Does there come a point where weight is not the issue
jlgobert
Posts: 41 Member
OK last week I posted a topic expressing the issues I have been having psychologically with my weight loss in that I do not see the person that others see when i look in the mirror. I think i just compounded the issue. Today I jumped on the scale just to see what I weigh, and i have not weighed myself in awhile. Why did the scale say that I gained 10 pounds? Here is the problem, I have put on clothes smaller than i have in years. Today I tried on a shirt size L, When I started I was in a 4x comfortably, 3x was snug. I felt great and noow to see I put 10 pounds on just ticked me off. Is this common when you are excercising a good deal to stop losing weight and just lose inches. i wanted to get to 200 pounds but I really do not feel like i should get much thinner based on my size. I do not want to be skinny, but 230 just seems like a lot when I am in a 34 waist jean and a large shirt. It is just confusing the heck out of me.
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Replies
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I think how you feel and how your clothes fit is a much better indicator of success than your scale.
Unless you're weighing yourself regularly, at the same time of day, you really can't say "I gained 10 pounds". My weight fluctuates based on a million different things that aren't actual pounds gained. It's the overall trend that matters, not a one off scale reading.
If your clothes are fitting better and you're losing inches, keep on keeping on.0 -
You just described what goes on in my head everyday :noway:
I am at the smallest clothing and measurement wise I have ever been as an adult but I just cannot see a size 4 going on a size 2 in the mirror, being 149 pounds and 5'2"
I think we have to work on deciding what we want, numbers vs. health - but I also think this takes time.0 -
Body dysmorphia is real issue for a lot of people. There is a fundamental break between what is there and what you see.
This is something I struggle with as well and my own self reflection has led me to realize that I don't value or truly love myself. I could lose all 80lbs and it still wouldn't be good enough. There is always something to fix. But the only way to ever fix that is by readjusting my self view to love myself at any stage of my weight loss journey. The negativity needs to be recalibrated.
In relation to you, your focus should not be 10lbs of weight gain, it should be how you feel in your clothes, how you feel in your body now, the amazing things it can do now that it is closer to health. Appreciate the breaths you take, the body you are so fleetingly allowed to inhabit, every miracle that each day is. Take that 10lb weight gain and realize that muscles weigh more than fat and your better fitting clothes are proof positive that muscles are being made.
Unfortunately not a damn thing I said above is easy or I would already be there. But just changing the way you think about one little thing everyday may lead you to readjusting your big picture and really appreciating all the hard work you've done to achieve something that so few people can do.
TL:DR Learn to love yourself.0 -
I've been maintaining for almost a year now, and people have been calling me "tiny", etc., for more than that, but I still have the same problem as you on occasion. After years of seeing a fat girl in the mirror it can be a head game, for sure. I weigh a good 20+ pounds more than what people think I do.
Are you doing any kind of resistance training? Having more lean body mass will make the number on the scale appear bigger. Have you had your body fat percent tested or taken progress pictures and done measurements for comparison? That may be a good way for you to go instead of getting hung up on a number.0 -
hmmm ... it all depends on a few things ...
Do you have a set time that you weigh yourself? Are you changing your exercise routine lifting (ie. from cardio to lifting)?
I think as the previous poster mentioned, to truly record progress as accurately as possible, the measuring process has to be as consistent as possible. Otherwise, mixed results shouldn't be surprising.
The human body is about 60% water so a couple glasses of water can make a noticeable difference. If you have been weighing-in first thing in the morning on an empty stomach & bladder then all of a sudden you weigh yourself in the middle of the day after lunch, then yes - expect a different number on the scale. It doesn't necessarily mean you have gained weight it just means you're heavier after you eat which is 100% normal.
The other thing that you may want to take into consideration is that if you are lifting to build muscles, then you will most definitely see a weight gain while still seeing inches continue to decrease. (The whole muscle weighs more than fat thing).
But overall, if you are fitting into clothes that use to squeeze you like a sausage (I had a sausage t shirt drawer) then the progress should be fairly evident. Perhaps you have arrived at a point in your weight loss journey where you should be more focused on how your clothes fit and how you are feeling overall rather than looking for a specific number on the scale that dictate your success or lack there of.0 -
Weird coincidence: I just watched the movie Hungry for Change on Netflix. The last 10 minutes deal with everything I just said above. They all said the number one lifestyle change they made was learning to love themselves. Check it out!0
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How your clothes fit is primary. If you are working out you could have gained muscle. Have your BMI and body fat checked. That will tell you the true story0
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Chances are… while you will be the first to recognize clothes fitting looser and how you feel generally… you will be the last person that will be able to actually see the change in yourself physically… especially just by looking in the mirror. We see ourselves constantly and the change is so gradual. That's normal.
Weight will fluctuate due to many different factors. If your clothes are fitting better and you are feeling better… take that to be more a measure of success than the scale.
And finally… health is not determined by a number on the scale. This is your body and your life. You get to decide when you have reached the point where you feel comfortable and are ready to move into maintenance. Even BMI isn't a great tool because it doesn't take into account frame size or muscle to fat ratio. It's okay if you decide to move into maintenance before you hit that weight you originally set as your goal.0 -
really great suggestions!! I dont weigh at the same time, i have weighed in the morning, today i weighed at 4 in the evening. And while I have not been lifting, I have been doing more work with dumbells, and general stuff like push ups etc, that I did not do before. I was only jogging for a very long time and added the extra becasue jogging was starting to fel less exercise and more relaxation and mediation time. I will rey to be more diligent in my measurements to keep better track and only weigh at teh same time.0
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Body dysmorphia IS real. I'm a ones and zeros kind of girl, (computer geek by trade) so I choose to look at it scientifically. MY perception is skewed right now. Maybe it will eventually unskew its self, maybe not, but I can't really be trusted with my "feelings" about my body is so I choose to follow the BMI chart. BMI is a good measure for most people, (unless you are an exceptionally fit male body builder with extraordinary muscle mass, that is), so I figure I can use it as a guage for myself. My original goal was to get into the healthy BMI range. I've been hanging out in maintenance to the right of center in the healthy zone (23.2) for about 3 months now. I recently decided to go for the last 10 "vanity pounds" to put me smack in the middle of "healthy" where I'd like to stay.0
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It can be difficult yes...I know i have lost 60lbs...I know my size is a 4....I know I weigh less than I did pre baby...
I know all these things...but when I hold up a size 4 jean in a store my first thought is...yah no way is this gonna fit me...or a small shirt....
My first GW was 165...because that was the lowest I had ever gotten since my son was born *cough 20 years ago cough* and I figured that was it...I got there and kept losing and getting smaller so set another 10lbs down....
As soon as I got there I was like yah I am done...no way can I weigh less...well here I am 7lbs lighter than that...
Logic vs Emotions....let logic win this time....let the numbers (all of them measurments, scale weight, clothing size, BF%) tell the story logically...emotions will catch up eventually...0 -
I use the scale daily to see where I am but don't obsess over the number. My beer gut is what I wanted to lose so I focus on my belly as the ultimate indicator of my maintenance.0
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I started Boot Camp a month ago and have not lost a pound. Actually gained 5 pounds. However, I am in a size smaller clothes. I researched and it appears our muscles retain lots of water to keep hydrated to heal from all the exercise. I am praying that I will see the scale go down one day. I know it should not matter what the scale says but it is the only tool I have to prove I am doing what I am supposed to do.0
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Yes, eventually it will get to the point (hopefully) that your successes aren't measured by a number on the scale. It took some time for me to get there, but I'll tell you, it's a great thing when it does happen! I now measure success by my overall feeling of health and fitness, and my clothes. Now when I sprint a little faster, that's a goal.0
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I feel like this all the time.. I still feel the same and can't accept sometimes what the mirror says. I'm the lowest weight I have been in my adult life but still look for my old sizing or think lower sizes wont fit.0
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I've been maintaining for almost a year now, and people have been calling me "tiny", etc., for more than that, but I still have the same problem as you on occasion. After years of seeing a fat girl in the mirror it can be a head game, for sure. I weigh a good 20+ pounds more than what people think I do.
I hear ya. My focus now is less of the scales and more of how i feel and my clothes fit. I want to put around 7lbs on as i'm at the low end of my healthy range, but i don't want to put it on by eating cakes etc. I want to eat more protein, "good" fats etc.0 -
I have been at or under my goal since April 2013 and I weigh myself at least 3 times/week. I'm 5'8" and in the past have been able to gain at least 10 pounds and not see it in my clothes. For me, I need the accountability of both tracking my food and weighing. Have gotten into exercise and that is a regular part of my days and I've completely changed the way I eat and honestly prefer the healthier foods - most of the time. For me, weight will always be something I have to focus on.0
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First, congratulations on your accomplishments.
If I wanted to, I could still allow the mirror reflection convince me that my body hasn't changed at all regardless of what the number on the scale says. Thankfully, I am no longer in a place where I define myself by what I see in the mirror hanging on the wall. Instead, I go by the internal mirror and by how my clothes fit. Once your perception and your mind are in synch with each other, you'll know where you need to be [which is different than where you want to be] and know when to just be healthy rather than being on a weightloss journey.0 -
http://www.meh.ro/2011/12/30/muscle-vs-fat/
Great pic of muscle vs fat (same weight). Ditch the scale it's liberating. Clothing doesn't lie. Besides, the scale just weighs stuff, doesn't account for distribution and lean mass. I have a friend who is 5 ft 2 inches and weighs 140. She is pretty much muscle with a little necessary body fat. Looking at her you'd guess closer to 110. I'm wearing size 10 pants and weigh 175.....the number is nothing without knowing if you are made up of more fat or muscle. Simplifying it for sure, but the scales can be evil and rule your life if you let them.0 -
For me, 4 pm is when I am about my heaviest during the day. I know because I weigh myself every morning, and before long workouts (to monitor hydration – by "long" I mean 2 hours or more on the bike). I can easily weigh 3-4 pounds more in the late afternoon than I did when I woke up, though 1-2 is more common.
I'd advise focusing more on how your clothes fit, how you feel, and whether your body composition is the way you like it. Weight is a crude metric, but we use it because it's very easy to measure. Once you're close to maintenance, the other factors are more important. My ticker says I still have a few pounds to goal, but at the moment I'm focused more on body composition and might do a bulk and cut over the winter.0 -
I had a really hard time visualizing myself for the longest time and then happened to see a picture of the me I used to be and thought OMG who is that?! I really couldn't see myself as the "thin" or "skinny" person all the others were seeing. Now I can't say I see myself as others do but I know who I am on the inside now, I'm healthy not thin, not skinny but healthy with room to grown stronger and healthier each and every day.
I'd suggest taking a hard look at an old photo of yourself, look into your eyes in the picture, do you see yourself looking back or a stranger. It takes time to reconnect to yourself, cut yourself some slack and enjoy how far you've come. Many times the numbers we think we want to see on the scale are no where near where healthy is for our bodies.
Also set yourself a "range" not a specific number to meet or stay at, there are many things that will cause fluctuations and those fluctuations are temporary. For example a glass of wine can cause me a 3lb gain for 3 days........yes really it can that's how closely I monitored myself. Now I don't concern myself with the scale, I enjoy my new energetic life and use the scale to check in a few times a month and so far my range has been completely attainable.0 -
Yes. How you feel is the issue, but the scale can be a helpful indicator if you use it right. Agree with all who urge weighting consistently and frequently to get a sense of your weight pattern. Just hopping on at random times won't tell you if the scale number is at the top or bottom of your natural water weight variation. It would be like weighing once in your skivvies and the next time in a 3-piece suite with shoes.... too many variables obscure the reading.
Example: DH works out of town M-F. He weighed himself Sat morning, and promptly went on a backpack trip. Freeze dried food. Trail mix. Pumping/filtering water out of a lake (ick)and possibly not drinking enough. Came home and weighed himself Sun night. Scale read 5 lb heavier. "Could I really have gained 5 lbs in one day?" he asks.
Point is some (most?) of your "10 lb gain" could be water. It could be recomp (same size+less fat+ more muscle=more weight). Many advocate taking measurements consistently, and that is surely a better indicator if you are good at it and can do it consistently. I doubt I use a consistent tension for all measurements, and I take a couple so it takes several minutes to do. Hopping on the scale is fast and easy, but you have to keep scale weight in perspective and not let it mislead you. Congrats on your awesome progress!0 -
My thought: I am not weighing myself righ now for this exact reason. If you are exercising and eating right and your clotehs are smaller and you are looking smaller. Who the hell cares what you weigh? I find weighing just feeds that little monster that wants to push you off your fitness plan.
Just keep plugging along..when your waist size is what you want..and you look good in your clothes.. then maybe weigh yourself to make sure you don't regain.. but why let that number on the scale play tricks on you.0 -
To answer the question "does there come a point when weight is not the issue". That point did come for me- but it was after about 4 years. I had been working very hard, and seeing many changes (body shape, clothes fitting differently, weight going down) that it has finally become a non-issue for me.
Don't get me wrong- I still look in the mirror and see areas that could use improvement, but it's with a much healthier, realistic voice in my head. It's one that knows I can make the changes I want to because I was able to make the changes I have and have come to accept the new me.0 -
Okay, first of all you have to know that you are getting an accurate weight. So... place the scale on a hard floor in a place that is flat. Sometimes this takes a bit of fiddling around if you live in an old apartment like me. Once you have it flat on the hard floor, make sure it is zeroed. Now, most importantly, always weigh first thing in the morning, before consuming anything, after going to the bathroom, before showering, and be nude. You only want to weigh your body, not food, water, and clothing.0
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I do not want to be skinny, but 230 just seems like a lot when I am in a 34 waist jean and a large shirt. It is just confusing the heck out of me.
The common thought is that women are the ones with all sorts of body types, but men are nearly just as diverse. I have broad shoulders and a big neck, so I wear XL shirts. However, my body stores fat pretty evenly, so I wore size 40 pants at 260 and only just got down to size 34s at 195. (I'm 6'1".) In fact, despite wearing an XL shirt, I wear M tank tops, because I don't need to worry about the shoulders in those.
On the other hand, I have a friend whose body stores fat more in his stomach, so while he's the same height as me, the part of his body most affected by his weight lies above his belt line. At about 250, he wears size 34 pants (the same I do now, with 50 pounds of difference between us).
If there's something I've found out over the past few years, it's that no matter how good (or bad) you think you look, there's always more fat to lose. I used to think I'd bottom out at around 200; now I have my sights set on 180 or even 175.0 -
FYI, for men who use their trouser size to judge how they're doing: vanity sizing has hit men's clothing. I have a 34-inch waist. I wear size 32 trousers from Perry Ellis and Greg Norman, size 32 Levi's, and size 30 from Old Navy.
Abram Sauer wrote an illuminating piece about this in Esquire, four years ago:
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/mens-fashion/pants-size-chart-0907100 -
FYI, for men who use their trouser size to judge how they're doing: vanity sizing has hit men's clothing. I have a 34-inch waist. I wear size 32 trousers from Perry Ellis and Greg Norman, size 32 Levi's, and size 30 from Old Navy.
I do know this to be true, but I use the figures i do based on that knowledge and my history. While I know my jeans are definately vanity sized as you say i also have my slacks custome tailored and believe me there is no vanity sizing when they put the tape measure on. At my highest weight and my first pair of slacks from the shop i use I was a 51 waist, I am now a 38 based on the slacks I purchased 2 days ago. I will admit that made me fel really good and put my loss in a different perspective. But to the point when I was a 51 waist my levis were 46. But jeans have been sized different for several years so I still use that number as a measure.0 -
Short answer is yes, Scale weight doesn't actually mean an awful lot as human beings are so unique. And there are many non fat related weight fluctuations involved. If you feel healthy and like the way you look I really wouldn't stress too much. It's beginning to become apparent that half the health problems blamed on "obesity" are actually more the result of a sedentary lifestyle. While being optimum weight is optimum. A bit of extra chub really isn't going to do much to hasten your departure or ruin your life.
in fact in a twist of irony assuming the same person one with low enough body fat to have 6 pack abs and the other a few points into the overweight BMI category the person on the overweight side is actually the healthier human being. Our body can make very good use of a small reserve tank.0 -
Scales are weird, although I do weigh EVERY day. However, I also use a tape measure. Both help me. I stayed the same weight for a year, but lost 2" on my waist.
How much are you exercising? My husband does tai chi several hours a day (he is an instructor and very serious about it). His legs and arms are really solid muscle. But he's overweight - all on his gut. It has been very frustrating for him that he hasn't lost much weight - he's been stuck at 20 pounds for two months. During that time, however, his shirt and pants size has gone way down. More muscle in his legs and shoulders, less fat in the gut.
But it pisses him off too.0
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