A friend of mine griped the other day about not losing weight despite exercising 4-5 times a week and eating healthier. She acknowledged a loss of inches, but associates success with dropping numbers on the scale.
This is just one of the reasons why I dislike scales and don’t even own one. For those of you who are discouraged and ready to give up your exercising and eating clean efforts simply because you’re not getting lighter, pleeeease don’t!!!!
When someone says, “I’ve lost weight,” what does that mean, really? Is that weight water? Fat? Muscle?
We don’t want to lose muscle weight. Muscle is what burns most calories and boosts your metabolism. Muscle is what gives you that toned and cut look – Exhibit A: MizFit’s arms. Muscles like those don’t magically grow from Twinkie consumption.
Muscle is also heavier, yet denser, than fat. This means muscle takes up less space (yay) but weighs more (potentially discouraging).
A better determination of your progress would be a body fat composition analysis. Many gyms offer this test with skin calipers. Some medical centers or universities offer more accurate (and extensive and pricey) methods through dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) or hydrostatic weighing.
More conveniently, get out the tape measure and measure yourself. Keep a record of your progress. Losing inches can mean a leaner body despite the scale refusing to budge.
Also, how are your clothes fitting? Are they feeling loose these days? That's a real easy way to gauge your fat blasting progress.
And speaking of feeling, how do you feel? Do you feel leaner, more energetic? Can you exercise longer, go faster, life heavier? If yes, you’re getting fitter, and that’s nothing to get discouraged about! So, even if those pesky numbers on the scale aren't dropping like you expect, keep exercising, keep working on your eating habits, and don't ever give up!
Photo credit: pontuse
Originally posted 2008-05-07 08:18:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Want to be Skinny I’ve been noticing an amount of search queries on my site that contain the phrases “get skinny,” “skinny models,” “what exercise can I do to get skinny.” I want to sincerely welcome all of you who typed such queries. So, why do you want to be "skinny*"? Will it make...... -
Diet Friendly Fats A fat that can help you lose weight - that sounds like a contradiction to me! After all, fats add extra calories to my diet - not good. Yet, fat makes food taste delicious - very good! Another contradiction! Well, apparently diet friendly fats do exist (unfortunately not in the...... -
A Little Link Lovin' The kind of mood I've been in this week - tropical I'd like to do some shout-outs, high-5's, props, kudos, pats on the back... whatever you want to call it. But I tell ya, it's hard to narrow down the list cause there are super great and fun posts...... -
Calcium and Weight Loss “Milk: It does a body good.” This advertisement slogan might have been promoting more than they bargained for, but in a good way! Calcium, the main mineral in milk, touted for its bone strengthening powers, is also a superhero when it comes to fat loss. Calcium can help you...... - Word Power Funny how powerful changing one word can impact your mindset. For example, when it comes to eating healthy and/or foregoing the junk, instead of saying, “I have to avoid junk food and eat more veggies,” replace that “have” with a “get,” and the sentence has an entirely new meaning and......
Related Websites -
22 Tips for Weight Loss pt 3 Here is a quick no nonsense guide to what you can to in order to get healthy and lose weight. This is part 3 in a 5 part series. 9 - Identify the right exercise for your needs. No two exercises are created equally. If you enjoy running and it...... -
Water's Role in Weight Loss Water is an extremely important element that is absolutely vital when it comes to losing weight. Most people are aware of the fact that cutting down on calories and exercising are necessary for weight loss, but they often eventually run into a plateau, which can occur for a number of...... -
How to Lose Visceral Fat This is a guest post by Kalvin C. Chinyere, M.D. of Dr. Kal's Weight Loss Tips. I enjoyed reading the post about preventing visceral fat gain here on Lose That Tyre tremendously. On every weight loss blog the authors discuss weight reduction, but rarely do they ever address waist reduction, which is...... - Eating to Lose Weight That's right. You heard me say it: eating to lose weight. I'll say it one more time to let it sink in: eating to lose weight. Now why in the world would someone eat to lose weight? Well, here's the secret: It's not the amount of food really, but the......
- Review: Feed Muscle Shrink Fat by Kathy Smith "Feed Muscle, Shrink Fat" is designed to refine how you can lose weight using a plan that is designed not only to work, but also to make sense in the process. With the help of long time health and fitness expert Kathy Smith, readers of this unique book can divers......
Categories:
General Health, Weight Loss
Tags:
7 comments ↓
I couldn’t agree more!!
At the doctor the other day, I got weighed and I weigh less than I did when I was 12, eeek! I know it’s because I’ve been sick. But even though I weigh less, I don’t have any delusions that I am healthier or fitter than ever. I would so much rather take fitness and 10 extra pounds over just the lighter weight.
I can’t wait to get back on the exercise wagon next week when my recovery is over.
Ah, the highly coveted MizFit’s arms…
Thanks for writing about this; it’s so true. I’m so interested to get my body fat measured and really must find somewhere that’ll do it for me. Measuring inches and testing how clothes feel is a much better indicator of how fit you are.
I primarily measure myself by how my clothes fit. And it helps if I feel good.
Emily,
You just get some good rest and concentrate on getting well again. I hope you’re feeling better soon!
Sagan,
Thanks! You can purchase skin calipers or other devices that estimate body fat online or in some fitness stores. You can check to see if a gym in your area will measure body fat for free, or at least at a minimum cost. Sometimes fitness fairs will offer body fat testing too. Good luck in your search!
Mrs. Micah,
Yeah, it’s probably not best to whip out the measuring tape during certain times of the month…!
I haven’t stepped on a scale since December and feel so FREE. I was thinking the other day – what if I just never got on a scale every again? Can you imagine?!
That’s awesome! And yes, I CAN imagine!
[...] with all this talk about food Nutrition Fitness Life says, There’s More to Losing Weight Than the Numbers on Your Scale. Muscle weighs more than fat, so while your scale weight might not change you’re in fact [...]
Leave a Comment