What's more important: Weight or Physique?

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  • Roeri011
    Roeri011 Posts: 77 Member
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    Weight was more important to me when I started out, but now I care more about physique. I only step on the scale once a week but I have to look at myself daily. I plan on throwing out the scale in a couple weeks :)
  • Wonderwoman2677
    Wonderwoman2677 Posts: 434 Member
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    For me, weight is priority until I reach my goal. I want to be mid-range healthy BMI. That's my goal.

    Once I'm there, I'm going to work on any physique improvements I want, but not before.

    I'm no expert, but using your muscles and toning up can help you get your goal. I think the go hand in hand. I've been trying to lose weight exclusively for about a year with very little progress. I need to work out to lose... I've accepted that and I'm ready to do the work! :)
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
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    It's absolutely Physique for me too, but being that I am underweight, weight for me also has a particular importance, but with that being said, i have no real goal weight, I just want to keep going till I look they way I'd like to look, or at least better than I do now! So whether that's at 105lb or 120lb I just don't know or care!!
  • Wonderwoman2677
    Wonderwoman2677 Posts: 434 Member
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    Physique, definately. I won't care about my scale when I'm strong and healthy. I'm weighing myself often because I really want to see the number go down to a healthy range. It's just extra motivation to work hard!
  • TheBraveryLover
    TheBraveryLover Posts: 1,217 Member
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    Many people on MFP certainly think weight is more important than how you actually look. Sure scale weight can be an ego boost (or a downer) and is the quickest way to show progress but I've never put much stock in it and never will. I'm all about how I look in the mirror, and clothing size that I fit into. In fact, the only reason I started to want to lose weight was because I wanted to fit into regular size trendy dresses: not plus size. Now that I can, my goals have expanded and I can enjoy reaching new aesthetic goals without having a race to lose x amount of pounds by x date. :-)
  • kalynn06
    kalynn06 Posts: 368 Member
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    Looks and (for me) ability to function definitely, but it's easy to get caught up in weight especially since you may not appreciate incremental gains in appearance. The scale, on the other hand, gives numbers, a much easier, if far inferior, yardstick with which to measure progress.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    Physique as measured by weight.

    As in not some arbitrary point from your past or that you heard someone weights that you want to look like, or somehting else of the sort..

    As in the weight at a specific BF% given your current lean mass for cutting, updating that as you go and get closer.
    (187 lbs @ 8% BF for me, 172 lbs LBM)

    With an ultimate goal or a specifc weight that has a target BF% and lean weight.
    (205 lbs @ 9% BF for me, 187 lbs LBM, around the Willoughby Ideal Athlete proportions for my size and the look of an NFL safety)
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    For me, weight is priority until I reach my goal. I want to be mid-range healthy BMI. That's my goal.

    Once I'm there, I'm going to work on any physique improvements I want, but not before.

    I'm no expert, but using your muscles and toning up can help you get your goal. I think the go hand in hand. I've been trying to lose weight exclusively for about a year with very little progress. I need to work out to lose... I've accepted that and I'm ready to do the work! :)

    I'm certainly in no rush to get to my goal, and for me it's better to focus on one thing at once. It's important to me to know that I'm down to a healthy weight, before I start any form of weight training.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
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    I'm certainly in no rush to get to my goal, and for me it's better to focus on one thing at once. It's important to me to know that I'm down to a healthy weight, before I start any form of weight training.
    Just a thought. Wouldn't it make more sense to get to a "healthy weight" and actually "be healthy" at the same time? If you reach the weight without being physically fit, then how healthy is the weight?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • twentytwobecky
    twentytwobecky Posts: 35 Member
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    I totally agree! My happiness does not depend on the number on the scale! I haven't lost a pound in months, but I am a little bit happier with the way my body looks and performs everyday.
    I guess that's a NSV! (non scale victory)
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    I can weigh less by standing on a scale in an elevator as it goes down. Or taking a trip to the moon. Bam.
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    for me, it's weight. i need to be as light as possible to be a fast runner. i dont really care if i look like a bag of bones as long as i'm light enough to be a successful runner. runners almost have to be UNDERWEIGHT to be really really good.

    Totally disagree. I wouldn't say a single runner in the Olympics appears to be underweight, and they're pretty much as good as it gets in the running world. Even the top elite distance runners don't look to be underweight, but they DO look very fit and lean.
  • SpydrMnky27
    SpydrMnky27 Posts: 381 Member
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    physique matters more to me.
  • amyindm
    amyindm Posts: 93 Member
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    Physique - especially after seeing so many pictures on here of people at different points in their fitness journey. They might weigh even more but look leaner. It's amazing!
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
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    I'm certainly in no rush to get to my goal, and for me it's better to focus on one thing at once. It's important to me to know that I'm down to a healthy weight, before I start any form of weight training.
    Just a thought. Wouldn't it make more sense to get to a "healthy weight" and actually "be healthy" at the same time? If you reach the weight without being physically fit, then how healthy is the weight?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I wouldn't say muscles are the only measure of health.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    I'm certainly in no rush to get to my goal, and for me it's better to focus on one thing at once. It's important to me to know that I'm down to a healthy weight, before I start any form of weight training.
    Just a thought. Wouldn't it make more sense to get to a "healthy weight" and actually "be healthy" at the same time? If you reach the weight without being physically fit, then how healthy is the weight?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    I wouldn't say muscles are the only measure of health.

    This is true but lean muscle mass controls almost everything in your body and if you concentrate on cutting fat, you will automatically lose the weight but the bigger thing is, you will lose inches faster at a moderate deficit and ST then just cutting weight.
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
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    Physique for SURE. I know what I want my body to LOOK like, but I have no idea what the # on the scale would be to reflect that. And once I'm within a healthy weight range for my height, I'll probably stop weighing myself altogether in favor of measurements/pictures.

    This 100% :)
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    It's both.
  • gazz777au
    gazz777au Posts: 157 Member
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    .... and that all comes back to the inner person .... mindsets and our own will.

    VERY WELL PUT !

    In my case, the numbers are there to encourage those who still need to lose weight / fat ! A motivational tool !
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
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    Great post as usual, Physique :-)

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