Seeing Fat Loss on The Scale...

[*Bunny*]

Sounds like you are off to a good start. The reality is that it seems so slow when you get started and the closer you look to see changes, the less you seem to see. Give it a reasonable 3 weeks from whenever you start the whole thing & you should see changes. Like:

- feeling better
- sleepinig better
- less stress
- clothes feel looser

Don't look at the scale to see changes. Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don't - because the scale measures the total mass of your muscle, fat, water & skeleton. The muscle, fat & water changes all the time - so the scale really doesn't give you much to draw any conclusoins from. If you don't get your bodyfat done regularly (e.g skinfold caliper measurements every week), then you can look to your clothes fit & the mirror for bodyfat changes. But the key is consistency. Your body will respond, but it needs time to adjust how it functions based on a new regimen of fueling it (diet) and new energy demands (training).

^^ For emphasis

 

[dce2956]

I'm finally gettin to the lower side of bf%, and i'm lovin it, but one thing I'm not liking is the weight I'm at. Although i'm cutting and weighing myself twice a week to try and guage process, I'm starting to learn to judge progress by my lifts and the mirror. If you check out my thread, you'll see that one day I'll be at 184, and then 3 days later 186, but I look like i've lost weight. I know once I'm done with this cutting cycle, the only thing I'm going to use is the mirror and how I feel and how my workouts go. I KNOW I look and feel much better now at 185 than i did at the beginning of last summer at almost 170.

 

[Bondurant]

I'm finally gettin to the lower side of bf%, and i'm lovin it, but one thing I'm not liking is the weight I'm at. Although i'm cutting and weighing myself twice a week to try and guage process, I'm starting to learn to judge progress by my lifts and the mirror. If you check out my thread, you'll see that one day I'll be at 184, and then 3 days later 186, but I look like i've lost weight. I know once I'm done with this cutting cycle, the only thing I'm going to use is the mirror and how I feel and how my workouts go. I KNOW I look and feel much better now at 185 than i did at the beginning of last summer at almost 170.

i'm in the same boat, and i'm going to take a month off from getting on the scale. i have religiously followed my diet and am training very hard. i think weighing yourself month to month will allow reformed fat people to work more on essentials such as training, increasing cardio capacity, and overall endurance and strength. i'm supplementing cardio/lifting with 3 days a week of plyometrics/explosiveness training and that is beating the hell out of me. i also feel great....still......

it's hard to be patient

thanks for all the GREAT advice!!!!!!

 

[Lifterforlife]

Bodybuilding is as much about illusion as anything. This is probably the only way you can actually gain weight and look better. Or lose weight, and look bigger. More definition, though the scale is down, you can actually "appear" bigger due to the cuts.

 

[gymratforlife]

Awesome posts by every one,lots of good info here.I have been dieting for a year now eating clean with cheat meals here and there and started seeing my abs about 5 months ago.It took me a good 7 months to get them and now I am at 10% bf trying to get to 7% and maintain there.

 

[Bondurant]

It took me a good 7 months to get them and now I am at 10% bf trying to get to 7% and maintain there.

gymrat what were you when you first started? bf%? what is your training/cardio program?

 

[gymratforlife]

gymrat what were you when you first started? bf%? what is your training/cardio program?

Well when I first really started was 3 years ago and I started at 246 lbs and possibly over 35% bf.Remember I am only 5'6".I have been doing around 1hour of cardio and sometimes 2 hours since then and watching my diet cheating here and there once in a while to keep my sanity.I have been droping weight for 3 years since and sometimes it gets slower than others.I am now 185 with around 10% bf or lower.I try to burn 1000 calories a day on the eliptical,that way I know if I eat my maintenance calories I am still at 1000 calorie deficit daily.Hope this helps.

 

[Bondurant]

Well when I first really started was 3 years ago and I started at 246 lbs and possibly over 35% bf.Remember I am only 5'6".I have been doing around 1hour of cardio and sometimes 2 hours since then and watching my diet cheating here and there once in a while to keep my sanity.I have been droping weight for 3 years since and sometimes it gets slower than others.I am now 185 with around 10% bf or lower.I try to burn 1000 calories a day on the eliptical,that way I know if I eat my maintenance calories I am still at 1000 calorie deficit daily.Hope this helps.

totally helps....i try and burn 1000 on the elliptical also. i go for 60 min plus the cooldown on 8 intensity with the decline-incline program. usually i burn about 935. what do you do so i can hit 1000 cal burned? and also thanks a lot, you're 3 years of consistency serves as GREAT motivation, as do your stats. CONGRATS BRO!

 

[gymratforlife]

totally helps....i try and burn 1000 on the elliptical also. i go for 60 min plus the cooldown on 8 intensity with the decline-incline program. usually i burn about 935. what do you do so i can hit 1000 cal burned? and also thanks a lot, you're 3 years of consistency serves as GREAT motivation, as do your stats. CONGRATS BRO!

Thanx bro,sometimes itsgoing to get super tough mentally and your going to want to drop everything and take the easy route but trust me you will always get progress as long as you stick with it,just seems slower at times but still progress.As far as hitting 1000 calories I actually do the hour and then some more time to get to the actual 1000,if I dont I end up at around 950 also.

 

[lacoste]

K to you gymrat. Great success man. That is dedication.