Huge NSV for me!!!

Jenni268

So, it's sort of a NSV, sort of not! I have been trying (sometimes not too successfully) to ignore the scale lately. It really messes with me mentally and I find that it dictates my mood enough that it affects my eating. What I've been doing instead is trying to base my progress off of how I feel, how my clothes fit and, only once a month, weigh-in and take measurements.

I started measuring at the end of April. I weighed 180 - down from a high of 230 a couple of years ago. In the first month, when I had just gotten back into a committed exercise routine and really cleaned up my diet, I dropped down to 174. Very encouraging!! Since then, in two months, I've only lost one more pound.

So what's the exciting part?! What do I consider a huge victory for myself?! I've lost a total of 14 inches (on the areas that I measure) and I have reduced my body fat percentage by five whole percentage points! I've moved from "At Risk" down to "Acceptable" which is a great mental boost!!

What I hope people get from this (if anything) is that the scale is not the end-all, be-all of "losing weight." If I was going solely on what the scale spat out at me, I would probably be tearing my hair out whilst pigging down on some Ben & Jerry's out of frustration. Instead, I can be proud that I've gone from 114.5 lbs of lean body weight up to 120.25 lbs of lean body weight while reducing my body fat by ten whole pounds!!! And all of those up and down numbers are reflected by only a 1 pound drop on the scale over 2 months!

So don't get discouraged by the dreaded number on the scale! If you are committed to being healthy, please understand that our bodies are changing even if the numbers aren't!!

futurestarz

Thanks for posting! This is a great accomplishment!

Jenni268

Thanks! I was excited to share my personal success story, but also to encourage people to not be DIScouraged by that stupid scale. I've spent so much time on my journey being controlled by that thing and I hope others can break free, too!!

Chrissymmartin

I just read this to a friend of mine who was getting frustrated with the scale even though she noticed her clothes fitting looser and such, and it has encouraged her to take her measurements... thanks for the inspiration!!

KWNurse

You nailed it. I have been obsessed with the scale, I had to give it up. Now I only weigh and measure monthly. I don't see drastic number changes, but everything is shifting and sculpting and I now go by how my clothes fit and what others see.

Bump!

Spanntastic12

Great post. More people need to be aware of this. Sometimes your weight may stay the same but those inches that you've lost will make you just feel a whole lot better! I'm glad you've been doing so well. Just keep doing what you're doing!!!

Rockmyskinnyjeans

Great NSV! I have had the same thing happen! I would be losing next to nothing on scale, but my clothes would be falling off me. Glad to know something good comes out of all this hard work for many of us!

SandraD89

That happened to me the first 6 months i barely lost weight but the inches were flying off. I did pig out out of frustration because of the scales a couple times. Now i am trying not to weight at all for a whole month to see if that helps.

FatKidAtHeart88

Sometimes I want to throw my scale down the stairs. Then I remember it is glass and will probably be a pain to clean up. So I let it collect dust most weeks. I am back to weighing weekly but it is fluctuating so wildly. I hope it levels out soon, because it is driving me nuts. I just may remeasure my inches and see if I lost any inches. But when the scale says I haven't lost anything I workout harder in the gym. Then eat a cookie and feel happy I can move my body like I want.

turkey75

im sorry what is NSV??? lol

WilliamsPeggy

That's great! Thanks for sharing!

spinqueen72

This is a much needed post for me!
I had been weighing myself daily!
I finally got sick of being pissed off about the number not going down..I finally HID it!
Now I'm on track.
I'm feeling stronger, more energized, my workouts are better too!

Zalli

im sorry what is NSV??? lol

Non Scale Victory

Today my NSV was being on a film set as an extra in a form-fitting Super Girl sort of costume and feeling GOOD about the way I looked. My secret super-power was apparently fitting in that outfit!

Jenni268

Thanks for all the replies! The encouragement is well needed and well appreciated!!! :flowerforyou:

pippaw21

congratulations, that's a great nsv! it's really inspiring actually as i'm in a plateau - in my first week had a 5lb drop, but in the last few weeks the numbers aren't shifting. but i've lost inches all over, feel firmer and my fitness is improving, so i know that it's all working, but i've been fixated on numbers on the scale. i need to start calculating my body fat percentage i think, and your post totally helped me understand my negative thinking, so thanks!

Jenni268

My mom saw me on Skype today and said, 'Wow! I can really tell you're smaller!" :happy: She's not one to dole out the compliments either! Very encouraging!

DontStopB_Leakin

Thank you so much for posting this! No matter how many times I tell myself and others "Ignore the scale!" I can never seem to. And my scale has been a pmsing b!tch lately.

Seriously, 14 inches? Amazing!