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The number on the scale really doesn't mean much

DJ2120
DJ2120 Posts: 407 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I usually obsess over my weight & get easily discouraged when I haven't lost & so many people say its not the number on the scale, but how you look, how your clothes fit etc. Well, I came back from a vacation a few weeks ago where I really ate badly, didn't work out much & I did put on 2 solid pounds. Since being back I have eaten much better & worked out regularly. I lost the 2 pounds but haven't budged since. However when I look in the mirror my waist has gone down tremendously & my arms are thinning out a bit. So even though my weight is staying the same, my body looks so much better. Just thought I would share with my fellow people who normally obsess over what the scale says.

Replies

  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    Great NSV !!!
  • redwan2001
    redwan2001 Posts: 286 Member
    The scale is discouraging, especially when you can tell by your body that your have lost because your body is also much toner. When I get on the scale at home, I get on 3 different times and get 3 different readings lol. So I weigh myself with the old school one at the gym once a week or so. I totally know what you mean you look great hey that all happens to us when we go on vacation your back on track and focus!!!
  • M2DandA
    M2DandA Posts: 12
    I agree it can be very discouraging if you focus on the scale alone. Muscle takes up more space than fat, so you can weigh the same, and still be thinner. :)
  • bcf7683
    bcf7683 Posts: 1,653 Member
    I've actually been putting on a steady 2-3 pounds a month since I've been weight training- but I'm still losing pant/shirt sizes. The scale doesn't mean crap if you can see your body changing. I honestly hardly even weigh myself anymore. I'd rather feel good seeing my body change rather than a number.
  • cara4fit
    cara4fit Posts: 111 Member
    M2DandA - You got it the other way around, it's FAT that takes up more space than muscle. This is why 2 people of the same age, sex, height, body structure+type, bone structure, and weight, can look very different because one has trained and the other hasn't. Every single time, the one who hasn't trained will be larger than the one who has, because poundage in muscle is denser(taking up less space)than fat. A great analogy floating around the web has it that 5 pounds of muscle is about the size of 3 tangerines, while 5 pounds of fat = 5 1lb.- packages of butter.
    So yes, after a certain point, especially when getting close to one's goal, scale weight doesn't mean everything.
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