How important is the number on the scale?

S

step_a_holic

Cathlete
I'm feeling very disappointed this morning. My scale is not my friend!!!:(

I have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember. My heighest weight was 198 lbs. I am currently 160 lbs and have maintained that weight for approximately 3 years or so give or take a couple of pounds. What I find odd is that when I got married 10 years ago, I weighed 148 lbs and wore a size 10 pant. Now, I weigh 12 lbs more than that and wear a size 8 pant. I'm not complaining, just find that strange. Anyway, about 3 months ago I decided to stop weighing myself for a little while, focus on my rotations and started eating 5-6 meals a day as clean as possible. I feel great. I look better than I have in 12 years. I have muscle definition in my arms and the cellulite has virtually dissappeared from my thighs and I am starting to see good definition in my quads. I'm just at a loss as to what else I can possibly do to make the scale budge.

Does anyone not pay attention to the number on the scale? Should I be overly concerned that my weight is so high?

Melissa
 
melissa, I don't own a scale and when I get physicals I get on the office scale backwards and ask the nurse not to say what it is. I have been as low as about 93 lbs and as heavy as 160 (that was before I worked out). Now I have no idea but I would put me about 120 or so. I honestly don't care as long as my clothes fit and I feel good.

You may be heavier but wearing smaller clothes before you are carrying more fat than muscle these days.

Sparrow

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow - what a ride!’ — Peter Sage
 
If you wear a smaller size, have lost cellulite, and lot beter than you have in 12 years, those things should be much more of an indication of reaching your goals than is weight. Don't let one little number keep you from feeling the pride of your accomplishments.

Weight only tells us how much pull gravity exerts on us. It doesn't say anything about body composition. 10# of fat takes up more space than 10# of muscle.

That being said, I do weigh myself weekly, but I just use it as one part of my 'stats' about myself. For example, if I see the scale going up and the pant size going down, I can assume that I'm gaining muscle, not fat. But if the pants are feeling a bit snug AND the number on the scale is going up, then I know it's time to take action and maybe watch my fat intake or up my cardio a bit.

If you can't view weight in this way, then maybe it's time for you to hide the scale.
 
My doc thinks the number on the scale is huge. I weigh in in the obese category and she told me I have to lose 10, I should lose 20 pounds. I asked her if it mattered that I do a lot of resistence training with heavy weights - wouldn't that impact my BMI? ( know it does and a lot of people "in the know" criticise the BMI for that very reason - it does not consider that more muscle may show a higher BMI) She said it doesn't matter. I wear a size 6 or 8, but she told me to get the number on the scale moving. So the fact that my doc puts so much emphasis on it really throws me for a loop. I was actually quite depressed when she told me to lose 20 pounds (just this week :( ) FWIW

Lorrie

"Pain is temporary - quitting lasts forever"
Candace Grasso, CC-V-6
 
I agree with the others but still I would love to see a smaller number on the scale. But I definetly think you have the right approach. Focus on the positives and don't beat yourself up with negatives. The scale is the number reason I don't like WW. It's just a number like your age, what matters is how you feel. ;-) Jenn
 
I am not as concerned anymore with the #'s on the scale.
I still have some fat i want to decipate, but it will come off slow and surely.
I just want to look good and feel good...I have only dropped 10 lbs in the last year, but everone thinks i weigh 120 and i am 139.You can be a 110 lb. fat person also. Little muscle and more overlaying fat.
I say as long as we are working out and eating well,what does the scale matter????
I know i can run circles around most 20 yr. olds...
Anne
http://www.picturetrail.com/acatalina
 
Thanks everyone for the positive reinforcement! I think I have the WW mindset in regards to the number on the scale. I haven't been to WW in over a year but I still have all of the points values seared into memory which really helps with the weight management, I just wish I could let go off that number on the scale. I guess throwing it out would do the trick!!! ;-)

I hope everyone has a great day and thanks again! I really needed the input.

Melissa
 
I'm afraid it's more important to me than it should be. I just went to the dr. and he commented that I had gained a few pounds since I last was there but was thinner. I know I've gained muscle mass and am denser than I was but I have to work hard not to want that number on the scale to reach some "ideal" that I have in mind. Don't think I'm there yet!

Leslie
 
IMO, important enough not to ignore it. Not something to live and die for, but a good reality check.

"You can't win them all - but you can try." - Babe Zaharias http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/musik/music-smiley-004.gif[/img]
 
Lorrie,
I really think doctors are clueless when it comes to this sort of thing. All they look at is the number on the scale. They have not been trained in real prevention of disease, fitness or anything involving health. They only know how to look for signs of disease, and they have had it beaten into their brains that high weight equals higher likelihood of disease. If you went to a more wholistic doctor, they would take your body fat measurement, which is much more meaningful. I know we tend to put a lot of stock in what doctors say, but I really think you should resist feeling depressed. Take your measurements, have your body fat analyzed, do something to make yourself realize that you are doing well, which I'm sure you are.
-Nancy
 
Melissa: Only as important as you make it! If you feel good, take care of yourself and things fit the way you want them. The scale means nothing!

Marcia. :)
 
What if it were the other way around...what if you had a tiny number on the scale but you felt crappy and tired. You look worse than you have in 12 years. You have no muscle definition in your arms and the cellulite still taunts and you have yet to see any sign of any definition in your quads. Hey, but the scale is giving a pretty read out!

It really depends on your goals. I saw think about what those goals are, think about what you want for your body and health, write it down, and see if weighing yourself on a regular basis is a useful way to monitor how you are doing with reaching those goals. For thousands of women on this forum, the scale is useless. They still have goals that they work towards on a daily basis but they measure theitr progress in other ways.

If it is a tiny number you are after, start measuring yourself in stones (British units) instead of pounds. I think it is 13 pounds to 1 stone...maybe one of our friends from Europe will clarify...just so you get my point!
 
I started laughing after your first paragraph Sarah! You are right. I never even thought of it that way. Makes the number on the scale not mean so much now. :)

I think WW will haunt me forever if I let it!!!!

Take care and thanks again.

Melissa
 
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