I wonder...

fit44

Cathlete
I've been reading fitness forums for years, and often see comments from women who say their weight has been creeping up over the past year(s), even with working out.
Now when I read those comments I wonder if they have taken photos like this young lady. Do you feel like the number on the scale?

I guess it’s working
 
You are so right....tape measure yourself, weight yourself, and take pictures of yourself to check your body size....don't just use the scales.
 
scale

I have an awesome scale that measures wt., BMI, total body fat %, viceral fat, and skeletal muscle, so when I weigh I can assess the changes in each area.
 
This is an interesting thread Fit44.

IMO, weight creeping up more than 5 pounds per year and keep on accumulating more likely relate to poor nutrition.

The scale is not our enemi:D:D:D. There is no harm in stepping on the scale.Most of IFBB pro still weight themselves twice per week.

That being said, Yes it is not *just*about the scale, it is also about:

*The effort put into the workout,
* Frequency of the workout
* *clean* nutrition set according to the type and frequency of the workout.
* The choice of the type of workout depending on the individual requirement and condition is also important (IMO working out on long steady pace five days per week, without lifting heavy enough) while aiming to loose body fat is a wrong approach/delusional approach ;)). Actually the article posted support my statement above.

When all element listed above are spot on, the scale would *probably not* budge but the size will decrease and eventually the individual will look long and lean. if it is not happening, well it means one of the elements is wrong. It is not rocket science:D
 
I *know* I look better and am smaller and more toned than I used to be, but I am also still bummed that I cannot get that number on the scale to budge. Even though this is irrational, and I am usually a VERY rational person, I am also pre-occupied with this number. Sigh. Why is this???

I have started to track my measurements, though, which I was always afraid to do in the past, so I'm hoping to start focusing on that as a more illuminating dataset to focus on.

Thanks for sharing this link. It's nice to be reminded that the scale is not the only way to chart progress.
 
Not sure I buy her story. Weighing two years ago and now saying she weighs 10-12 pounds more....scales can vary tremendously. She doesn't say if she weighed on the same scale or if she checked to be sure it was accurate. For a woman it would be hard to weigh that much more - even in muscle - and look thinner. And I don't believe she can eat 2000 calories a day (not matter what the food is) and not keep gaining weight just because she now lifts weights.
 
Scale

I *know* I look better and am smaller and more toned than I used to be, but I am also still bummed that I cannot get that number on the scale to budge. Even though this is irrational, and I am usually a VERY rational person, I am also pre-occupied with this number. Sigh. Why is this???

I have started to track my measurements, though, which I was always afraid to do in the past, so I'm hoping to start focusing on that as a more illuminating dataset to focus on.

Thanks for sharing this link. It's nice to be reminded that the scale is not the only way to chart progress.

Eva,

I can understand your point of view on this. I do not think you are being irrational and there is no harm in being a little bit pre-occupied with numbers.

God knows how many people told me not to be pre-occupied with numbers appearing on scale (actually not just the number appearing on the scale, The body mass index :mad:). It is only when I looked closely to elements I listed above and decided to readjust my nutrition, add more intensity and frequency to my training my scale finally budged. Trust me just do what you have to do, change the intensity/frequency and the horrible scale *will* budge ;-)

Here is a usefull link ;-)

http://www.fitnessrxwomen.com/training/the-fit-life-with-nicole-wilkins/ask-nicole-july-12th/


All the best,
 
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I definitely believe her story - I found the exact same thing. After my 4th round of STS (this was the 5.5 month rotation using STS cardio) I fit into the identical pair of pants that I used to only be able to wear when I was ~ 15 lbs lighter!! (same scale and yes I have checked it for accuracy using my dumbbells). I was amazed. Have you seen the image of 1 lb of fat vs. 1 lb of muscle? It is amazing the difference in volume. (that being said, I do weigh myself daily - it helps keep me on track. Everyone is different, but this is what works for me.)

Though I do think that the people who see weight creeping up every year is probably more likely accompanied with actual growth in size. I know that was the case for me and is for my mom and sister (as well as other friends). I'm just about to turn 48 and my sister is 50, mother is 75.

Thanks for the link and the thread - I love seeing before and after photos, especially when they involve someone getting fitter.

-sarah
 
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Not sure I buy her story. Weighing two years ago and now saying she weighs 10-12 pounds more....scales can vary tremendously. She doesn't say if she weighed on the same scale or if she checked to be sure it was accurate. For a woman it would be hard to weigh that much more - even in muscle - and look thinner. And I don't believe she can eat 2000 calories a day (not matter what the food is) and not keep gaining weight just because she now lifts weights.


You should! It's true. It's my story. (This forum linked to my blog and I received an automatic notification).

To answer your questions--

Yes, I did weigh in on the same scale, but the pictures are over two years apart. That being said, I weighed 115lbs in the before picture, no more than 118lbs because as soon as I saw 118 I would start to eat less and run more. I didn't post this on my blog because I find posting my actual weight just leads to comparison, which no one needs to do. I am trying to draw attention away from weight. Now I weigh 125-127lbs consistently on my own scale and on the scale at my gym. You can do the math on that one.

I guess it is hard to weigh this much more and look thinner, but I do. And I busted my butt for two years to get here.

If you look around my blog you will see that I burn over 3700 calories in a typical day (tested on my Polar watch). So YES, I really can eat that much, and I have gained weight. But now is it being used efficiently. I am also a bootcamp instructor and personal trainer so I am much more active in my daily life as part of my job.

I have absolutely no reason to lie about any of this. I was as surprised as you are when I saw the pictures.

Hope that answers your questions!

Danielle
 
You should! It's true. It's my story. (This forum linked to my blog and I received an automatic notification).

To answer your questions--

Yes, I did weigh in on the same scale, but the pictures are over two years apart. That being said, I weighed 115lbs in the before picture, no more than 118lbs because as soon as I saw 118 I would start to eat less and run more. I didn't post this on my blog because I find posting my actual weight just leads to comparison, which no one needs to do. I am trying to draw attention away from weight. Now I weigh 125-127lbs consistently on my own scale and on the scale at my gym. You can do the math on that one.

I guess it is hard to weigh this much more and look thinner, but I do. And I busted my butt for two years to get here.

If you look around my blog you will see that I burn over 3700 calories in a typical day (tested on my Polar watch). So YES, I really can eat that much, and I have gained weight. But now is it being used efficiently. I am also a bootcamp instructor and personal trainer so I am much more active in my daily life as part of my job.

I have absolutely no reason to lie about any of this. I was as surprised as you are when I saw the pictures.

Hope that answers your questions!

Danielle

Thanks Danielle for clarifying.
Your story make sense to me, You have added more muscle. Muscles take less space in term of volume.
 
Well, here's my personal experience. :)

When I got married in 2005, I was at a lower weight for me coming in at about 120 lbs (most of my life I averaged about 125). I was wearing a size 8 pants that fit a little on the snug side...but still a size 8. Flash forward to last year at this time after working out and discovering strength training and I weighed the same: 120 lbs...except I was wearing a size 6 and most of those pants were also fairly loose on me. Since then, the scale has gone down a few more pounds and I am now comfortable in a size 4. :) This has been my experience and I'm not even as serious about weight lifting and strength training as many other ladies that have undergone this revelation! :eek:
 

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