Stop focusing on your Weight Only!!!
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imanole
Posts: 169 Member
All my friends on MFP will tell you that I am a HUGE supporter of not focusing on weight as much as how you look (and feel). How you look: Body fat vs lean muscle. I have seen myself and helped other people make great transformations where they didn't lose 15 lbs the first month in WEIGHT - but they did in BODY FAT! Why, because they gained muscle in the process. So their pants size shrunk up because they lost some on their waste but they gained more muscle around their body.
(For those peeps who love to weigh in, don't start spewing venom at me just yet...patience)
People don't feel bad about themselves just because of weight, but because of body fat. I feel great about myself and I'm around 215. And a traditional BMI reading (for some) is crap. Why? Well, I just put in my stats from today and it says I am at 27.6 BMI and officially "over weight"...now, look at my pic. Does it look like I am at 27.6? No. Because BMI doesn't take in stats like waste, neck measurement or how much of that is actually muscle.
Here is my point. Keep weighing yourself if this helps you. And if you are 30 lbs or more overweight (like I was 6 years ago), weigh yourself and work on losing weight - but WATCH the transformation. And don't just do cardio!!! You need to do weights or strength training. Build your core muscles. Muscle will help you burn more calories when you are not exercising! Eat every 3 hours - good stuff - small stuff usually - but that will keep your metabolism high. Don't starve yourself (except from extra carbs).
AND TAKE PICTURES!! I wish I had a before pic - I regret it now. I lost over 30 lbs in 3 months - and if I hadn't, I may not have stuck with it. I SAW the transformation. I believe a weekly picture is a great thing. Some weeks you may see no progress. But if you line them up over 4-6 weeks (or more) and have been doing the things above, you WILL see a transformation.
If you need encouragement, FRIEND ME. I'm here to encourage anyone I can (and I can use it too!).
Ps. I don't blog so I am putting this here instead.
(For those peeps who love to weigh in, don't start spewing venom at me just yet...patience)
People don't feel bad about themselves just because of weight, but because of body fat. I feel great about myself and I'm around 215. And a traditional BMI reading (for some) is crap. Why? Well, I just put in my stats from today and it says I am at 27.6 BMI and officially "over weight"...now, look at my pic. Does it look like I am at 27.6? No. Because BMI doesn't take in stats like waste, neck measurement or how much of that is actually muscle.
Here is my point. Keep weighing yourself if this helps you. And if you are 30 lbs or more overweight (like I was 6 years ago), weigh yourself and work on losing weight - but WATCH the transformation. And don't just do cardio!!! You need to do weights or strength training. Build your core muscles. Muscle will help you burn more calories when you are not exercising! Eat every 3 hours - good stuff - small stuff usually - but that will keep your metabolism high. Don't starve yourself (except from extra carbs).
AND TAKE PICTURES!! I wish I had a before pic - I regret it now. I lost over 30 lbs in 3 months - and if I hadn't, I may not have stuck with it. I SAW the transformation. I believe a weekly picture is a great thing. Some weeks you may see no progress. But if you line them up over 4-6 weeks (or more) and have been doing the things above, you WILL see a transformation.
If you need encouragement, FRIEND ME. I'm here to encourage anyone I can (and I can use it too!).
Ps. I don't blog so I am putting this here instead.
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Replies
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Absolutely true!!!0
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Good stuff.. and very true. Need a balance .. cardio / lifting / diet. A lifestyle change.. not a diet. And I am addicted to the scale.. I know not a good thing.. but I weigh in every AM .. nakkie and after a pee.. lol.. And you know I love to take pics.. so that is not a huge problem for me. : ) You are awsome !! Keep up the good work !0
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GREAT POST!0
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I am addicted to the scale but still have quite a bit to lose as well. I've also taken before pics and will be taking a Day 2 of 30 DS tonight (camera died on day 1)... I also took measurements because when I lost weight before the scale would stall but I was losing inches.
I kind of feel OCD in that I need so many things, but I didn't get where I am because I have a healthy mindset about my body!0 -
I am addicted to the scale but still have quite a bit to lose as well. I've also taken before pics and will be taking a Day 2 of 30 DS tonight (camera died on day 1)... I also took measurements because when I lost weight before the scale would stall but I was losing inches.
I kind of feel OCD in that I need so many things, but I didn't get where I am because I have a healthy mindset about my body!
Again, when I was 30 lbs overweight I weighed myself a couple times a week. I actually think I lost more than 35 lbs of body fat though because I went from 214 to 182 but was lifting weights and only doing 30 min of cardio for the most part. So I know the need to get on the scale...but don't focus solely on that. That's all.0 -
I completely agree with this. Hands down, the tape measure is the best method for tracking success. In the last two months I have gone down two sizes and didn't drop a SINGLE pound. I don't hate the scale, I just hate the dependence upon it - even the doctors office. You can put three women in the same room, all weighing the EXACT same amount and they are three different sizes.
Body composition is vital. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher burn you get - your furnace needs fuel, and muscle is the fuel!
Take care!0 -
I completely agree with this. Hands down, the tape measure is the best method for tracking success. In the last two months I have gone down two sizes and didn't drop a SINGLE pound. I don't hate the scale, I just hate the dependence upon it - even the doctors office. You can put three women in the same room, all weighing the EXACT same amount and they are three different sizes.
Body composition is vital. The more lean muscle mass you have, the higher burn you get - your furnace needs fuel, and muscle is the fuel!
Take care!
Tkerbell - so true. That is why I put the word "only" in the title. Great advice - grab the tape measure.0 -
Posts like these are why I friended you 0
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Great post! Exactly what I needed to hear this morning. I look in the mirror and get discouraged but I have to remember where I came from and it's a total transformation!0
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Thanks for posting this. I have a lot of weight to lose and I am focusing on pounds. I lost 4 in one week and now this week up 4-6 pounds. I read that muscle does not weight more than fat. 1lb is 1lb. But muscle is lean and compact and fat is loose and takes up more space- make total sense. I just cannot figure out whey I am gaining, when doing the same as I have been. I checked my reports on MFP an d it does not seem to be anything out of the ordinary. There were several days I did not eat all of my calories and I never eat my exercise calories. But I did this the entire time and still was managing losing approx 3 lbs a week. Any suggestions or thoughts?0
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Yes!
Mine is going NOWHERE right now...and for the past 12 weeks! If I'd still focused on the scale only, I would be back to my old habits. Not going to happen. Eventually I will figure out why I can't break this!0 -
Posts like these are why I friended you
Keep up your great work! 0 -
Word.
I weigh about five pounds more than I did last summer. I'm in a smaller pants size and people who hadn't seen me in a while think I'm still losing weight. Yay for strength training and ignoring the scale!0 -
Great post! Exactly what I needed to hear this morning. I look in the mirror and get discouraged but I have to remember where I came from and it's a total transformation!
** TOTAL TRANSFORMATION **
I like it. Keep that in mind. I look at my pics and how skinny I was (no muscle) and a tire around my waste. And now, wow. Let's keep it up. Healthy habits!0 -
Word.
I weigh about five pounds more than I did last summer. I'm in a smaller pants size and people who hadn't seen me in a while think I'm still losing weight. Yay for strength training and ignoring the scale!
Absolutely!!0 -
I wish i wasn't such a scales addicted moron.
I know that i put on a couple of pounds that can be lost by evening due to water retention etc.
Instead they rule me even though I know its stupid.
Will try and keep this thread in mind when I am down about it x0 -
I'm addicted to the scale but the scale gives me the mental motivation to keep going. I don't really care if I lose any more weight at this point though. I'd like to get my bf% down. As you said I'm trying to transition over to using how I feel and look as a guide.0
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Bump for later0
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I'm addicted to the scale but the scale gives me the mental motivation to keep going. I don't really care if I lose any more weight at this point though. I'd like to get my bf% down. As you said I'm trying to transition over to using how I feel and look as a guide.
I hear you. Everyone is a bit different because some peeps can get on the scale daily and no matter what it motivates them! But, others get down and discouraged - and many times unnecessarily! Great work...73 lbs lost is AWESOME!0 -
I'm addicted to the scale. I weigh myself several times a day sometimes. I'm a curious freak. With all the weighing you notice trends. So, anyone that weighs themselves constantly should realize that weight does not correlate with inches, and losing inches looks a hell of a lot better and it's easy to feel the health benefits from strength vs losing weight sedentary. I basically got to goal being sedentary and I gotta say, when I had the time to start exercising regularly again I felt and looked a ton of a lot better. Yes, weight is important if you have weight to lose, but you could lose a bit not moving and not feel much different health wise, or you could start exercising not lose any weight and feel a ton better. And if you keep that up you well eventually start dropping weight if your on a deficit, it just doesn't drop off quite so fast since your losing less muscle mass.0
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