The Scale S-U-C-K-S!!!!!

[Aries13]

Well.... I've read a LOT of logs in which the main issue seems to be that little 3 digit number on a scale.(I HOPE its 3 digits... otherwise, girl you are too thin!!!!!) I used to think that way. Wake up, weigh my self, BEAT my self up about it. "GOD, why arent I losing any weight". or "yes!!! half a pound less than last week!!". This was the old me. I realized that I am built different than the next girl. We all are. SO who is to say what the ideal weight is? I know the media plays a pretty darn good part in all this.

I guess what Im trying to say is ladies, PLEASE dont worry too much about that stupid number on the scale. It would be important if you were obese and had to lose 100lbs and more of solid fat. I think the goal for most of us is to lean out? Am I correct? You know, not jiggle and have sexy shapely legs and arms, a hott ass back, and some killer abs. These things come with muscle definition... to build muscle you HAVE TO EAT and actually gain weight. Muscle weighs more than fat so if you are training hard, the number on the scale should stay roughly the same or even go up a little. So, body fat percentage is more important than the scale!!!!!! I HATE THE SCALE!!!! I refuse to even see it! It used to play such a bad mind fu*k on me... seriouslly!!! Next time I wanna see where Im at, I will get my bf% measured and figure out lean body mass and therefore see how much fat I have on me. Going by how clothes fit and pictures (since the mirror is deceiving...at least to me) is a MUCH better way of looking at one self.

I know there are a lot of ladies of this board that know all this...I learned from them! But I still see the few who are too hard on them selves because that number on the scale is not going down! This thread is for you!!!!




*Oh yea, Bunny, thanks for telling me all this stuff wayyyyyy back in February when I was crying that I am 5'4" and 145lbs! Thanks....

 

[scorpiogirl]

Whew!!!! I thought YOU were talkin' about that scale again and I was gonna' have to come up there and run over the damn thing!!!

Yes, ladies.....ditch the scale and buy some callipers......

 

[treilin]

I did too Scorp
Good one Aries
It's hard pounding that paragraph into people's brains especially when most are programmed that they are the number on the scale... Remember if society was right about weight, exercise, dieting, then most would look the part. Since they live by their own dimmented views they are obese, sick, and emotionally up and down. Most women on this board have a good solid foundation and will help rewire this wrong program... you just have to give in and let go of what you thought was true. We are all deceived in life, and this is a huge misconception and deception that we all have been taught!

 

[Roonytunes]

Yes, ladies.....ditch the scale and buy some callipers......

Eh, the callipers don't work for me either! To be fair, I don't know if it's the actual callipers, the person doing the pinches or me in the sense that I'm holding water or my skin is thick. I KNOW I look better, my clothes are loose, the scale shows a decent drop AND even my stupid usually brainless Tanita scale show a 4-5% lower reading than it used to, BUT according to the calliper pinches, nothing has changed overall (two pinches go up, two pinches go down to even it all out )

So my advice: Trust how you look and feel & how your clothes fit more than anything else.

 

[Sassy69]

Eh, the callipers don't work for me either! To be fair, I don't know if it's the actual callipers, the person doing the pinches or me in the sense that I'm holding water or my skin is thick. I KNOW I look better, my clothes are loose, the scale shows a decent drop AND even my stupid usually brainless Tanita scale show a 4-5% lower reading than it used to, BUT according to the calliper pinches, nothing has changed overall (two pinches go up, two pinches go down to even it all out )

So my advice: Trust how you look and feel & how your clothes fit more than anything else.

Then don't worry about the total calculated number but look at the changes at each pinch site - that will tell you where you are losing bodyfat & maybe give you a better idea of where you tend to hold water and more fat. They are all just data points - if you take them, use them for something productive. Its all just a data point.

 

[*Bunny*]

 

[T-Cake]

Good post, Aries.

You know, I've gotten a lot better with this whole scale concept. To be honest, I knew for years that the scale doesn't tell all, but you girls have really helped it to sink into my brain.

I had my bf% measured back in early March or so and I was at 34%... now that I've lost a lot of weight and toned up tons... I'm dying to know what it is now. Wonder if someone at the gym has a way to do this. I know they didn't at my little gym back in MI... Hmmmmm.

 

[Sassy69]

Good post, Aries.

You know, I've gotten a lot better with this whole scale concept. To be honest, I knew for years that the scale doesn't tell all, but you girls have really helped it to sink into my brain.

I had my bf% measured back in early March or so and I was at 34%... now that I've lost a lot of weight and toned up tons... I'm dying to know what it is now. Wonder if someone at the gym has a way to do this. I know they didn't at my little gym back in MI... Hmmmmm.

Buy yourself a set of calipers (I think AF Store sells them...) , there are some websites that show you the pinch points and get the measuring done - even if you have to show someone how to do it. I had to have one of the trainers at my old gym do it -- I brought the calipers and we literally got all the trainers together to argue about / decide on the right places for a 7 pt pinch test. Its not an absolutely measure but if you have someone do it consistently you can track the changes at each point and the whole overall number change over time. I "calibrated" the girl who did my pinches by having her repeat the full set of 7 site pinches 3 times and then took the average of the measures. She did this weekly for me and then I had Quadsweep check it for me when I met him at the Arnold Classic last year. His experienced measure w/ the high dollar calipers was very close to what the trainer was measuring so I knew we were close.

 

[jenscats5]

I have to get back into using my calipers....I just havent' bothered and don't have anyone else to measure my bf%.....

I still weigh myself on occasion cuz I get a kick out of the water changes & also find it interesting how I'm looking more defined & my weight hasn't changed.....

 

[foxxie]

I always weight myself everyday,is that crazy?