I HATE THE SCALE

mjeanae125
mjeanae125 Posts: 42
in Health and Weight Loss
I lost over 200 lbs over a period of 3 years. This year I have not had the biggest success with that God-awful device called the scale.My weight been the majority gaining or constant. I weigh myself in once a month but I think I need to weigh myself weekly. I want to lose another 30 lbs that I have been carrying on me since I was a child. It is getting harder and harder for me to drop the extra weight. I look great and my body looks like I lost the weight!! I can admit that I do not measure my hips, waist, etc.

I used to exercise 5 days a week but now I am exercising 4 days a week (2 days cardio, 2 days strength, and a rest day) because I am currently in school (I return in the fall) and currently seeking a new job. I have a heart rate monitor but the transmitter battery keeps acting up and I need to change it ASAP. I eat around 1800-2000 calories a day. I drink about 10 glasses of water a day!

Last month I have went on a week vacation to Dallas and ate way off my diet. Also, a couple of weeks ago I ate BBQ for the 4th of July.

Does anybody think that I am I gaining muscle? I am sick and tired of being defeated by that scale. I mostly end up crying or pissed off. Just for once I want to see my weight to go back down to the way I had it before!! :'-(

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Don't blame the scale... You're just eating too much.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    If you're not losing weight, you're eating too many calories.

    You say you are eating 1800-2000 calories, but are these estimated calories or are these calories that have been weighed out on a food scale? Because if you're not weighing your food, then you are probably eating way more than you think.
  • Pattunia
    Pattunia Posts: 9 Member
    1800-2000 seems like a lot of calories to be eating when trying to lose weight - are you sure you're eating the right amount? Bear in mind that mfp seems to be rather generous on the calories burnt from exercise when those are logged, so try not to eat all of that back up.

    Pure calorie counting doesn't take you all the way either, make sure the calories you get are from healthy food and minimum sugar!
  • RobPA1
    RobPA1 Posts: 48 Member
    Don't blame the scale... You're just eating too much.

    I am sorry, but a blanket statement like that is not good advice.

    I wouldn't guess about gaining muscle - see if there is a BodPod testing center in your area and get your body composition tested. then do it again in three months - the only true way to tell is to test. Or, you can go to a gym or welness center where they do caliper tests.

    If you go to body bulding dot com, you can search picutres of people who are the same height and weight as you are, and their body fat percetnages will show you the vast differences in how a certain "weight" looks at different bodyfat.

    Don't guess about metabolism either, you can google med gem, or body gem testing and a short 10 minute test will show you exactly what you need each day calorie wise, and you can subtract 500 cal a day from that to lose a pound a week. BMR varies a lot, especially when you factor in body fat percentage. A person with high bodyfat will require less calories than a lean person at the same weight. Congrats on the loss so far!!!
  • Debbjones
    Debbjones Posts: 278 Member
    If you're not losing weight, you're eating too many calories.

    You say you are eating 1800-2000 calories, but are these estimated calories or are these calories that have been weighed out on a food scale? Because if you're not weighing your food, then you are probably eating way more than you think.

    ^^ This...

    But I must add, with around a 200 pound weight loss over the last 3 years (if that was total sustained loss, and not just a cumulative number that does not take into consideration returning weight or weight gain) you must be doing something right. As with all weight loss you will plateau and you might need to change your eating pattern and routine in order to jump start your system.

    I am not an expert on this so I suggest you get some knowledgeable support, advice from a nutritionist or trainer maybe. As always, regardless of what action you take, weight loss is only attained by reducing calories. I too recommend you take a harder look at your food consumption and pay credence to foods nutritional values and nutritional labeling.

    Best of luck to you, never give up though... :-)
  • Laurenloveswaffles
    Laurenloveswaffles Posts: 535 Member
    Gaining muscle comes with a calorie surplus. If you aren't losing weight, yes you could be gaining muscle/fat. Are you weighing every single thing that you consume?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    It is getting harder and harder for me to drop the extra weight.
    The closer you get to your goal, the harder it gets to drop the weight.
    I used to exercise 5 days a week but now I am exercising 4 days a week (2 days cardio, 2 days strength, and a rest day)......I eat around 1800-2000 calories a day
    Have you adjusted your calories since you became less active?
    Are you weighing your food?
    Does anybody think that I am I gaining muscle?
    Probably not. Not that it isn't possible (newbie gains and such), but generally speaking you don't gain muscle while at a deficit.
  • afortunatedragon
    afortunatedragon Posts: 329 Member
    Don't blame the scale... You're just eating too much.

    I am sorry, but a blanket statement like that is not good advice.

    THIS!!

    Nothing wrong with 1800 to 2000 cals, depending on your workout.
    I eat this amount and I am losing, and so do loads of other people.
    Maybe you need to adjust your macros a bit.
    But if you look in the mirror and feel good and happy, don't worry about the scale and keep a healthy diet and exercise.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    For actual progress, don't rely on the scale so much. Try this, weigh yourself right when you go to bed, then again in the morning, chances are you'll have "lost" anywhere from 1/2 lb - 1 1/2 lbs while sleeping.

    The scale is only good for overall progression tracking and really sucks at micro tracking, this is especially true when you consider that weight loss is not a linear process. Weight fluctuates for a wide variety of reasons, water retention, "leftover" food, hormones, and whatever else that may be going on.

    Many people have been fine just tossing the scale in the trash and going on how clothes fit, how they feel, measurements, and even how they look in the mirror. Others, like myself, use the scale for the broad strokes. I don't care about 1 -2 lbs here and there, my focus is more the 5 and 10 lbs differences.

    Having the occasional week, or weekend isn't going to do anything in the grand schemes of your overall progress or goal...as long as you keep those times as the exception and not the rule.

    TL;DR: Ignore the scale for the day to day and only use it for the overall broad strokes of tracking.
  • tjphelps73
    tjphelps73 Posts: 171 Member
    I feel your pain! Three years and 155lbs gone for me and over the last year I have not dropped much. The first 100lbs were a breeze but these last 30lbs are hanging on for dear life. I reviewed my eating from 2012 - I found that I netted the same amount of calories that I currently eat. In my mind, I lost weight at that point in my life and why am I not doing so now? The answer - I weighed 155lbs less and therefore need to adjust my eating/work out habits. With this being said, I have no idea how to net 1200 calories without starving, living at the gym, and installing total dedication for this last drop. I am not a clean eater, life happens, and I know for my own sanity, I need to ask myself, - Am I willing to do what it takes for the next year to reach the ultimate goal?


    Also, even if you are gaining muscle, it breaks down your calories faster, you would be losing if whatever you do was actually working.

    Good Luck!
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    First of all, congratulations on the 200lbs. weight loss. Excellent job! Secondly, you mentioned calories and food but not tracking which is the issue. How are you tracking your calories burned and food? If you are tracking in MFP then make sure your profile is set to reflect your lifestyle before any exercises. Set a reasonable weight loss goal like 1 or 1.5lbs. per week. Enter your exercise and eat back about half of your exercise calories. Re-evaluate after about a month and make any needed changes. If you use the TDEE method then re-calculate your numbers based on your current stats (height, age, weight, & exercise).
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
    Where on Bodybuilding.com can I find those photos I was on the site trying to find it
  • rileyleigh
    rileyleigh Posts: 106 Member
    Also something to consider.... As you lose weight, your body starts to burn fewer calories for its everyday activities. Since you have lost 200 pounds, have you adjusted you goals in MFP? For instance, i started out at 208 pounds, and MFP gave me an allowance of 1800 calories. Now i am down to 195, i reset my goals, and MFP only allows me to eat about 1670 calories for continued weightloss.

    Make sure you are taking you weight loss into account when determining your current calorie allotment.
  • mjeanae125
    mjeanae125 Posts: 42
    MFP has me set to eat about 2,060 calories a day. I try to eat less than that. So are you saying that I have to eat less??

    (P.S.-- I do not appreciate some of the rudeness in the comments).
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    I look great and my body looks like I lost the weight!!

    Then who cares what the scale says?
  • RobPA1
    RobPA1 Posts: 48 Member
    Where on Bodybuilding.com can I find those photos I was on the site trying to find it

    Go to bodyspace dot bodybuilding dot com

    then Motivation for starters.

    I didnt realize you have to sign up on bodyspace for a free profile to be able to search members.

    Once you do,mouse over motivation, then member search.

    You can serach by age, weight, bodyfat sex, etc.
  • rileyleigh
    rileyleigh Posts: 106 Member
    MFP has me set to eat about 2,060 calories a day. I try to eat less than that. So are you saying that I have to eat less??

    (P.S.-- I do not appreciate some of the rudeness in the comments).

    It depends. Is 2060 what you have been eating the whole time? If so, then yes i would say you should eat less. Go to the goals section of MFP and reset your goal. For instance if it is 1 pound per week, set it to 1.5, then set it back to 1 pounder per week. Make sure your current weight, height, age, etc is in there, and the MFP will give you your new calculation.

    If it still says 2060, then eat that. I have a hunch that it may be lower though......
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    MFP has me set to eat about 2,060 calories a day. I try to eat less than that. So are you saying that I have to eat less??

    (P.S.-- I do not appreciate some of the rudeness in the comments).

    That depends. Are you weighing your food? If not, then this should be where to look first. Make sure your calorie count is accurate by weighing your food. Otherwise, if you're guessing/estimating, that 2060 calories could easily be more than that, hence no weight loss.

    If you are weighing your food, and not losing weight, then yes, you should eat less calories or bump up your activity level.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    MFP has me set to eat about 2,060 calories a day. I try to eat less than that. So are you saying that I have to eat less??

    (P.S.-- I do not appreciate some of the rudeness in the comments).


    Sorry if being straight to the point is considered rude.

    2060 a day is probably to maintain. You need to eat at a deficit to lose. I'm guessing you haven't updated your goals in a while... so do that.

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