why is everyone so hung up on THE number?!?!

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  • vixtris
    vixtris Posts: 688 Member
    I think people are hung up on the number because they dont know how many inches they need or want to lose. they would rather have the average measurements of a desired weight, which is easier to figure out than inches.
  • 1brokegal44
    1brokegal44 Posts: 562 Member
    I'm ready to chuck the scale myself. I'm trying to re-train my brain to be happy with smaller everything (well duh!) and not worry about what the scale says. I feel and look better. I just have to keep telling myself that.
  • JDBLY11
    JDBLY11 Posts: 577 Member
    I see so many people hung up on I only lost X amount of pounds in so many weeks.....and most will add that they have lost SO much in inches.

    It is only really healthy to lose about 1 lb a week, yes if you work hard you can and will lose more at first BUT it's not a race and everyone isn't the same. If you do it the wrong way and lose it too quickly, chances are you will gain some or more back soon enough. Slow and steady wins the race.

    I am a tiny framed 5 foot tall woman. the doctor gives me a goal weight of 115 to 125. That is WAY too high for someone who naturally weighed less than 100 lbs from 18 to 27 (I ate like a beast, and was very active) with a small build. I found the less active I was the more crap I consumed and after hitting about 32 years old....it all changed. I realized I had to maintain a health style of life, eating better, exercising etc. and I was reminded of that fact at least three times over the last 4 years. This time I had a bout of depression several factors happened at once to put me into it. Over the course of 10 months I had gained quite a bit of weight (for me).

    Ideally I'd love to be around or just under 110. BUT it's a feeling. Yes, losing a certain amount of weight is a huge thing but if I lost 13+ combined inches and went down 2 sizes but weighed more than my goal. I STILL WIN.

    It's a feeling. Being comfortable in your own skin. Wearing clothes that fit well sizes below your current one. If you get hung up on the number you may well get discouraged or start self loathing. Skip the scale and measure. It won't do you wrong. Because eventually you will stall and gain BUT muscle weighs more than fat therefore eventually the scale will not show you what you want but you are still winning. Your clothes and mirror and measuring tape won't lie!

    Well, some people have a lot of fat on their bodies so they need to see the scale go down. If you are a healthy weight range sure you don't really need to get caught up in the scale, but when you are like me and 150 lbs above what is healthy then you need to see the scale go down at a pretty rapid pace. I get demotivated if I lose too little, like under a lb. I am not willing to wait more than 2 to 3 years to get to a healthy weight range. And 125 at 5' is not too high of a weight. It is in a healthy weight range for your height according to the BMI. Of course, it is okay if you want to be lower on the BMI.
  • Terree_G
    Terree_G Posts: 69 Member
    I want to thank the original poster and everyone who replied on this thread. What a healthy, lovely, refreshing, helpful exchange of ideas. So rare in these forums (I tend to avoid them like the plague, but the topic title caught my eye... heh.)

    T.
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    Socialization has trained us to look at the data, numbers, outcomes and set our goals for that. It is a good guide but isn't the whole story. So don't forget the numbers, but don't live by the numbers.
  • FlowersInTheDirt
    FlowersInTheDirt Posts: 124 Member
    I used to be quite hung up on my weight but now as long as i lose the love handle and the jelly belly i'll be happy no matter what i weigh:smile:
    Reaching my goal weight would be awesome though :bigsmile:
  • khall86790
    khall86790 Posts: 1,100 Member
    I think for a lot of people it helps to have a goal initially and then it becomes what you think about every week you lose and get a little closer or when discussing success with other people. It's easy to measure it when discussing it with others by having numbers.

    I agree with you though, it's definitely a feeling. Especially because a lot of people (me being one) get to their goal weight and aren't satisfied with how they look/feel about their body.
  • ShrinkingNinja
    ShrinkingNinja Posts: 460 Member
    There was a woman on here that posted she only lost 6 lbs since Feb, and then as an after thought mentioned she'd lost 13 total inches. I feel sad that that isn't viewed as a HUGE victory :(

    Inches are nice to lose...

    But the number on the scale is what my horse has to carry around when we go riding. To her... 40lbs or muscle... 40lbs of fat is still 40lbs. And while I am an excellent rider and she has no problem carrying me around... I still want to make her carry as little of me as possible. LOL

    Then your goal is to lose weight not build muscle, there is a very fine line in working out between the two things. more cardio, less weights and try cutting 100 calories out a day, see where that gets you and I can not stress enough WATER.

    If I cut 100 calories a day... I would not be eating enough to cover my workouts. I have lost a lot of weight already. Just need to lose some more.

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