Reminder: The Scale Does NOT Define You!

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  • graciousdove
    graciousdove Posts: 28 Member
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    Thank you so much for this post! I am a scale tracker and I just finally noticed that when the scale goes up, it affect my entire mood for the whole day! That can't be healthy. However, I don't think the inches are coming off yet either, but I am starting to feel better in general and can really tell when I have had a good day of eating or a bad idea. I think I am going to start listening to my body and not a machine who just wants to see me suffer!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    Thank you so much for this post! I am a scale tracker and I just finally noticed that when the scale goes up, it affect my entire mood for the whole day! That can't be healthy. However, I don't think the inches are coming off yet either, but I am starting to feel better in general and can really tell when I have had a good day of eating or a bad idea. I think I am going to start listening to my body and not a machine who just wants to see me suffer!

    When I first started, it was fitness goals that kept me motivated. I'd just started the Couch to 5k running plan, and in four weeks time, I went from struggling to run one minute at a time to running over a mile straight. And since I stopped believing I could ever run at the tender age of 12, so I spent about 26 YEARS thinking I just was not meant to be a runner, that felt more amazing than any drop on the scale or clothing size. :drinker:
  • graciousdove
    graciousdove Posts: 28 Member
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    Thank you so much for this post! I am a scale tracker and I just finally noticed that when the scale goes up, it affect my entire mood for the whole day! That can't be healthy. However, I don't think the inches are coming off yet either, but I am starting to feel better in general and can really tell when I have had a good day of eating or a bad idea. I think I am going to start listening to my body and not a machine who just wants to see me suffer!

    When I first started, it was fitness goals that kept me motivated. I'd just started the Couch to 5k running plan, and in four weeks time, I went from struggling to run one minute at a time to running over a mile straight. And since I stopped believing I could ever run at the tender age of 12, so I spent about 26 YEARS thinking I just was not meant to be a runner, that felt more amazing than any drop on the scale or clothing size. :drinker:

    That's a good point! All of my goals have been scale orientated, so maybe I need to switch it to fitness and that will keep me from being constantly discouraged and frustrated. Thank you for your idea and your positive attitude! You are so beautiful and such a wonderful encourager! :bigsmile:
  • BluenoserChick
    BluenoserChick Posts: 106 Member
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    bump
  • soehlerking
    soehlerking Posts: 589 Member
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    I keep coming back to this post...it's a little bit more encouraging every time!
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
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    So so so so so so true!!
  • cathyg18
    cathyg18 Posts: 150 Member
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    thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU for posting this today. I will continue to tell myself this. :happy:
  • rompers16
    rompers16 Posts: 5,404 Member
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    I really needed to see this today...thanks :)
  • aarilynn
    aarilynn Posts: 74 Member
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    YES YES YES
    i wish everyone would realize that inches > weight.
    I've been struggling with a plateau, very small changes with my weight and measurements, so it's frustrating that people are upset about not seeing weight changes, but still see inches. I'd love to see changes with my measurements and not weight! :bigsmile:
    GREAT POST though!!! :))
  • kscott2008
    kscott2008 Posts: 8 Member
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    Way to go! You look great.
  • angiechimpanzee
    angiechimpanzee Posts: 536 Member
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    Awesome post. It almost makes me want to abandon the scale altogether and just go by my waist measurements, lol.
  • suenewberry81
    suenewberry81 Posts: 241 Member
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    Wow you look fantastic, and us women love the scale so when they don't say what we want the to we moan, but after seeing your photos I'm going to try hard to stay away from the scales :-) x
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
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    I can't count how many threads I've seen just in the past week that were along the lines of "My clothes are getting looser and I look thinner, but the DAMN SCALE WON'T BUDGE! How can I make the number drop!?!" :sad:

    Stop it. Just stop it. Now.

    If you're getting smaller, you're doing things right. It doesn't matter what the effect the earth's gravitational pull has on you at any given moment. No one knows that number but you.

    To illustrate that point... Last October, I reached my goal weight of 126 pounds. I wanted to be 9 stones. No, I'm not British, but I like the number nine. And actually, I got to 125.5 pounds. To celebrate my victory over the bastardly scale, I bought new jeans.

    These are those jeans last year.

    IMG_2839.jpg

    Happy camper. Loved how I looked.

    SINCE then, the scale has bounced around quite a bit. Between being on the bench about six weeks in January with a stress fracture, some trial and error with trying to find exactly what maintenance is, a few lazy weeks in June when I lost my mojo and then caught the flu... But I stuck with it, and tried to ignore the scale best I could. I eat about 2100 calories a day Monday through Friday, don't log on the weekends at all, run 3x a week and lift weights 3x a week (stronglifts 5x5, just started week 2, but I've been lifting).

    I'm currently about 132-133 pounds. And here's those same jeans today.

    IMG_5213.jpg

    I'm about 7 or 8 pounds heavier, but I could smuggle a loaf of bread down my pants.

    And that's why I always say... Track your progress through measurements, how clothes fit, and progress photos, not just by the scale. The scale is a lying, cheating *kitten* who kicks puppies and takes candy from babies. Don't give it any power over you.

    Like I said in a couple threads today... Losing pounds is like getting a promotion at work with a big fancy title, but no pay raise. Losing inches without much in the line of pounds is like getting a big fat pay raise. Which will matter more in your day to day life?

    (Edit: I hate how the camera flash washes out all definition. :grumble: )
    bumpin for something upbeat... thanks for sharing your story:wink:
  • _Dani_Girl_
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    AMAZING! That is so wonderful to read and see. Thank you for sharing!

    I have a label on my scale: I AM MORE THAN MY WEIGHT.
  • twosons08
    twosons08 Posts: 46 Member
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    Thanks. I needed to read this post today. I look and feel different but it is not reflected on the scale. I was about to get discouraged.
  • celestialuk1974
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    roflmao i like the way you talk about the scales im gonna go straight upstairs and chastise mine for lying to me . then im gonna go to the shops and buy myself a tape measure and keep track of my weight that way. :happy: :happy: :happy:
  • davery1985
    davery1985 Posts: 142 Member
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    This is amazing! You look ace! I must be the same! I weigh 169lb and im 5ft7 and i am currently in size 12. My mum is 140lb and she is 5ft6 and she is a size 12! I was like why am i heavier, but exactly the same as you in size!!! Its so good you explained it like this. It makes me understand that i have done the same as you and not to be discouraged. Its taken me 10 months to loose all the weight i have so now i feel much better about everything. Thank you for sharing, your an inspiration to others!! Well done luv xx
  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
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    I am 2 pounds less than I was before I started losing my moving abroad pounds. Yet I am cleanly a size smaller! I tried on 6 pairs of pants to make sure and none of them were tight. I'm definitely smaller than I was 1.5 years ago at nearly the same weight.

    You know what gets on my nerves? The fact that the word *kitten* is not recognized by spell checkers.

    For me, it's less about the scale connection and more about the fact that exercise (weight lifting) is doing the trick. It is a pretty cool trick. It even fools the scales.
  • habapu
    habapu Posts: 25
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    The scale is a lying, cheating *kitten* who kicks puppies and takes candy from babies. Don't give it any power over you.


    Thanks... your proof!
  • JeffinRaleigh
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    Awesome thread and a great reminder for us all!

    OP: please don't smuggle a loaf of bread down those skinny jeans. K?! :laugh: