowerforyou:

Hearts_2015

Just and FYI to everyone who ask "Do you take other mearsurements." YES I Take other measurements, but those measurements don't mean anything if I am still overweight.
I am here to LOSE weight...not inches, no cm, not improve my ability to do a standing broad jump...WEIGHTLOSS. When I complain about not losing any real weight...don't ask me if I have measured my hips.

Denise

I'm sorry you're so frustrated, that's a tough spot to be in, we've all been there, trust me! I agree with those that have shared that others are merely giving options if the scale appears to get stuck. Sometimes the tape measure saves us from our own self induced insanity because it WILL show changes when perhaps the scale doesn't.

When the scale is stuck at the same place, it sucks BUT if you're doing everything you know to do that's heading in the direction of health and fitness then it WILL eventually move.

Please trust the folks on MFP, 99.9% of them genuinely want to help you get to where you want to be as long as you're goal is a healthy one!
:happy:
Cheers!:drinker:

Gwoman2012

Unless you are weight training pretty heavily three times a week or more I fail to see how measuring matters either.

wasveganvictoria88

Yes, I agree that it is hard to lose weight, and that we are sometimes judged unfairly by the BMI. However, truth be told, the BMI works pretty well for the average person. It is those who have an above average percentage of lean body mass that are screaming about the BMI not being fair.

If you want to focus on JUST your weight, that is fine. But your weight can change without you ever losing any fat at all. And, honestly, your BMI is not going to change drastically with water weight shifts.

However, if you can try to change your focus and look at your other measurements of success, you will definitely see the difference. Even if you gain some muscle mass, that muscle is going to help you to burn the fat more efficiently--thus changing your BMI and resulting in weight loss.

Well said Did someone call Denise fat or something? I'm unsure where all this came from!

peacefulsong

I personally feel that there are a LOT of people who are being extremely rude here! Lets be SUPPORTIVE!

It sounds to me like people were trying to be supportive at some point, trying to help her see that there is more to it than the number on the scale sometimes, and she wasn't interested in hearing it.