Hello....just gotta have input on this one.........

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28848
28848 Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
If I have been losing consistently and now want to start weights, I understand that the scale will show a slower weight loss from building muscle even though my body is getting slimmer....I get that. But my question is whether that means once you start building muscle do you give up reaching a particular weight "goal"? Sometimes I have an irrational fear of buidling muscle because I am so focused on the scale (truth coming out here...pls don't laugh at me)...I want to be more toned but have used the scale for so long.................p.s. thanks for all you out there are so involved on this forum and have made this journey a pleasant one. :love:

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  • Sweetsugar0424
    Sweetsugar0424 Posts: 451 Member
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    That depends on what your goal weight is and if it's reasonable for having more toned muscles. I still use the scale as a guide, but I also use a measuring tape and the mirror to keep tabs on body fat as that's the ultimate goal. I also know that the number I'm reaching for works well with my other focuses.
  • bookgirl_72
    bookgirl_72 Posts: 21
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    Definitely take all of your measurements and start tracking that. It will help take some of your focus off the scale and give you something else to track (obsess over ;) ). You may find that you are happy with how your body looks before you ever even reach your goal weight.
  • Sweetsugar0424
    Sweetsugar0424 Posts: 451 Member
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    Definitely take all of your measurements and start tracking that. It will help take some of your focus off the scale and give you something else to track (obsess over ;) ). You may find that you are happy with how your body looks before you ever even reach your goal weight.

    Well said.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
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    Reach your weight loss goal first then build muscle.
  • vegapsi
    vegapsi Posts: 25
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    I didn't lose one single stupid pound on the scale when I did Jamie Eason's LifeFit...but the photos say otherwise.
    168bpxe.jpg
  • 28848
    28848 Posts: 32 Member
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    Geesh..if I saw that great of a change I would throw my scale away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Thanks for all the support everyone.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    Reach your weight loss goal first then build muscle.
    Reaching your weight loss goal without strength training (and adequate protein intake) will result in a higher proportion of lean body mass being lost along with the fat. It's MUCH easier to maintain what muscle you have, as opposed to trying to put it back on after you've reached your goal. Additionally, building muscle requires a caloric surplus, which means you're going to gain weight - and some of it is going to be fat. That weight gain is going to put you back above your goal weight, which pretty much puts you right back where you started.

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