Don't be discouraged by numbers on the scale! Easy tips too!
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AlinaRose17
Posts: 92 Member
I am not trying to lose weight at this point in time, but rather to simply gain muscle while lowering my bf%. But I wanted to remind everyone who is trying to lose to not get disheartened if you have a habit of checking the scale each day, because I was once there and I know how frustrating it can be to work hard and think that your diet is on point but feel like you are getting nowhere.
First, try to remember that how you feel about how you look is far more important than the numbers on the scale. I completely understand that as a male, to an extent I am excluded from many of the pressures that society places on women to be super tiny, under 100lbs, and that "curves" are just an excuse for fat- so it is easy to see those numbers as instant gratification when they decrease or a devastating blow to morale when they rise. I just wanted to give some encouragement in this area to anyone who needed it and also give a few tips on how to influence the scale aside from conventional wisdom.
-Be mindful of sodium intake. The average American gets far more sodium in their diet than is necessary and this excess makes it easy to retain water, which can be a frustrating false flag when checking the scale. I avoid fast food and attempt to eat healthy about 85-90% of the time, but even doing so, it is easy to get over 2500mg a day. Honestly, if you are a very active person, you will even have higher sodium needs than someone who is sedentary.
-In the case of the latter, sodium intake might not be the most important thing for water retention. If you are not drinking enough water, your body will actually retain water on its own out of a built-in programming to conserve what it currently has. If you drink more along the lines of a gallon a day, your body will loosen the strings on this tendency and allow you to release more of it through normal bodily functions.
These things can have a drastic effect on getting control of factors that might cause the scale to wobble up and down and keeping them in mind can allow you to have a more accurate view of your progress! Best of luck
-Jeremy
First, try to remember that how you feel about how you look is far more important than the numbers on the scale. I completely understand that as a male, to an extent I am excluded from many of the pressures that society places on women to be super tiny, under 100lbs, and that "curves" are just an excuse for fat- so it is easy to see those numbers as instant gratification when they decrease or a devastating blow to morale when they rise. I just wanted to give some encouragement in this area to anyone who needed it and also give a few tips on how to influence the scale aside from conventional wisdom.
-Be mindful of sodium intake. The average American gets far more sodium in their diet than is necessary and this excess makes it easy to retain water, which can be a frustrating false flag when checking the scale. I avoid fast food and attempt to eat healthy about 85-90% of the time, but even doing so, it is easy to get over 2500mg a day. Honestly, if you are a very active person, you will even have higher sodium needs than someone who is sedentary.
-In the case of the latter, sodium intake might not be the most important thing for water retention. If you are not drinking enough water, your body will actually retain water on its own out of a built-in programming to conserve what it currently has. If you drink more along the lines of a gallon a day, your body will loosen the strings on this tendency and allow you to release more of it through normal bodily functions.
These things can have a drastic effect on getting control of factors that might cause the scale to wobble up and down and keeping them in mind can allow you to have a more accurate view of your progress! Best of luck
-Jeremy
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Replies
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Thanks honey! I love these tips.
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Even if I helped just one person by sharing something that worked for me, then I did my job. All in a days work. =P0
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Thanks! I found this helpful and uplifting - it's nice to be reminded that it's how I feel (and look) rather than some numbers on a scale .. thanks again 0
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Honestly, I was hoping for more than just sodium intake, haha! I hate my scale on my best days .. it's my enemy
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^^^ That reminds me, Also- I completely neglected to mention that if you are doing strength training as well as cardio while trying to lose fat and are gaining muscle that there is a possibility of the scale not moving very quickly as well. As muscle is more dense than fat, one pound of muscle weighs about 1.5 times as much as one pound of fat- so while your body weight might be staying the roughly the same, you can still be losing fat!
And the more lean muscle you have, the more fat will be burned to sustain it!0 -
I hate sodium. It makes me mad.
But thanks, awesome advice!!!0 -
Thanks for the encouragement0
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^^^ That reminds me, Also- I completely neglected to mention that if you are doing strength training as well as cardio while trying to lose fat and are gaining muscle that there is a possibility of the scale not moving very quickly as well. As muscle is more dense than fat, one pound of muscle weighs about 1.5 times as much as one pound of fat- so while your body weight might be staying the roughly the same, you can still be losing fat!
And the more lean muscle you have, the more fat will be burned to sustain it!
What level of 'strength training' would make this true? i.e. if I'm doing 30 min with light dumbbells 3x weekly, is that enough to gain any muscle?
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As muscle is more dense than fat, one pound of muscle weighs about 1.5 times as much as one pound of fat- so while your body weight might be staying the roughly the same, you can still be losing fat!
Forgive me, but I am a little confused. Yes, muscle is more dense than fat, but I do believe that one pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as one pound of fat. 0 -
That depends on how light "light" is. As a general rule, if you are using a weight that you can perform 3 to 4 sets at 10-12 reps each, with the first set being fairly comfortable and the last few reps are a challenge, you would be good to go. It is all about pushing yourself- I am a firm believer in lifting heavy for both men and women.
With very few exceptions (hormonal imbalance being one case), women should try to lift in the same manner as men do because due to the lack of testosterone, it is next to impossible to get large and bulky like so many fear. Obviously, most women will place emphasis on the lower body, and many men will try to "skip leg day" to focus on the upper body
, but the principle is the same. 0 -
Thanks so much for the advice and words of encouragement. I added strength training to my workouts about 2 months ago and I am really starting feel and see a difference. Even though it's not showing on the scale, my jeans and the tape measure tell me a different story. I find your posts very informational and would like to add you as a friend, if you don't mind.0
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As muscle is more dense than fat, one pound of muscle weighs about 1.5 times as much as one pound of fat- so while your body weight might be staying the roughly the same, you can still be losing fat!
Forgive me, but I am a little confused. Yes, muscle is more dense than fat, but I do believe that one pound of muscle weighs exactly the same as one pound of fat.
Sorry, my mistake- I should have worded it differently- The pathway between my brain and fingers got crossed for a moment, so thanks for correcting me. (Been a long day) Of course, one pound is going to universally be one pound, so I should have simply said that because of the differences in density, one pound of fat will take more physical space in the body than one pound of muscle so in that case, muscle weighs more by volume.
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^^^ That reminds me, Also- I completely neglected to mention that if you are doing strength training as well as cardio while trying to lose fat and are gaining muscle that there is a possibility of the scale not moving very quickly as well. As muscle is more dense than fat, one pound of muscle weighs about 1.5 times as much as one pound of fat- so while your body weight might be staying the roughly the same, you can still be losing fat!
And the more lean muscle you have, the more fat will be burned to sustain it!
Forgive me, but in order to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time (barring any PEDs), a person would need to be at maintenance intake therefore, isn't it obvious that their wait wouldn't go down?
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There are plenty of factors to consider, maintenance intake being one of them. Specific macro levels also play a role- one can have a higher protein intake while still being at a slight caloric deficit and still gain *to an extent*.
Of course, a dedicated bodybuilder who lifts continuously heavy will not grow muscle at a desired rate while operating at a caloric deficit, but someone who is not in that position who incorporates strength training into a routine while improving their diet will notice both an improvement in lean muscle quality and tone as well as a decrease in fat to sustain it. Just shows that everyone's body operates differently.
I will even go so far as to use myself as an example. I am a 6' male and weigh about 180lbs. My intake is about 2020 calories a day with my macros being 40% carbs, 35% protein, and 25% fat. Because protein has no energy value for the body itself, but serves as building blocks for the muscle, if I were to leave my calories at that level and severely cut back my protein intake and increase carbs and/or fat, my overall muscle quality would suffer and more of those calories *could* be stored as fat, depending on my activity levels and a whole other slew of factors.
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Thanks so much for the advice and words of encouragement. I added strength training to my workouts about 2 months ago and I am really starting feel and see a difference. Even though it's not showing on the scale, my jeans and the tape measure tell me a different story. I find your posts very informational and would like to add you as a friend, if you don't mind.
Of course, by all means add away.
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Great information. It's so true that the body holds more water when you're intake is not adequate. It will release once it "realizes" that you will be giving it more on a regular basis. This is my biggest struggle. Thanks for the reminder!0
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This is why I only weigh once a month and I also measure my BF% on weigh in. The daily fluctuations drove me crazy. Plus, I'm more focused on lowering my BF% than weight anyways.0
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