using weights = slower results on scales??

XLMACX
XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
in Getting Started
Hi everyone,

Just wanting some information really. I have always lost weight by doing cardio running then at gym using cross trainer, treadmill, bike, rower. Since January I started a new regime introducing some classes that include weights:

Monday- 30minutes in gym doing cardio then 30minutes doing kettle bells.
Tuesday- rest day
Wednesday- either 1hour gym OR 30min gym and 30min meta fit/hitt
Thursday-45minutes lesmils Boyd pump.
Friday-rest day
Saturday- either 1hour 30min power walk OR 60min cardio gym.

I have never done classes with weights before so this is all new to me. I have noticed my arms have become more muscular and I’m a lot stronger in general I can lift things around the home which I couldn’t before like paving slabs ect. Since January 6th My body fat has gone from 26.8% to 23.1%my muscle mass is now 44.6% and I have lots a few inches here and there. The scales however since January 6th I have lost 7lb BUT I have had 2 binges in this time (this was by doing weight watchers started MFP last Friday) I still have another 24lb to lose so fair way to go. I have always gone by what the scales say and never taken any notice of my body fat ect so im not even sure if my results are good? I was just wondering if its because of doing the weight classes that my weight loss has not been going down? I’ am a slow looser any way but this just seems to be dripping off me lol. I don’t want any comments saying I’m stupid or anything like I said I have always done weight watchers which is aimed at focusing on the scale so the other stats I’m not really knowledge on.

Thanks

Replies

  • Up666061
    Up666061 Posts: 15 Member
    Ok first of all (this is my opinion) forget the scales!
    Go by how you feel and how you look in the mirror, best ways to track progress is to take 1 photo a week and track your progress through that. If your doing weight training, yes you will put on muscle size thats a given, but saying that it depends on the training your doing! If you do medium weight HIIT (high intensity interval training) then you'll find the weight will just fly off, lots of fitness athletes do this before getting ready for a competition including myself.

    But seriously, seems like you've done really well so far so keep weight training, you'll be trading muscle for fat anyway and if your sticking to your calorie requirements theres no way you cant be losing weight!

    Hope this helps! :smile:
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    thank you :) hopefully MFP will work for me the thing is on Weight watchers with veg, fruit and salad been "free" its easy to over do it. also sometimes i wouldn’t write everything down using MFP i feel i after write every thing down as im cheating if i don’t. weigh in tomorrow had a sneak peak this morning and 2lb down so hopefully it will stay that way for in the morning :D
  • felonebeats
    felonebeats Posts: 433
    Ok first of all (this is my opinion) forget the scales!
    Go by how you feel and how you look in the mirror, best ways to track progress is to take 1 photo a week and track your progress through that. If your doing weight training, yes you will put on muscle size thats a given, but saying that it depends on the training your doing! If you do medium weight HIIT (high intensity interval training) then you'll find the weight will just fly off, lots of fitness athletes do this before getting ready for a competition including myself.

    But seriously, seems like you've done really well so far so keep weight training, you'll be trading muscle for fat anyway and if your sticking to your calorie requirements theres no way you cant be losing weight!

    Hope this helps! :smile:

    ^^^ spot on
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    slower results on the scales, but better results in the mirror!
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    yes i do notice that i look better now then i did this time last year and back then i was a stone lighter! just Physcological with me i think i have always gone by the scales for 5 years so to me less weight on the scale = thinner person. just getting use too, im sure the weight will start dropping off soon also. x
  • sbarella
    sbarella Posts: 713 Member
    slower results on the scales, but better results in the mirror!
    This, this, this, this.
  • dammitjanet0161
    dammitjanet0161 Posts: 319 Member
    slower results on the scales, but better results in the mirror!
    This, this, this, this.

    x2 :happy:
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    slower results on the scales, but better results in the mirror!
    This, this, this, this.

    x2 :happy:

    For sure this...take pics to see for yourself because sometimes we can't "see" what is really there until we see a before.
  • VanessaMP90
    VanessaMP90 Posts: 19 Member
    I AGREE 100%
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Yup, as others have said...forget the scales.

    My weight has moved ever so slowly since I started weight lifting last summer but the inches have just melted off. I actually weigh 10 lbs more now than I did before I had kids, but I'm in a smaller dress size. Go figure.

    Tape measure is where you will see the real results!
  • laureneliset
    laureneliset Posts: 50 Member
    On my latest weigh in, in just over 3 weeks I had lost only 0.5kg and I was totally deflated. In the past it would have made me massively demotivated and I'd have thought "what's the point of all this work if the scales aren't going to move?" and given up.

    However, after some other tests my trainer showed me I'd in fact lost 3kg of fat in those 3 weeks and the balancing 2.5kg was increased muscle and some water retention. I tell you I was on cloud nine.

    Moral of the story - the scales can make you feel crap when actually you are making some (really!) good progress. Don't let them demotivate you! Since the beginning of the year I've lost nearly 7kg fat and gained 3.5kg muscle. Everyone has started to notice a difference. Psychologically I still want to see the scales move downwards more quickly but I've learned to enjoy seeing my BMR go up as my lean mass increases (more calories burned just by sitting on my backside? hooray!), and being able to fit into my lovely dresses! Plus I can't wait to see how sexy this new muscle is going to look when I'm down to 20% body fat!
  • coolblondenerd
    coolblondenerd Posts: 90 Member
    Focus on body fat percentage rather than the pounds on the scale. Odds are you're gaining muscle and losing fat, and muscle has more density than fat!

    http://yardmandroneson.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/density.jpg?w=487


    23199827.png
  • reddz12
    reddz12 Posts: 350 Member
    Of course it will slow the scale progress, but tat is not what is important, if you are using weights you are replacing weight lost (fat) by weight gained (muscle) try taking pictures. and compare those over a period of time you'll see change faster there and you wont have that scale to worry about!
  • coolblondenerd
    coolblondenerd Posts: 90 Member
    Focus on body fat percentage rather than the pounds on the scale. Odds are you're gaining muscle and losing fat, and muscle has more density than fat!

    http://yardmandroneson.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/density.jpg?w=487

    23199827.png


    Dammit! That was meant to be a picture of George McFly saying "I am your density!"
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    Good read related to this topic

    http://everydaypaleo.com/attention-scale-addicts-part-2/
  • jackielou867
    jackielou867 Posts: 422 Member
    I wish I had lost 3%body fat since January. Way to go :-)
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    Since January 6th My body fat has gone from 26.8% to 23.1%my muscle mass is now 44.6% and I have lots a few inches here and there.

    Those alone are amazing results! You are doing great so as hard as it is try not to focus to much on the scale number, and I know it is hard because that was what we were always taught.
  • decblessings
    decblessings Posts: 113 Member
    I agree with those telling you to put away and ignore the scale. I'm working on that myself. I put the scale away on April 1 and only pulled it out when I was sick out of curiosity. I had a stomach bug and was interested in the difference between being well hydrated and obviously dehydrated.

    I have noticed that I am WAY more confident without a number tellling me how I should feel. I use a Fitbit and stay under my total calories burned each days...

    I think it's only dangerous to ignore the scale if you are ignoring many aspects of health and fitness. If you are eating at a deficit and exercising, chances are the scale is just going to disappoint you unless you are just patient... which I am not.
  • XLMACX
    XLMACX Posts: 346 Member
    thank you very much everyone. on all these forums i do notice that a lot of people both women and men focus on the body fat and better performances at the gym ect, i think its just the people i know and the village/society i live in that’s made me so obsessed with scale. will take a while to change my views. i have decided since the scale is not moving all that fast to make a goal on body fat to give me something to focus on which my goal been 21% which i have read is the lowest i can go. im 5ft 8.5" and weight 164lb so not sure if this is going to be as hard as losing the pounds but at least it gives me something else to monitor rather then my weight. x

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