Throw away your scale - NOW!!

Since my intitial post on this board, I had to opportunity to FM many people. One common theme was 'weight loss.' An issue that people seem to misunderstand so I felt compelled to talk about it. The great ladies that FM'd me all seemed dedicated and did their homework and since I love Exercise Science, I enjoy talking about it and helping anybody who asks. So on to the topic...

Weight Loss is NOT what anybody is trying to accomplish. FAT loss is (well for the sake of this post ). I said to a person, if you had Jessica Alba's body at your current weight, would you want to lose weight? Probably not. if you were healthy and had a great body blah blah blah you would careless what the scale says. Sow hy do you get on it? Throw it out!! Use mirrors. Use digital photo's. Use anything but the scale to dictate progress.

I used to be a scale freak! I set a goal and was VERY upset when I fell 5 lbs shy. At the time I knew nothing about exercise and all I wanted to do was hit a number. Well the task was EXTREME. I wanted to drop - are ya ready? - 50+ (closer to 60) lbs in 8 weeks!!! Like I said, I fell 5 lbs shy. lets spell it out - D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S. As I learned about exercise, I started to realize how close I came to hurting myself. I had no idea why I was falling asleep EVERYWHERE. I had no idea why my lips were VERY chapped. I had no idea how I could lose so much weight but still have NO definition in my muscles.

I learned later I was malnurished, I was dehydrated and I was in atrophy. All I did was cardio and abs (i knew NOTHING). I ate less and less and I mean VERY little - lets say 1,000 calories would have been a lot. I learned that I could have died! Why? Because the scale dictated my progress. I had to drop weight. I did not drop fat (compared to the amount of weight) and shirtless I did not look good. But I was only 5 lbs away.

So the keys is to get to where you want but make it a mission not a task. Get the body you want but do it in a healthy way. Work for fat loss - NOT weight loss. Train smart and eat well.

As you embark or continue the journey, do it right. Throw out your scale and know that YOU are getting better with every healthy meal and with every workout you are progressing.

Thanks Nic - you're the best!!!

ETA: OR Ant?

As always Ant- your advice is sincerely appreciated

thanks

I have to agree with you

I got down to 117- 2 lbs from my goal

but my hubby says I look so much better, healthy, toned at 125 where I am now

I don't get on my scale anymore

You are so right! When people look at me they are astonished when I tell them (very few people) how much I actually weigh.

However, the scale is a very daunting thing to give up.....

---

Posted by curliegirl

You are so right! When people look at me they are astonished when I tell them (very few people) how much I actually weigh.

However, the scale is a very daunting thing to give up.....

---

I have to agree with this also- people are shocked to here I weight 125- I wear a 2 or a 4 in clothes- it's mis leading b/c I am VERY muscular- not gross- just super toned- it really effects the numbers on a scale

I girl in my office has 3 inches on me and weights the same as me- she never wroks out and has very little muscle- she wears a 4 or a 6

most people think I wieght 110 lbs

---

Posted by Beth1210

---

Posted by curliegirl

You are so right! When people look at me they are astonished when I tell them (very few people) how much I actually weigh.

However, the scale is a very daunting thing to give up.....

---

I have to agree with this also- people are shocked to here I weight 125- I wear a 2 or a 4 in clothes- it's mis leading b/c I am VERY muscular- not gross- just super toned- it really effects the numbers on a scale

I girl in my office has 3 inches on me and weights the same as me- she never wroks out and has very little muscle- she wears a 4 or a 6

most people think I wieght 110 lbs

---

Listen to this - I weigh between 135-140, AND I am a size 4-6!!! I weigh a lot more than you, but close in clothing size - people tell me I look thin- when I tell them how much i weigh, they cant believe it - I rarely look at the scale anymore - was getting way too obsessed!

ETA: I work out and have a lot of muscle as well - not much jiggles on me!!!

So true - I am no where near my target weight (which is what I weighed 4 years ago when my FH and started dating). However, last night I decided to search through my closet and try on some of my 'skinny' clothes. They looked better on me than when I first bought them. This is true even though I still weigh more than I did then.

While I have only lost 12 lbs (my original goal was 25 lbs) my measurements have really changed and my body is more toned. I know that I have replaced a good amount of fat with lean muscle. So happy!!

---

Posted by lipglossjunky73

---

Posted by Beth1210

---

Posted by curliegirl

You are so right! When people look at me they are astonished when I tell them (very few people) how much I actually weigh.

However, the scale is a very daunting thing to give up.....

---

I have to agree with this also- people are shocked to here I weight 125- I wear a 2 or a 4 in clothes- it's mis leading b/c I am VERY muscular- not gross- just super toned- it really effects the numbers on a scale

I girl in my office has 3 inches on me and weights the same as me- she never wroks out and has very little muscle- she wears a 4 or a 6

most people think I wieght 110 lbs

---

Listen to this - I weigh between 135-140, AND I am a size 4-6!!! I weigh a lot more than you, but close in clothing size - people tell me I look thin- when I tell them how much i weigh, they cant believe it - I rarely look at the scale anymore - was getting way too obsessed!

ETA: I work out and have a lot of muscle as well - not much jiggles on me!!!

---

Yep that i s the direction Im heading. I remember telling girls at work that i weigh 126 and they were AMAZED! They thought i was like 115. I was like 'not in this lifetime'. Yet i wear a size 4 or 6 and i thin k i look great. I just like to look 'womanly' and toned. I dont wanna be a skinny nothing

Feels good to read this, esp. since I was saying today I need to buy a scale.

I am soo with you all about what you look like and weigh are completely different---since I am like that too.

But alas with my crazy work/school schedule, my workouts are only like 3x/week now and since we've been married I haven't been eating as well as I used to...my clothes are all too tight....

Just am venting since I was in tears again today and wanted to join something, WW, maybe and need a scale then to keep track of progress---I guess I can do it by how I look and clothes fit though!

I have NO idea what I weigh anymore--since I used to not care as long as I looked good!

---

Posted by jeanla4c

Just wanted to add that I wear a size 4 but come in as OVERWEIGHT for my height when you do those charts....I never understood it.....

---

I am close to over wieght for my height as well- they don't facotr in other things- over weight for 5'1 is 132

I weight 125- go figure- I can barely pinch an inch!

---

Posted by jeanla4c

Just wanted to add that I wear a size 4 but come in as OVERWEIGHT for my height when you do those charts....I never understood it.....

---

Those charts are useless!!! When i first me Nichole, I was 205 -210 lbs and had visible abs, vascular arms (BF under 10%)...the who 9 yards. the charts said I was dangerously obese! Those charts are the reason why there is such an obesity problem in America.

SCALES & CHARTS SUCK!

they say my hubby is obese also- 6'0 260 and all muscle - about 12% BF

my weight and height according to the charts has me at obese. I'm stronger than some men I know! (Yea, I'm tough I haven't done a BF analysis in a while but my gyno has a BF scale and I'm seeing him in March-so I'll find out.

I'm about 25 pounds overweight but I would be happy if I got down 15 more pounds. I'm definitely gaining muscle. I have to really concentrate on the eating thing. Been eating too much chocolate lately..

This is the reason why I'm not a fan of Weight Watchers. They're so numbers oriented!
I used to belong to WW. I joined the same time as another woman. She lost more than twice the lbs that I did, but didn't look like it! I worked out like a crazy person...my inches went down like crazy...but the lbs didn't move as much. I found it to be very discouraging going to meetings and hearing that I wasn't praised...but I felt great. I soon quit and it all went to hell...

I actually decided today with my gym that they will do weekly weighins, measurements, body fat percentage checks with me. They do this normally once a month, but I know I need to be accountable weekly...sad, but true.

I'm totally pumped to get started...so glad I came to read this too!

Last night I tried on my 'Skinny Jeans' the last time they fit I weighted 117

now I weight 125 - much more muscluar- and the are 1/2 inch a way from buttoning

I am going to continue to use them as my guide- not my scale

Im taking part of a weight loss/ get fit competition at work and last friday I only lost 1/4 of a pound.

can I just chalk it up to water weight b/c of that time of the month?

My craving for chocolate is killing me right now!