Just a reminder that the scale doesn’t tell the full story!
brittkd14
Posts: 22 Member
So first post here! I do comment a good bit, but I’ve not big on posting.
I changed my focus from strictly weight loss to eating for athletic goals. I practice jiu jitsu, kickboxing, some mountain biking, and trail running. I love to move. Eating at an average of 1650 calories a day, doing something 6 days a week, and eating back half the calories, I’ve seen ZERO scale movement. I panicked until I started looking at everything else. I’m down from a size XL or L shirt to a consistent M. I’m having to pull my gi bottoms above my belly button, and my husband stopped me the other day as I walked through the bedroom to say “dang, you are getting a lot of definition.” Zero scale success. I’m 5’5” inches and holding at 174. Mind is blown. I’m not sure the whole science behind it, but I’m ok with it. My upper ribcage area has gone from 33 inches to just over 30 (like where you measure for a bra).
I’m not posting to be all braggy. I’m just hoping to encourage someone to look around at your big picture and not get too fixated on the scale.
Pic has zero scale difference but the clothing is all down in sizes and the skirt on the right is barely staying up. 14-10 in 6 months. (No I don’t have that much history on here-I started with a notebook)
I changed my focus from strictly weight loss to eating for athletic goals. I practice jiu jitsu, kickboxing, some mountain biking, and trail running. I love to move. Eating at an average of 1650 calories a day, doing something 6 days a week, and eating back half the calories, I’ve seen ZERO scale movement. I panicked until I started looking at everything else. I’m down from a size XL or L shirt to a consistent M. I’m having to pull my gi bottoms above my belly button, and my husband stopped me the other day as I walked through the bedroom to say “dang, you are getting a lot of definition.” Zero scale success. I’m 5’5” inches and holding at 174. Mind is blown. I’m not sure the whole science behind it, but I’m ok with it. My upper ribcage area has gone from 33 inches to just over 30 (like where you measure for a bra).
I’m not posting to be all braggy. I’m just hoping to encourage someone to look around at your big picture and not get too fixated on the scale.
Pic has zero scale difference but the clothing is all down in sizes and the skirt on the right is barely staying up. 14-10 in 6 months. (No I don’t have that much history on here-I started with a notebook)
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Replies
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Great feedback for folks. I've noticed taking regular photos wearing the same clothes also makes a difference for me.3
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I needed to hear that today as scale was up a bit today. Probably due to having miso soup which is salty.
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I'm the same weight I was 12 years ago and look nothing like it.9
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I seem to get crap for recommending a body fat machine such as this one, but a lot of trainers still use them, yes they may not be perfectly accurate but you are using them as a relative reference meaning, when you start at 25% body fat and a couple months later you are at 24% you are doing something right, it doesn't matter if it is + or - 2% and comparing mine over the years to a dip tank, it is actually very close if not spot on
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I seem to get crap for recommending a body fat machine such as this one, but a lot of trainers still use them, yes they may not be perfectly accurate but you are using them as a relative reference meaning, when you start at 25% body fat and a couple months later you are at 24% you are doing something right, it doesn't matter if it is + or - 2% and comparing mine over the years to a dip tank, it is actually very close if not spot on
Key to using these is doing them right when you wake up, to keep factors like hydration, food, exercise, etc as consistent as possible. If you took a reading, then worked out and drank some water, you'd get a different result.5 -
I'm glad you posted this, I need to hear it! I was hard on myself and analyzing what dumb thing I was doing that the scale won't go down. Thank you!5
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...I’m not posting to be all braggy. I’m just hoping to encourage someone to look around at your big picture and not get too fixated on the scale.
Don’t ever feel that way. I love it when people share success and encouragement. It’s not bragging. It’s conquering a challenge.
It’s “The MFP Way”.
Great job!!!!8 -
Such a good reminder and not bragging at all! I've been trying to be very conscious of my non-scale victories during this part of my journey. My goal right now is sustainability. I am eating consistently more than I ever have, but being mindful of the types and amounts of the food I am eating. The scale is going down VERY slowly, but my clothes are fitting way differently, I'm getting definition and am noticeably stronger. Those are all great things! I want this to stick long term and not be a quick fix for the millionth time.7
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So true! I'm down 17 pounds, still in the same size jeans, but they are getting baggier, and my knees don't hurt when I take long walks now!!!9
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I love seeing this kind of update, its not all about the scale - way to go!
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nexangelus wrote: »
OP's pictures are in another thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/45451782#Comment_45451782.0 -
Constantly need to remind myself. In fact my doctor and I focused on a size that I would prefer to be as opposed to the number on the scale because the scale was frustrating me, even though I logically know muscle and fat weigh the same, and that my sizes keep going down despite the scale not budging it was still screwing with me. So I only weigh once a week just to keep myself accountable but take my measurements and I never complete my eating for the day via MFP because it always gives me a false sense of what I could accomplish by saying "Oh if you ate like this for 5 weeks you'd weigh xx amount" Because it's never accurate. lol2
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I’m so sorry! I did something wrong in attaching the pics! Y’all have made me feel all the warm and fuzzies this morning!
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I seem to get crap for recommending a body fat machine such as this one, but a lot of trainers still use them, yes they may not be perfectly accurate but you are using them as a relative reference meaning, when you start at 25% body fat and a couple months later you are at 24% you are doing something right, it doesn't matter if it is + or - 2% and comparing mine over the years to a dip tank, it is actually very close if not spot on
I haven’t used one of these since I gained the weight, but it was a very encouraging tool when I was at my fittest (19% body fat). I was competing in endurance (riding a horse 35-100 miles in a weekend) so my personal trainer used the body fat measurement in conjunction with the scale to make sure when I was getting into a weight category, I wasn’t loosing muscle mass... I need to see if we have one laying around at the current gym.
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