Numbers are killing me

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  • hollyspoth
    hollyspoth Posts: 4 Member
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    Great progress with the inches!

    I looked at your diary. I only glanced at about a week, but it looks like you eat most of your calories for the day at dinner time.

    What if you tried switching your meals around? Eat a bigger meal at lunch time instead of dinner? That might shake things up.
  • frood
    frood Posts: 295 Member
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    Body fat calculators aren't very accurate. If your weight is staying the same, but you are losing inches, you are most likely losing fat.

    Would you recommend calipers?

    You could get one of those scales that do bioelectrical impedance analysis. The actual number it gives is likely not accurate, but if you use the same scale under the same conditions (time of day, water consumption, etc) for each weighing, you will be able to track your density changes over time.
  • notenoughspeed
    notenoughspeed Posts: 290 Member
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    If you have a goal, don't let your fiance's family get you discouraged from achieving them. Everyone's a critic, that's for sure. You are obviously doing something right if inches are coming off in a matter of a week. It sounds like you have the determination.
  • Nerdy_Rose
    Nerdy_Rose Posts: 1,277 Member
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    Internet body fat calculators rely on weight, usually. There are some that use measurements, but I feel like those are pretty inaccurate. The most accurate body fat % measurement method that I know of is the weird one where they submerge you in water, but I think it's rather pricey...

    That said, if your measurements are changing, your BF% is going down, it's just really difficult to measure.
  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
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    Get your body fat tested by a gym or doctor. Calculators are estimates at best.
  • bradwsimmons74
    bradwsimmons74 Posts: 4
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    Physical fitness is a life long habit. It's about being able to carry your groceries up 2 flights of stairs at 65 years old with energy left to put them away and start cooking without breaking a sweat. Body fat is not the greatest predictor of cardiovascular fitness, endurance or absolute strength. Keeping eating a healthy mix of foods, stay active (and off the scale) and smile. Genetics literally has 95% (not made up percentage) to do with your body composition. Good job and have fun!
  • minchakc
    minchakc Posts: 2
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    Don't worry about. If your losing inches who cares what you weigh. I weigh 136 pounds and wear a size 2. I can't find clothes that fit me. i don't care what the scale says. It doesn't own me. I know that I am healthy, exercise, eat right and look good. Maybe your at your target weight. Ya know, sometimes you get to a weight and your just not going to loose anymore. For God's sakes, you don't want to look like a crackhead, do you? '
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    You probably want to hear something different, but oh well.

    inches > scale weight


    Don't stress! Enjoy your pant size.


    And just for fun/fyi:
    I am still wearing my pre-MFP jeans, so they are loose, but once I lose more inches like you, then I will wear a smaller size too!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Maybe you need to confuse your muscles. If you've been doing the same routine, try to switch things up. You could be plateauing. I don't quite know your food and exercise, but I know, if what you have been doing isn't getting you there, time to try something different. What types of exercise do you normally do?

    EDIT I also noticed "Beer" in your profile. If you still love beer, maybe it's time to put down the pint for a minute. Again, I don't know your lifestyle, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for other things we want.

    Beer is just carbs. If it fits in your carb macros, then it's part of a healthy diet.
  • nznatural
    nznatural Posts: 45 Member
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    If you end up going to the doctors to get your bodyfat percentage weighed, get a blood test at the same time.

    I also have no thyroid gland (no fun at all!), and I find that whenever my weight drops, my T3 levels change - I go near the hyperthyroid end of the spectrum, and usually have my thyroxine dose reduced, which helps me lose more weight.

    Yours might not be affected, but if youre heading along to the doctor anyway to get your bodyfat measured, it cant hurt to find out for sure.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    I really wouldn't stress - sounds like you're at exactly the point that a lot of people want to be - losing and gaining inches in the right places. Pretty much the 'holy grail' - especially for more 'advanced' weight lifters at which point it's much harder and more of a case of doing one or the other.

    Quite possible your TDEE is a fair bit out; but again, for me it seems you're about where you want to be; if I was losing inches and upping the weights I was doing I'd be happy (to be fair, not doing much regularly bar climbing right now - plan to start 5x5 as soon as I've got around to reading up on it).

    Oh and yes, did note cake tastings etc - still doing better than I have been recently!
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    Maybe you need to confuse your muscles. If you've been doing the same routine, try to switch things up. You could be plateauing. I don't quite know your food and exercise, but I know, if what you have been doing isn't getting you there, time to try something different. What types of exercise do you normally do?

    EDIT I also noticed "Beer" in your profile. If you still love beer, maybe it's time to put down the pint for a minute. Again, I don't know your lifestyle, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for other things we want.

    Beer is just carbs. If it fits in your carb macros, then it's part of a healthy diet.

    ^ Yup... I'm still eating at under 150g of carbs anytime I have beer. And, you know, the fact that I have MAYBE two CRAFT (you know, the equivalent of a dense piece of clean, whole grain bread to a piece of Wonder bread) beers... a week.

    I don't need to make "sacrifices" if I'm accomplishing things :noway: I was here for the hopeful pep talks of, "YOU'RE STILL LOSING, SHUT UP AND ENJOY IT."

    Plus that whole, "I'm not gaining weight, and I'm always losing inches" thing. Seems like people can't piece together the gestalt of this thread and keep reverting this to a, "Tell me what not to eat so I can lose an arbitrary number on the scale!"

    I was here for SUPPORT, people ;) Thank you to all who reminded me that numbers, even those body fat % calculators, aren't the best measures of success... especially when I just beat everyone in arm wrestling at a party tonight.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
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    If you end up going to the doctors to get your bodyfat percentage weighed, get a blood test at the same time.

    I also have no thyroid gland (no fun at all!), and I find that whenever my weight drops, my T3 levels change - I go near the hyperthyroid end of the spectrum, and usually have my thyroxine dose reduced, which helps me lose more weight.

    Yours might not be affected, but if youre heading along to the doctor anyway to get your bodyfat measured, it cant hurt to find out for sure.

    This is really relevant to me! :O

    The whole reason I'm ON this site is because I went through thyroidtoxicosis (or what would have been a thyroid storm... if I had a thyroid, according to the doctors!) for a prolonged period which resulted in my cortisol skyrocketing, and literally weight gain coming from an already active, healthy diet :angry:

    (^ Also a reason I got maybe unnecessarily offended by people critiquing my diary... I *am* one of those people who put on weight through no power of my own! My one or two days at not even my TDEE isn't setting me back, and I don't have unhealthy habits to break :P I'm just complaining about my insecurity over stupid numbers, even if it's body fat).

    Recently, after my endo finally saying, "I think we fixed this," I had some wonky hormone symptoms, and my primary thought it could be my thyroid issues... and of course, my endo said, "Meh, you're fine."

    My TSH IS hovering around .3-.5... which is much better than my .0 forever, but I'm wondering if my dose still isn't lowered enough (it's been steadily lowered over the last 1.5 years) and then could be slightly hindering (it's always discouraging to see health blogs/sites point out, "Hey, still having issues? Check your adrenals and/or thyroid!"... because that's me!). My endo has been pretty adamant about keeping me at 100mcg Levo for awhile so my body doesn't get too "confused" by switching drugs/doses too often.

    Thank you for the input! I'm wondering if that's why, though my inches are changing and my muscle is obviously developing, the number seems stagnant.

    Also, thank you to everyone else for the support... and WendyTerry, don't worry, that's exactly what I needed to hear ;) I just needed to, well, hear it enough I guess!

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