Paleo is making me heavy- or... psychology of the scale

MikeFlyMike

For well over a year, I have been very proud of my MFP ticker showing 30 lbs lost (it once said 38). I have been very consistent at keeping the weight off and keeping my bf% in line. Earlier this year I started eating more, working out more, and lifting very heavy 3x a week in addition to lots of crossfit.
I have not stepped on a scale - but my clothes all fit great or are loose and the mirror is treating me well. Wife even commented about shoulders, traps, and arms - and I notice the legs are getting well defined.

So, we bought a wifi scale from fit bit. I stepped on it. OMG I gained like 8 lbs in a few months.
I was proud to hover around 157 (even hit 153 on a dehydraded day).
Have been bouncing up to 165 late last year.
Now I'm in the 170's. I hadn't weighed 170 since Feb of 2012.

Now, I am wearing the same pants at 170 as 157 - no change in waist. I have no belly. I know intuitively that it is muscle (or mostly muscle). But I admit, there is some part that says (burn more calories or eat less). I know I shouldn't give a crap what the scale says and only should worry about bf%.

Its so funny how the scale can mess with your head.
Now my "ticker" will show much less in terms of accomplishment. I always liked being able to brag about weight lost with paleo. Now I suppose I have to change my ticker to be "weight gained with paleo".
So please don't judge me by my so-few-pounds-lost, or my inability to maintain - cause my weight has rebounded

deanna198888

Reading this really helps me. I have only lost a lb so far in almost two weeks with Paleo, with any other diet I would have seen that and ended up feeling hopeless and stuffing my face full of every carb in sight. Although I have only lost the pound I have gone down a size in pants and shirts that haven't fit in a long time are fitting again. I can tell a huge difference in my body and since starting circuit training and using my child as a weight to work my arms I have noticed muscle starting to pop up. Even with all this going on and knowing I am losing inches and gaining muscle it is still discouraging when I see the scale isn't moving. I am so used to judging my weight loss by the scale and not my body. I had decided to stop weighing myself but still find myself stepping onto it on occasion. I have to keep reminding myself that my weight isn't what is important anymore, its how I feel and look.

shar140

I wish we could change our tickers to body fat % lost, or other measures of health gained, etc instead of all the focus on an arbitrary number on a scale!

divemunkey

I wish we could change our tickers to body fat % lost, or other measures of health gained, etc instead of all the focus on an arbitrary number on a scale!

yes, this.

I started gaining a couple months ago. I decided that low carb paleo wasn't doing it for me anymore and now my weight is up 10 pounds with the extra water I need to use the carbs. I was never all that hungry before, but now I feel like my body is much better off. I eat closer to 2300 cal a day instead of 1800ish, and I am still turning fat over to muscle and my hormones are more normal. Other spending even more on food, I think this is the way to go for me.

MissXFit13

Well, you are not alone. I've gained weight since I've starting eating paleo and doing Crossfit. And yes yes, as everyone says, a lot of it is muscle. My clothes still fit (well, except for sleeves and pant legs thanks to the aforementioned muscle gain, but they're more or less same around the waist).

I have the same exact hang up, because I always want to keep my weight at or below my driver's license weight. It's arbitrary, I know, but also it seems like a good weight for me to be at. I'm not sure where these 10 extra pounds came from, and I'm up 20 from my absolute lowest weight, granted it was when I was severely calorie restricted AND training for a marathon, so not healthy or maintainable at all.

Jason Seib's tagline is "Getting healthy on purpose, and getting hot by accident". I like that, so I'm focusing on how healthy my life is these days, and how "hot" my reflection is in the mirror.

Thinking about packing up and mailing my scale to my nemesis...they can deal with the neuroses that goes along with it!

hilliardjoe

I don't know where I heard it but when I started Primal I also started tracking some measurements. I measure my waist, hips and neck so I can do an online body fat calculator.

Seeing those numbers continue to go down even if the weight doesn't makes me feel that I am still on track.

I take these measurements every Saturday morning, it's become a little ritual for me.

Because of this I know that my body fat % has gone from 40.7% to 28.9% and that my lean body mass has gone up since I started. And that I've lost 9 inches from both my waist and my hips.

I am almost to the point where I may need to buy new pants again and I hate buying clothes. Heck, this time I may even need to buy a new belt because the current one getting too long and is hanging down and getting in the way.

It can be little things like this that let me know what I am doing is working and keeps me on the path.

athenalove46

I wish we could change our tickers to body fat % lost, or other measures of health gained, etc instead of all the focus on an arbitrary number on a scale!

^^^^ Yes....THIS! If you are telling me that you are still wearing the same size clothing, your muscles are GROWING, and everything about what is going on is GOOD except for the number on the scale, I say it's time to throw the dang thing away. You have moved passed your need to worry about weight lost. As you eat more and lift more building muscle inevitably WILL put more on the scale. But at this point, what's the big deal? You aren't putting on fat. Give the scale a break and keep doing what you're doing!

I had to edit this to also say to get rid of the dang ticker! lol There, problem soved!

justaspoonfulofsugar

I rarely see the scale move and at my weight,I'm sometimes shocked and slightly disturbed..however,my measurements are changing monthly,this month I am down by over 10 inches..the scale will move eventually but as long as something is moving I am happy.
The main thing for me is I am over my sugar obsession and seem to be digesting food much better.I won't be eating any other way anytime soon.
Everyone should throw away the stupid scale!

ichorica

I am there with ya Mike! I try not to worry about what the Scales says but it is a quick assessment tool! Oh and I gained an inch on both of my thighs and I'm stuck at my 100lbs weight loss. No idea about body fat without being dunked. We just keep chugging along though! Feeling fit is important!!