weight scale blues :-(

fitoverforty · Post by **fitoverforty** » Fri May 01, 2009 4:14 pm

I never realized how much the weight scale can affect entire mood for the day!
I worked hard this week, watched what I ate, worked out with strength work as well as cardio, I even doubled on yesterday and ran in the morning then again in the evening and did some upper body weights.
So, this morning in anticipation of seeing a few pounds less on the scale, I step on it and NOTHING! Not an ounce. I immediately felt depressed and discouraged and near tears. It makes me feel like giving up. I need to learn how not to become so upset when I don't see a weight loss on the scale.
When I was younger, in early 30's, it was so much easier to drop a few pounds with much less work.
I feel like now that I am in mid forties, it is 10 times as hard to lose 1 pound as it was to lose 3 a few years ago.
I know I need to stay positive and just try harder and not let it set me back, but right now I am really struggling.
Does anyone have any tips or advice? Am I the only one that lets the scale control mood?

oscarmadison · Post by **oscarmadison** » Fri May 01, 2009 4:39 pm

maybe you muscled up this week?

fitoverforty · Post by **fitoverforty** » Fri May 01, 2009 6:34 pm

I did do more weights this week in the hopes it would boost metabolism. Maybe that had something to do with it?

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Fri May 01, 2009 6:51 pm

Possible.

Also consider other factors.

A: if you lose a bit of Fat, but gain a bit of Muscle, you get a better bodyweight composition, but little to no weight fluctuation.

B: weight fluctuates daily.

C: weighing at night doesn't allow for possible retained waste matter and undigested food.

Should you have done C, when normally you would weigh first thing after a toilet trip, you would undoubtedly get a lopsided weight comparison.

Therefore you shouldn't weigh any more than once a week, and never do what was mentioned in C, if you feel you seriously need to weigh weekly for some kind of accountability.

fitoverforty · Post by **fitoverforty** » Fri May 01, 2009 8:22 pm

I generally weigh myself once a week, on Friday mornings after workout and before I eat anything. It is kind of like a goal I set for myself on Monday, to work hard during the week, then weigh in on Friday a.m. and hope for a good result.
I tend to build muscle very easily, faster than I lose fat.

LiamPT · Post by **LiamPT** » Sat May 02, 2009 2:48 am

Hi there,

Boss man is absolutley right...

It's so important to remember that your total weight is made up of both lean weight and fat weight. Lean weight can flucutate for a whole number of reasons, so it's very common to see fluctuations in total weight even when the body is actually shedding fat.

If you are going to use weight as a measure of progress you should track it over time using a weight tracker and keep an eye on the trend of your weight loss rather than individual week to week weigh-ins. If you private message me your email address I'll be happy to set you up with and send you a free weight tracker.

Stay positive, don't let the scales rule you're mood and I'm sure your weight will come down if you stick at it...

Liam

born4unc · Post by **born4unc** » Sat May 02, 2009 12:35 pm

I totally understand. I'm utterly frustrated. Almost a month ago I got on the scale and was so upset after a week of strong cardio and watching diet very closely to no change in weight. I decided to still watch diet and continue to exercise. Now, this morning I was devestated! I haven't weighed in almost a month because of last trip to the scales, then this morning I see I've gained almost 5 pounds!! For the last month I have eatten a good diet plan and been well within daily calories and busted butt with doing cardio, and maintained exercising at least 4 times a week. clothes are fitting better and I can tell I have lost some body fat, but 5 pound gain!!!?? I'm very discouraged....any tips?

oscarmadison · Post by **oscarmadison** » Sat May 02, 2009 12:46 pm

your clothes are fitting better,

do you feel better? say eating better exercising more etc = feel better.

do resistance training with free weights and check the healthy eating sections on this site.

and then THROW THE SCALE UNDER AN ONCOMING BUS.

folks here will tell you you need to fuel a fat loss program. nutritional intake is somewhere in the 70% of the challenge and exercise is other 30%.

and as yogi berra used to say, the other 50% is mental.

if you let the scale devastate you the scale might win and you might give up.

clothes fitting better is a good sign.
revel in that positive and work at it even harder.
be determined to win.
consider it a challenge to yourself that the scale cannot beat you

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Sat May 02, 2009 12:52 pm

Did you weigh last thing at night recently? You would experience a difference in weight if you had, as the weight could have been waste matter and undigested food.

Only thing I can think of, because better fitting clothes shouldn't equate weight gain, not unless there's something else strange going on.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Sat May 02, 2009 6:43 pm

scale wt can be good and bad

good - it can tell you what type of wt your actually losing (fat, muscl;e, water)

bad - for some and females in particular, i've found them to be very inconsistent which is probably from a females cycle (on and off) where you can retain more water and such so maybe the best time to take it is during the same time of your CYLE not the week...just a thought

also most of us will lose in bunches meaning 2 weeks may be nothing but then the 3rd and 4th weeks we lose a great amount...the point is to build a susatainable training and eating plan with planned progression then have faith in that plan so when the week comes that you don't lose, they don't matter because you know will next week or the week...no one wil lose each week, it just never happens

this could be that plan:

www.uponlinetraining.com

fitoverforty · Post by **fitoverforty** » Sun May 03, 2009 12:43 am

Thanks for the encouraging words and helpful advice. I am going to try to remember that the scale is only a small part of what measures weight loss, and not let it be the "end all" of what determines success. I appreciate all the positive input! I know I have alot of work to do, but I am very determined (some of non athletic friends call it "obsessed"!) but I am not about to give up and let the scale win, after all...I weigh more than it does and can easily chunk it out the window!

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Sun May 03, 2009 9:57 am

There is a fine line between dedication and obsession, and obsession is when you keep counting every flake of Cereal, every grain of Rice, and making drinks by counting the amount out with a pipette, so you can accurately track calories.

That's when you need psycho-evaluating, and possible sectioning.

In your case obsession is not happening, but for those who don't live like you, it's an easy mistake to make, to believe you're obsessed.

Perhaps any day soon they will see the light as you have.

Certainly nothing wrong with your actions, and you should be proud of your efforts, so just keep taking each day as it comes, and you'll come good.

ldematto · Post by **ldematto** » Mon May 04, 2009 12:28 pm

Keep track of the inches you lose! I've been struggling since mid March, losing very little "scale" weight but overall I shed 8 inches in the waist and 6 inches on the hips!! THAT's what you want to look at!

Convinced me to ignore the scale!

When I reread this it sounds like I lost those inches since mid March - not! Since December 2008. Had to correct or it wouldn't have sounded credible.

Good luck!

weight scale blues :-(

weight scale blues :-(

throw the scale under an on coming bus