BikinimomE Member

Because I was already doing too much. The human body adjusts very quickly. So if I wanted to keep losing body fat, I would have to do even more cardio which would eventually cause catabolism (breaking down lean muscle) which would eventually lead to the dreaded skinny-fat. No thank you!

^ YUP

Remember everyone: whether it is tape measure, progress pics, strength/endurance gains or scale - EVERY THIRTY DAYS!!

Also I forgot to mention performance gains whether that be endurance and strength are also EXCELLENT indicators of progress!!

Without question. Sometimes though (I am not excluded here) your mind will play tricks and you may want to make crazy radical adjustments because you think you haven't progressed. With these types of measurements you'll be able to come back to reality and avoid falling into traps.

:smile: Excellent progress. As you get closer to your fitness goal you will find progress pics and tape measure to be helpful tools.

Barring physical ailment, progress pics and tape measure every 30 days will be your best friend if you are following a proper meal plan and make a conscious effort to move about. And that's not because "I said so," it's simple biology. For women chest is measured ABOVE the breast, in the armpits. For men chest is measured…

:bigsmile:

Because if you are following a proper meal plan and moving about more it is IMPOSSIBLE to make such human errors every 30 days. Please don't measure ANYTHING for 30 days - whether we are talking progress pics, tape measure or scale.

I recommend measuring both every 30 days. The fact that you are in a smaller clothing sizes demonstrates that you are DEF heading in the right direction.

As well it should! Good for you!

Woot woot!!

I recommend measuring every 30 days to avoid fluctuations. If you bust out the tape measure daily or every couple of days then the result will be akin to stepping on the scale daily/every couple of days. Fact is that your weight WILL fluctuate a couple to several pounds a day, each day. But 30 days will let you know…

So is the tape measure. The only difference is that the tape measure's automatic answer is an accurate measure of progress (or going in the wrong direction) while the scale's is deceptive. To each his own...

*Thunderous applause*

EXCELLENT!!! I wish more people on this site would "get" this. A tape measure costs about 2$ so I just don't understand why so many are #onthescaleobsessed. <--- this is NOT the most accurate measure of progress. You could be losing GOBS of fat-burning lean mass if that is your only measure of progress. Another extremely…

Mother to four girls ages 20, nearly 19, 17 1/2 and soon-to-be 16. Just turned 45 and yes, I am SMOKING HOT. :bigsmile:

I don't care really about caloric breakdown or any of that as I generally eat clean when I go out too. I don't eat fast food EVER because it is expensive garbage that is marketed as food. And I pass on eating out a lot because I don't like to pay for food unless it is something that is of the caliber that I can't prepare…

Does anyone use a tape measure to gauge progress? Why is everyone so obsessed with the number on the scale? I'm 5'3" and in my current avatar (which was taken about 2 weeks ago) I weighed 137#. I started about 1 1/2 weeks before at 130# but because my metabolism was adjusting to doing NO CARDIO from cardio and calisthenics…

Unless one has the desire to put on a decent amount of mass or build strength in a big way, the only supplementation that one should consider is a multi-vitamin and/or calcium/vitamin D/vitamin K, perhaps B vitamins supplement, vitamin C - etc, all dependent on individual needs. As for MRP (Meal Replacement Protein) shakes…

^^ This. There is no *magic* supplement that will help you lose bodyfat unless your diet is dialed in and you are NOT over-doing cardio and doing adequate strength (weight resistance) training.

I see your point, however, I've never known anyone whose health has been adversely affected (creating poor quality of life and eventually hastening death) because they wore clothing/hair that was out of style.

I looked at your diary and I was hardly grossed out. LOL I wish I could eat as much as you do. A surgery I had in '02 makes that extremely difficult. From what I've seen, you eat quite well. :)

Funny, I've been on MFP for nearly 3 weeks and though I've had several friend requests, not one has adversely affected MY goals. I used to be a moderator on another fitness site for about 10 years (that started 13 years ago) and I learned that unless someone comes out and asks, I rarely comment about what they are doing…

You're assumption, though understandable, is incorrect. I don't have an addictive personality so I'm not now nor have I ever been an alcoholic. My experiences have been with alcoholics (both at work - I chose to employ many addicts/alcoholics because I believe that everyone deserves a chance if they apply themselves and…

I understand and identify with a lot of your post. May I make a suggestion? Instead of booze being the after-work "unwind" why not head to the gym if only just to walk on the treadmill either hill climb or at a brisk pace for thirty minutes or get with a trainer for one of those free sessions that most gyms offer and ask…

I used to be a moderator on another fitness board (primarily for women's fitness) for about 10 years (I began 13 years ago. Yes, I am a dinosaur). and I learned over the years that helpful advice will usually fall on deaf ears. The only thing that would happen is that I would spend crazy amounts of time doing what I…

Yes, you are correct. But I don't see very many elite level athletes populating this site :smile: In addition to a couple of local level bodybuilding competitions (where I got down to 8% bf) I also modeled fitness, swimwear and commercial (not fashion, too old and too short LOL). I never allowed my bf to go above 18% so I…

Quotes akin to this amuse me. "I've tried (insert latest whacky diet) several times and *it works* every single time." Isn't that like "I've quit smoking a few times before..." Ummmm if "it worked" then why would one have to keep going back to it? Doesn't this imply that the diet was not sustainable? When I was competitive…

“But the payoff is good. I mean, I can eat pretty much what I want the rest of the week and potentially improve my long-term health. " ^^^ I find this highly suspect. IMHO this is akin to "if I only (insert whatever unhealthy activity like smoking cigarettes) two days out of the week... I can potentially improve my…