What's more important: Weight or Physique?

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  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    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.

    Ah, but again this seems to be focusing on looks. It's not about the inches, to me. It will be once I'm at my healthy weight - THEN I'll let myself focus on deciding what I want to look like and seeing if it's worth developing my physique. :smile:
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
    Physique IS nice, but I'm going with stamina. A number on a scale?
    Well, three people with the same weight: "skinny fat", "fit", and "over weight", it's just number~
  • _GingerSnap_
    _GingerSnap_ Posts: 339 Member
    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.

    I second, underweight is not healthy. Being underweight can acually cause poor running performance and can lead to injury. If your not getting the nutrients you need you can look at the possiblity of stress fractures. I just read an article in Runners World from last month that discussed this same issue.
  • askme12
    askme12 Posts: 155 Member
    Definitely physique!
  • IronmanPanda
    IronmanPanda Posts: 2,083 Member
    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.

    Keflezighi-wins-Olympic-marathon-trials-GCRBNB9-x-large.jpg

    I know 12 year old girls with arms bigger than these guys.
  • scott091501
    scott091501 Posts: 1,260 Member
    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.

    Ah, but again this seems to be focusing on looks. It's not about the inches, to me. It will be once I'm at my healthy weight - THEN I'll let myself focus on deciding what I want to look like and seeing if it's worth developing my physique. :smile:

    Not sure I understand where you're coming from. If you're 120 lbs or 180lbs and 40% body fat it's not healthy. Now if you're either and say 18% bf for a woman chances are you're healthy. Weight is just a number, unless like me it effects how fast you go on course.
  • jwhit31
    jwhit31 Posts: 450 Member
    Definitely physique! This is why I put the scale away. It was driving me bonkers. My weight would fluctuate but my clothes would either fit the same or become looser.
  • jenluvsushi
    jenluvsushi Posts: 933 Member
    I only use my scale as a tool.....it does not define who I am or how fit I am. I weigh a lot according to all the medical charts and my scale...but I have low body fat so both are BS.
  • TriciaZ944
    TriciaZ944 Posts: 317 Member
    Physique. I am more concerned about how I feel and look than I am about what the scale says.
  • Raynn1
    Raynn1 Posts: 1,164 Member
    At this stage, the weight is more important.. only because I am still carrying an addition 60-70 pounds on me, so yes i want that number to decrease.

    Once I get closer to goal, then my physique becomes more important. I wouldnt care if I was 188 pounds, as long as I was in a great size for it.. you know?
  • kikokateyy
    kikokateyy Posts: 136 Member
    Physique. I am more concerned about how I feel and look than I am about what the scale says.

    This!
  • BAtobe
    BAtobe Posts: 93 Member
    At my higher weights, I would have definitely said weight. Now that I am closer to my goal, I really just want my idea physique and I figure the number I want will come eventually. Besides, nobody really sees the scale but me anyways.
  • SexyCook
    SexyCook Posts: 2,249 Member
    I think it is a Mix of the 2....Yes I have made goal and have changed my routine so many time...In my eyes....If I gain on this next weigh-in which is at the end of the month...So what if I like the look I have, healthier, and I can fit in those 8's or some 6's that I have been....It's all good for me!! It's about the feeling and looking at your self and looking healthier and feeling healthier..Not the weight....To be honest...No way one can just maintain the same Ideal Number the rest of our lives....Everyday!
  • SabrinaJL
    SabrinaJL Posts: 1,579 Member
    Both? Neither? I wanna be healthy and strong. The main reason I started this was because I knew I had to get my blood pressure under control and I knew that when I lose weight, my bp drops. Two months ago, my doctor took me off bp meds. I just checked and it is currently 115/75. I'm hoping with at least another 20 lb loss, it'll go even lower. I'd been avoiding lifting heavy (mostly just doing Jillian DVDs) in the hopes that I'd continue losing and start a real lifting program once I got into the "healthy" weight range. Since I'd been stuck in the 170s for about 4 months, I decided the hell with it and started doing Body for Life. Because I not only wanna be able to run from the zombies, I wanna be able to kick/stomp their heads in if necessary. :bigsmile:
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    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.
    Of course not, but exercising with weights more than just affects your muscles. Your metabolism becomes more efficient, you build a stronger heart, you increase blood flow, you increase your immunity, etc. These are aspects of health also.


    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
  • Zoeeee_xx
    Zoeeee_xx Posts: 112 Member
    Definitely physique!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    neither, it's about health!
    Everybody wants good health. The options between the 2 were to prove a point.

    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
  • DianaJaneD
    DianaJaneD Posts: 157 Member
    Just this week in my mind, I changed my "goal" to a body fat % goal instead of a weight goal. I really am not sure how much I should weigh at "goal" because I've never had this much muscle going on! So I'm looking for a particular healthy body fat percentage and a clothing size goal. I'm curious what I'll weigh when I reach it!
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    Great post Niner, for me physique is my number 1 priority. In fact I gained 2 pounds but lost an inch on my waist :smile:
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,570 Member
    Weight is just a number, baby.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Great post Niner, for me physique is my number 1 priority. In fact I gained 2 pounds but lost an inch on my waist :smile:
    Yeah, I'm on a cut cycle and definition is coming in now, but my weight drop has only been a few pounds in 3-4 weeks.
    I weigh daily, but it's to give me an idea if I'm losing too fast.


    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
  • Kim55555
    Kim55555 Posts: 987 Member
    I just had my appraisal yesterday. I'm getting closer and closer to goal having lost 31 kgs already.

    I'm 60 kg now which is the same amount I weighed at my last appraisal on Febrary 4th. Fast forward 3 months to May and the scale didnt move I'm still bang on 60 kg yet I lost a further 2 cms off my waist and 1.5 cm off my hips. Biceps went down 2 cms too wooohoo and now I am starting to see some real definition there. Exciting times!
  • Kim55555
    Kim55555 Posts: 987 Member
    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.

    Yeah me too! I have no idea either what number on the scale i'll end up. It would be nice to be in the 50's but as long as I look good and my measurements and body fat % keep going down then I dont care. I'm working on losing some fat in my mid section atm. I'll keep eating at a defecit and see where my body ends up.
  • Kim55555
    Kim55555 Posts: 987 Member
    my scale has not moved a lot and even my measurements arent really changing, but my jeans have gone down two sizes, my stomach is a bit smaller and I have way more muscle,

    This has happened to me too where the scale and measurements didnt move yet my clothes were getting looser! :)
  • PurpleCoookie
    PurpleCoookie Posts: 334
    Right now I'm more focus about weight, I'm 309 and working to get into the 299's. lol Once I get closer I'll worry about physique.
  • Mamoonie
    Mamoonie Posts: 328
    I started here because I wanted my weight to go down.
    I had 2 goals, one after one year, another one after 2 years, both were to lose 20 kgs, so in total 40 kgs.
    After 5 months in here, I started working out with a personal trainer and weight loss slowed down, but I started losing inches a lot faster. Needless to say, I didn't reach my first big goal of 20 kgs in one year, but I was happy to be able to shop in normal clothing sizes. During that last year, my end goal weight slowly became unimportant to me. Actually I don't have a real goal anymore, I just go on because I like working out with my personal trainer and I'm still on the overweight BMI, but I don't know where I am to stop. I still have that end goal weight number in my mind, but I'm not sure if I still want to reach it.
    I changed my mind during this process.
  • DerDude
    DerDude Posts: 170
    Physique!!!!
    If I had a better one, maybe look like a UFC Pro ;)
  • JennieAL
    JennieAL Posts: 1,726 Member
    It's interesting because I started out with a number in mind... say, 120 lbs. I weighed around 120 from age 17 until I was 27 or 28, and my height is 5'7". I have a petite frame.

    Now that I've started lifting weights things have changed. I've stayed at 130 now for months and months. The scale just does not move. And it's because all sorts of changes are going on in my body... glycogen, water, fat, muscle... hormonal fluctuations, etc.

    Weight loss has now shifted to FAT loss. The scale no longer matters. Only the mirror.
  • africaa
    africaa Posts: 228
    Definitely PHYSIQUE !
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,226 Member
    for me it's weight.
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