Weight loss, believe the scale or the mirror?

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NA1979
NA1979 Posts: 223 Member
edited March 2016 in Motivation and Support
Or clothes for that matter...what do you all think?

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  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
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    They are all data points which I use to interpret where I am and where I'm heading.
  • MermaidAmanda10
    MermaidAmanda10 Posts: 63 Member
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    Use all 3! But don't let any of them consume you...
  • ali_baba_400
    ali_baba_400 Posts: 4 Member
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    I measure weight every 2 weeks but If i'm doing strength exercise whilst losing weight it seems to take longer to drop the weight because of the slight muscle gain. I find it takes longer to notice the change in your body in the mirror but just use both :)
  • MamaFunky
    MamaFunky Posts: 735 Member
    edited March 2016
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    yes, I agree with the above. Use all three. I think it also depends on your goals and at what point you are at in your journey. I lost about 10 lbs over two years ago. At first it was about the scale. It was awesome seeing the numbers go down. Then it became about the mirror. I could really tell my BF% was going down and I really liked what I saw in the mirror. Now that I am putting on more muscle the scale is a bit higher than I was at my lowest weight, but my clothes still fit me great and I look and feel awesome. Try to use them all, but don't rely on one particular number. They all go hand and hand when trying to meet your goals.
  • saraAmcd
    saraAmcd Posts: 81 Member
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    I've been using the scale only, but that's about to change because I've started lifting. I feel a little lost without that metric being very accurate, tbh, but I've got my measurements, clothes are looser, yada yada.
  • Zombella
    Zombella Posts: 490 Member
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    I'd be lying if I said that the number on the scale doesn't matter. That being said, I say that the physical changes are what really shows me that I am doing well.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
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    I mean...you should be seeing a downward trend on the scale over TIME. But I think time is the key factor, as well as the amount you need to lose. When I was 40lbs overweight, you better believe I wanted to see consistent drops on the scale. In a normal weight range and healthy BMI, trying to get LEAN while lifting heavy weights, I spent too much time worrying about the scale. So much so that I didn't even see how tiny I was getting. I took progress pictures and still couldn't see it. I think it's definitely healthy to take a step back from the scale, as long as you are SURE you're in a deficit, results will come.
  • NA1979
    NA1979 Posts: 223 Member
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    I do have a lot of muscle mass,and supplement with creatine too so have some water retention, the scale stays static some time which is disheartening, but my clothes and mirror says otherwise. If you can get over the visual advantage the scale has,I reckon clothes is the best indicator
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Weight is a number. The scale is quantitative. The mirror is qualitative. Since you said "weight loss" in your title, I would go with the thing that can measure weight.
  • Jburlen2007
    Jburlen2007 Posts: 59 Member
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    I use the scale and clothes. As my number drops, so does my waist. I now have jeans in size 33, 32, 31 and 30...which are now too big. Good problem to have, eh?!
  • NA1979
    NA1979 Posts: 223 Member
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    Jburlen2007 wrote: »
    I use the scale and clothes. As my number drops, so does my waist. I now have jeans in size 33, 32, 31 and 30...which are now too big. Good problem to have, eh?!

    Possibly the best problem ever!
  • mel35645
    mel35645 Posts: 267 Member
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    I know i shouldn't be but I need to see it on the scale!! Even after losing 40lbs and hitting goal weight I never felt thin and never felt like I looked thin so the scale is definitely what I look to for confirmation of how I am progressing
  • NA1979
    NA1979 Posts: 223 Member
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    mel35645 wrote: »
    I know i shouldn't be but I need to see it on the scale!! Even after losing 40lbs and hitting goal weight I never felt thin and never felt like I looked thin so the scale is definitely what I look to for confirmation of how I am progressing

    Definitely makes sense! Congratulations on hitting your goals.
  • KevannC
    KevannC Posts: 83 Member
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    The scale is great long term, but the real results are in your belt!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    If you want to know weight lost, the scale since that is exactly what it measures.
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
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    I try not to get caught up in any one way of measuring progress. The number on the scale, the reflection in the mirror, how clothes fit and how I feel are all things I use to determine how I'm doing.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    It depends on where you're at...if you have a lot of weight to lose, you should be seeing the scale trend downwards along with what you see in the mirror and your measurements.

    I've been in maintenance going on three years here in a few weeks and I've essentially been re-comping in that time...when I stopped dieting I was 180 and about 15ish% BF...three years later I'm 185 and a leaner 12ish% BF...so heavier, but leaner.
  • NA1979
    NA1979 Posts: 223 Member
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    The scale I feel is unreliable if your doing a lot of weight lifting during your weight loss journey, it is my jeans I use as my indicator!

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