I just don't get it...

S

Shelbyfit

Active Member
I had a doctor's appointment this morning and when I was weighed, the scale said I was around 138... I'm 5'5" and I eat healthily and work out very regularly and intensely (with rest days when necessary). I think I look okay when I look in the mirror... Could this simply be my muscle being more dense but weighing more?

Anyone's insight into what makes the scale climb (other than eating badly, which I really don't do) would be much appreciated. :)

Thanks!
Amy S.
 
Heck, I think that the dr.'s scale lies! In order for my scale to read correctly I have to add 5 pounds to it, so I do that and weight my weights on it and it says 20 lbs for a 20 lbs dumbell. then I go to the dr's office and it says that I weigh 5 lbs more than I did that morning. Granted I am fully clothed and have shoes on, but I don't know if that would equal 5 pounds more. I have just decided that the dr's scale lies and that I like what mine says more. Besides it's not what you weigh really, it's if that scale that you normally get on is going up or down. So don't get too frustrated with a different scale. Are your clothes fitting the same? Because that is your first sign that you are actually putting on weight.

Kathy
 
Well, let me first say that muscle only weighs .01% more than fat. So it really doesn't make that much of a difference.

With that said, it sounds to me like your weight is fine. As we repeat over & over on this board, so much of it has to do w/genetics. Everyone who posts here is active & disciplined about their workouts & diets. But here's a question: why are we doing this?

I make no bones about the fact that I work out for vanity's sake--it has nothing to do w/health. }( But we should all keep perspective, you know? We're all beautiful in our own way & just b/c we're not all perfect size twos doesn't mean we don't look good. I feel so bad when people beat themselves up for not losing that last 10 lbs. We're not fashion models, our lives don't depend on how we look. Our lives depend on what we are on the inside, how big our hearts are, the people we love & who love us back, our friends, families, children, careers, whatever. That's what makes us beautiful.

Whew! I'll get off my soapbox now. We're all special in our own way & we should all have confidence in that. Keep exercising, diet if you want, but don't lose sleep over it!:)
 
"We're all beautiful in our own way & just b/c we're not all perfect size twos doesn't mean we don't look good."

I don't think size 2 is perfect! I think it's too small for most women. :)
 
RE: I just don't get it... OK I Am A Size 2 But Hear Me Out

I am also 5 feet tall and very small boned. So size 2 kinda makes sense. But after rigorous abuse of my body in my 20s, I decided to throw away the scale and work out for me. Funny thing once I ended the struggle, exercise became more fun and so did eating. I have no idea what I weigh and frankly don't care. I have a varied routine of exercise that fits into my life. I eat healthy but do not obsess. Clothes fit sometimes sometimes not. My cholesterol is low. In the last two days I sprinted up 40 stairs to catch a bus, and ran up and down my lane with my 4 year old. To me that's health.

So even for those of us you may think have the perfect size (not) or shape (not not) we all struggle with the perfection monster. By the way my hair is too thin and my nails are stubby!! So let's all turn our backs to the scale when we get weighed at the doctors and tell him/her to keep the number to him/herself. "Acceptance is key".
 
If you're happy with how you look, ignore the number.

Scale weight can fluctuate up to five pounds in a DAY, depending on when and what you've eaten, how much water you're retaining, whether or not you're fully hydrated, and how much you've, er, eliminated.
 
Did your doctor think you needed to lose weight? What was his/her advice?

I weigh myself often at home but I have no idea if my scale is accurate! I just look to see if there is a change from where I was the day before. BF constantly complains that the scale is not accurate, but I only use it to see if things have changed and not for the number that it reads.

The doctor's scale and gym scale always has me at a higher weight than at home too. I call it an unintended ego boost :)
 
Thanks to everyone for your feedback, information, knowledge, etc. It's much appreciated! :)

I guess I was so used to being in the 128-132-pound range for so long that this just took me aback... I was just kind of shocked. But I can't really get mad at myself because I've been following a very healthy eating regimen and workout routine for a long time now.

Anyhow, thanks again!
~Amy S.
 
One more thing...

I should also mention that I've been on Zoloft now for over a year. I know studies are somewhat inconclusive on whether antidepressants make you lose or gain (and it's relative to the person as well), but I wondered if any of you had valid, reliable sources on this issue.

Thanks,
Amy S.
 
RE: One more thing...

Amy,

I'm a pharmacist and in my experience with Zoloft, weight gain or loss is minimal. I have found Paxil and the tricyclic antidepressants to be the biggest culprit with weight gain and Prozac seems to help a lot of people lose weight.

BTW I'm 5'5 and my best weight seems to be around the 135 mark.

Cheers
Liz N

PS - Loved your post Maximus (though I've got nothing against those who are genetically proportioned to be a size 2)
 
I don't think size 2 is too small for everyone, some women are just very petite.

Anyway, the other day I was reading about size deflation (my term). Apparently, there are no standardized measurements for sizes in the clothing industry. Manufacturers who label what they previously called a size 10 as a size 8 or 6 find that they can sell more clothes. It gives women a psychological lift to buy a smaller size, and they feel good, so they keep buying. I've noticed that lately all my clothes are a size 4 petite. I've never worn that size before, but now it's my regular size. I could easily be a size 2 without being too thin. And it's true, I DO keep buying more stuff! So it works. But hey, there's a limit to how far they can go, unless they want to start adding negative sizes. Can you imagine being a size -2?
 
Yes, it could be muscle.

I'm 5'4" and 130 pounds, and I'm wearing a size 6. I think a size 6 is a good size for my height, but it's surprising to be 130 when I used to be 115 when I wore a size 6. It has to be muscle. My husband says I have much better muscle tone now than I ever have, even when I was lighter.

Melissa
 
I find the new "weight" info regarding muscle vs fat hard to believe because my experience is the same as yours Melissa. I weigh more now than I did in my youth (sigh) but look even smaller. Yes, I also wear a smaller size but I'm pretty sure that's just marketing baloney. But I definitely LOOK & FEEL much smaller & better.
Also, I agree that 138 lbs. is definitely a healthy weight for 5'5", as long as you are reasonably lean from working out/eating well, which you obviously are Amy, so it sounds good to me!
I do know the shock of the scale though, when you can't figure out what the heck it means, but am trying to give it up. ;-)

Ruth
 
>I find the new "weight" info regarding muscle vs fat hard to
>believe because my experience is the same as yours Melissa.

I agree, Ruth. And when you look at photos of female fitness models and see how much they weigh, it certainly does seem like muscle is quite a bit more dense than fat.
 
Hello Amy,

Forget about the scale! Think about the fit of your clothes. Are they getting tighter or looser?

I, too, was at the doctor's office yesterday (I suffered from a migraine attack, ughh). The nursed weighed me, and guess what, at 5'2" I am at 124lb! The last time I weighed myself, which was three months ago, I was at 116lb. Now, I would've freaked out if I didn't workout. But the fact is, I do cardio, I weight train and I eat a clean diet, and there is no way I could be getting fatter. My pants are getting looser too (especially around the thighs). So yeah, I've gained 8lbs of muscle mass. Instead of freaking out, I'm damn proud because I'm burning extra calories due to my muscles!

I wouldn't rely on the scale too much. It can be misleading. The only thing to be sure whether you've made progress is to invest in a body fat tester which will correctly measure your body fat percentage.
 
Hi again, everyone!

I just want to thank all of you for your encouragement and feedback. I really appreciate it! I suppose all my hard work these past years have really enhanced the muscle mass I have now, and I should attribute my slight weight gain to that. My clothes fit well and I'm pretty happy with what I see in the mirror and how I feel, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

Thanks again, and best regards,
Amy S.
:)
 
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