On Weight Loss - Why The Number on the Scale REALLY Should NOT Matter

[jesshkah]

As someone who aims to (and usually does) work out at least 5 days a week, fitness really is something I'm passionate about, so it hurts me when I see other women, and younger girls, and even men worry so much about something that really does not measure them accurately and leads to insecurity and doubt in themselves. I'll just say it right in the beginning, THE NUMBER YOU SEE ON THE SCALE DOES NOT MATTER, AND IS NOT A MEASURE OF YOUR PERSONAL WORTH OR WORTH TO A PARTNER.

I constantly see questions on here (mostly female) who ask about whether or not they're fat or if their size is okay, and the only thing they provide is height and weight, or they go off BMI. Or others asking how to "lose weight quickly" with only a set body weight number in mind as a goal. Let me say also, BMI IS A TERRIBLE AND INACCURATE WAY OF MEASURING YOUR BODY/HEALTH/FITNESS. I'm 5'5 and 160, or 1.65 meters and 72.5 kilos. My BMI puts me in the "overweight" group. Admittedly I am not slim by any means of the word, but nor would ANYONE call me fat or chubby in any way. I lift, I kickbox and practice MMA, and if you catch a kick to the ribs you best believe you'll be on the ground.

So ladies and gentlemen, please do not start working on your fitness with a body weight goal in mind. Muscle is more dense than fat, which is why you'll notice that as much as you work out, you might actually be staying at the same weight. But what you need to notice is how your body composition has changed. You will start looking slimmer, but still weigh the same. Measure body fat percentage if you absolutely have to keep track of something. Moving that number on the scale should be an added bonus and a side effect of your workout and fitness journey, but not the goal. My kickboxing gym actually doesn't even have a scale because they don't want people to focus on the numbers, but rather the overall transformation and fitness level of their members.

Also, body SHAPE make a huge difference when it comes to how your physical appearance is perceived. Everyone carries their weight in different places and what 160 might look like on me is going to look different on another 5'5 girl who (probably) has bigger boobs than me. Even when you work out, there are three main body types which govern how your workout will affect your overall appearance so watching what someone else does in the gym isn't always going to be a great indication of what you'll end up like.

And on top of everything I've already mentioned, most scales you'd find in gyms or homes are likely slightly off if not totally inaccurate. Like any machine, the more you use it the more worn down it is and eventually it gets a little off. And if you're someone who freaks out about 1-2 pounds, that's not going to help you at all. One day I tried 3 different scales in my lifting gym, and I got 3 different numbers, with the highest and lowest, at an eight pound difference. EIGHT. I was 155, or maybe 163.

Then on TOP OF THAT, you will weigh differently throughout the day. I (and most people) will be lighter in the morning if you eat normally as your body would have been working on processing your dinner and breaking it down throughout the night, and you wouldn't have eaten breakfast yet. Weighing yourself after the shower at night after 3 meals if not more, possibly not pooping, a bunch of water, and whatever else you've done throughout the day will likely make you another 2-3 if not even 5 pounds heavier. The scale doesn’t reveal fat loss. One day you could get super excited about a loss of several pounds, but that weight loss may not even be from fat; it could be from water.

Body weight fluctuates throughout the day or week, and in the end unless you're doing something specific that requires you to hit an exact weight (competition, fight, match, etc.) please stop worrying about the exact number. Focus on you, focus on feeling good, feeling healthy, running, swimming farther, faster, lifting heavier weights.. endurance, speed, strength. Body composition. Not weight. Train for a look, not a number.

For the rest of my fitfam out there, I know this is common sense to all of you, but still important to keep in mind in case you ever forget, because I know sometimes I do.

#BATTLEROYALE #TeamRJ

[666threesixes666]

indeed. 5 pounds lost means what? 5 pounds of muscle lost? oh boy the fat's going to start slowly recurringly coming in. i put on 40 pounds and lost like 6 pants sizes. i need to put on more weight, at 245 im looking pretty scary, i need to get back to my 305. im training to fight hulk hogan when i sweep his daughter off her feet. =)

[jesshkah]

haha nice! would love to see that fight :P make sure you take a vid

[Anonymous]

True. I wouldn't rely so much on the number on the scale to determine your ideal weight. But your waistline is a better predictor of good health than BMI is. Also, your bloodwork helps to determine how well your body is doing.

[jesshkah]

Also true! For some not too easy to get their blood assessed, but great if you can get that done every once in a while.

[redeyemindtricks]

Sing it sistaaaa!

I'm actually (among other things) a professional figure competitor, and even so, I *might* step on the scale once a week or so.
... That often only because the scale is right there, and in frequent use (we have 3 kids who are all about charting their growth... lol, I guess that's inevitable when Mom is my height).
Otherwise, I'd probably weigh myself monthly, if even then.

__

This is an excellent take, but, the one thing I think it's missing is an adequate substitute for the scale.
I'm all about "training for a look" -- as you wrote -- but I noticed that you followed up that comment with a bunch of examples that are functional, rather than aesthetic.

Functional standards are good, too, of course -- and for a serious performance athlete they're all that matters -- but, for those of us who are more aesthetically inclined, I'd suggest body measurements.

At a bare minimum:
• Measuring tape around natural waist (= narrowest part of yr torso)
• Measuring tape around hips (= widest part of yr bootay)
Yep, I wrote "bootay"... lol.

Boys can use these measurements, too.
Depending on the specificity of the training, you can add in any of a whole ton of other measurements, too -- but those two, by themselves, give a surprising amount of valuable information. (In fact, the natural waist measurement all by itself is pretty darn meaningful, since most people's waist/hip ratios tend not to change much.)

__

It's also important to note that those functional metrics can fluctuate, too -- a LOT.
If I try to hit the gym too soon after waking up, especially too soon after dumping a carb-heavy meal into my body, my lifts might be as much as 20% worse!
In other words, my 5- and 10-rep weights might be as much as 20% off where they'd be if I worked out after being awake for longer and without flooding my body with insulin. (If I looked at # reps at same weight, that'd be even worse... I might knock out 3 reps at a weight I could toss up for 10-12 reps under better circumstances.)

That doesn't mean that these are bad metrics to use -- obviously they're more meaningful than bodyweight -- but, if fluctuation is the issue, it's important to note that functional metrics fluctuate WAY MORE than bodyweight does. (You'll never wake up and weigh 20% less... well, except after giving birth, hahah.)

__

Overall, VERY well done!

-- Yr girl who needed 3 childbirths to break the plane of "normal weight" (and who still falls back "underweight" with a good poop ahah)

[jesshkah]

Thank you!! As always, appreciate your input and valuable advice :) you're right, it would have been helpful to have a substitute for the scale or an alternate way to measure progress, but more specifically this take was just to try and encourage people to not judge their worth by that number on the scale.

[redeyemindtricks]

<3 xx

I think the internet may be exaggerating this tendency a bit, too, because ht/wt are the two metrics that absolutely EVERYONE thinks they understand. So, basically, there are now more opportunities -- for better or for worse -- to *report* bodyweight (and basically spam it all over various parts of the internet) than ever before.

This difference is especially obvious to me, because I was very conspicuously skinny as a teenager, and yet almost no one *ever* actually asked me about my bodyweight. I feel like more people would try to stick a number on it today, thanks to the influence of the internet.

I mean, it's the same thing with boys and dick size. I grew up with 4 pretty raunchy and bawdy brothers, and I've been with my share of guys myself, and literally NONE of these people has EVER mentioned dicks in terms of inches. But now apparently that's a thing that gets brought up (whether jokingly or otherwise)... again, blame the internet.

[vonasaurus]

i agree with this~ i'm not skinny by any stretch (i'm almost 5'8 and, around 200 lbs), but i look at weight loss in terms of health.

i used to be super-active~ i danced competitively, did gymnastics, taught aerobics, and rode my bike to and from work every day for years... but age and various injuries have taken their toll on my body over the years (it happens when you're old like me lol) and i have more limitations than i did when i was in my prime.

furthermore, i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism in February; there's no cure, though it can be managed with medication. i have to watch what i eat more than the average person and go for regular bloodwork, but i still do what i can~ i eat tons of fruits and veggies; i take walks every day; i've scaled back on sugar and other unhealthy stuff, to the tune of 25 pounds lost since my birthday. i recently bought size 12 jeans instead of 14, and i plan to start using the campus gym once school starts in September. i don't obsess over my weight, but i do want to live a long and healthy life.

there is a scale in my house (not mine, it's been there longer than i have lol). but i might use it once a day, just to be sure that the medication is working. at my most recent checkup, my doc told me that everything looks to be normal, so long may it last!

great take, and very well said!
-von

[Anthony150]

I struggle with an eating disorder and I admit I obsess over the scale all too often. I feel as though I put my self worth on the line every time I step on it.

I wish I was more confident in my body as you are, but I'm not really athletic, was never good at sports and don't have much muscle mass.

I think your MyTake will help some people look past the scale and encourage them to strive for health/fitness goals and be happy with who they are. This won't be so easy for those who struggle with eating disorders, but maybe after reading this it will help get them on the path to break past it.

[jesshkah]

Thank you so much. Although a lot of the wording is directed towards those who work out or are looking to achieve fitness goals, the same applies for those with eating disorders. You are so much more than the number you see on the scale. Building some muscle does not require being particularly sporty or athletic, and some people are just naturally slimmer with a different types of muscle. I'd be happy to talk to you if you ever need someone to listen to or lean on!

[Anthony150]

Your welcome. I really don't have any fitness goals right now, but I'm glad you have something such as lifting, kickboxing, and MMA that you are passionate about. Your BMI might be in the overweight range but you know what, if you are feeling happy, strong, and confident then that label doesn't really mean anything to you does it? But hey you already knew that. Also like you said about having a high muscle mass can skew the BMI scale, causing it to be inaccurate for people who work out a lot.

As I said before, I think your Mytake has been really helpful and informative. Hopefully people will look at health/fitness in a new perspective. Thank you for taking the time to create this.

[jesshkah]

You're welcome! Thank you so much, again, for stopping by and reading and for the kind words :)

[godfatherfan]

Scales are horrible. I won't have one in my house. I have been bulimic since 1987. The scale really will only cause negative things to happen. For anyone with an eating disorder, it will only fuel a negative response.
If you don't have an eating disorder, unless your lose weight, when had getting on a scale every resulted in a happy reaction?
Do you like the way you look? do your clothes fit well? then be happy with whatever weight you are.
I certainly know that is way easier said then done however.

[jesshkah]

Definitely agree with you. Thank you so much for sharing, and sending my best wishes to you if you're still struggling with your eating disorder. Please do reach out to me if you ever need someone just to talk to or listen.

[Josht13]

The scale provides measurable and statistical results many people cannot see clear changes as its a gradual progress the scale can allow you to track it easily say every week. Imagine if you were getting bigger you would be doing something wrong but since you are exercising more you won't notice it and will need a scale to know. You say no one would call you chubby but if your BMI is overweight I'd be interested to see if you are, or just muscular. Also why would the scale stay at the same weight that shows you are eating calories in the maintenance range and not doing things right to bulk or cut. I stand by the number is important it's a helpful guideline on where you are in training very useful in weight training in fact and it allows people to measure progress.

[jesshkah]

Weight loss in general is a gradual process and in my opinion, healthy weight loss is not easily trackable from one week to the next as noted by my points above. I'm not quite following your point, because I said the scale sometimes does go up when you're exercising more. As I said, muscle is more dense than fat, so in place of x amount of fat, you would replace with x amount of muscle, which in the same space, would weight more. You can check my instagram if you'd like, same username.

[Josht13]

Weight loss is easily track-able you should be losing 1-2 lb per week, You can't just replace fat with muscle it doesn't work like that. Also holy shit there is no way your BMI is overweight are you just skinny muscular or something cos wtf you are actually slim

[jesshkah]

But like I said, body weight can fluctuate more than 1-2 pounds A DAY, based on a variety of factors, so it's not that easy to determine what exactly it is you're measuring.

Lol that's exactly what I'm saying. My BMI absolutely says I'm in the "overweight" category, which I don't think I am at all. Again, I wouldn't say I'm slim, but I'm not chubby like you assumed for a completely unfounded reason.

[Josht13]

When I was losing weight I just did it at the same time every week and it worked for me. Also nah you are definitely on the slim side I gotta know what your stats are you have to be using an inaccurate weight or height.

[jesshkah]

LOL I put in 5'5, which I am. And 160 which I also am. I even put in 155 just for kicks because sometimes I can float around down there, and I'm still overweight according to my BMI. I'm actually not even fully 5'5 I don't think, I'm like 5'4 and three quarters or some shit, which would make me ever more overweight on a BMI scale.

[Josht13]

You don't look anywhere near that on insta 160lb wtf I looked bigger than you when I used to be like 135lb.

[Daniela1982]

Your genes are the ultimate decider of what you will look like and what kind of bone frame you have, which in turn is the factor of what body weight will be normal for you. You can work out and diet til dooms day, but if you have a large bone frame you will look heavy. Also you can work out 7 days a week but if your genes dictate that you will have a huge ass in proportion to the rest of your body then you will still have a huge ass.

[rachel1112]

This is exactly what people need to hear. We shouldn't be worry about our weight. You can loose 5 pounds of fat, gain 5 pounds of muscles and the number on the Scale would be the same. The only thing that we should expected to change is our body and the way it looks, because sometimes the numbers doesn't prove anything.
Good job right there ;)

[Josht13]

you need a scale to know that you've done that though.

[jesshkah]

Thank you so much, glad you agree! :)

[jesshkah]

@Josht13 I'm not telling anyone to throw the scale out the window. I'm just saying it's not a perfect indication of health and fitness level, so people need to stop stressing about it when there are some fluctuations, as there always will be.

[19MK34]

"The only thing that we should expected to change is our body and the way it looks"

So if you put on 5 pounds of muscle and lost 5 pounds of fat you wouldn't expect to get any stronger or move any faster? And guess what, these are actually measurable results and what fitness is meant to be about.

[mikemx55]

Good take,

I just wanted to say that BMI works good for most of the people, because it is aimed at average people. And let's face it, the average Joe doesn't hit the gym 5 days a week, and practices multiple sports. It works as an indicator for the general population.

Keep it up!

[jesshkah]

thanks! that's a totally fair point, i just have an issue with how the ranges just bucket people into body types, with what I consider very limited information.

[Spiorad_Aisce]

Great take - Yeah, using number on scale as the primary guide is not good - It is how you look and feel that is important - If you are engaging in a weight loss exercise, it is nice to use the lbs dropping as an incentive but once you get to shape and a fitness level you like, use your self image as a guide for maintenance.

[jesshkah]

Definitely agreed. It can be a good incentive but shouldn't end up being a fixed goal that leads to obsession.

[Spiorad_Aisce]

Quite true

[lisa16]

I love this!!! I remember last year training for a marathon and i ended up gaining 2 lbs during the 3 months leading up to the run. It drove me nuts for a while until other people noticed and kept asking if i lost weight and that i looked great. I step on the scale about once a month just to see but i will never go back to weighing myself daily agian. Great job on the article :)

[jesshkah]

Thanks so much! Glad to hear that you've had personal experience showing this. Also congrats on running the marathon! I know you said it was last year, but an accomplishment nonetheless :)

[lisa16]

You're welcome! and thank you!!! I'll be doing it again this November!

[Paris13]

Thank you for the Input and the Info, @@jesshkah, Beautifully Done, hun.
Good luck and Great Going. xx

[jesshkah]

thanks so much @Paris13 :) appreciate the read and the kind words!

[Paris13]

@jesshkah Oh, so welcome, hun, I just saw it this morning and wanted to Thank You.
Thank you too for the Kind Like. xxoo

[Cosytoasty]

Good take <3

Clothing fit is a much better indicator compared to scale weight. Actually if you wear fitted clothes well (which follow an ideal body shape for you respective gender) you're pretty much there. Like two guys wearing a medium shirt, one who fills out a classic cut shirt all the way down his torso is probably quite fat, another guy who wears a tailored cut shirt will have a nice taper to his body - is probably in superb shape.

[jesshkah]

thanks boobear <3

ya true that. clothing honestly makes a huge difference in how you look as well.

[Azgeda]

Get a bodyfat caliper. A must have for anyone serious about fitness.
www.accumeasurefitness.com/.../1287903.jpg?464

[JohnDoe3000]

Lol, BMI is not a terrible indicator at all. It works fine for the vast majority of people, and the few exceptions who have lots of muscles know this about themselves.

In my experience the fringe inaccuracies of BMI are just an excuse overweight people hide behind.

[Josht13]

pretty much I mean the only people where it doesn't matter are already jacked and know they are healthy and don't need to complain about their BMI. I mean a massive ripped dude won't get into a hissy fit about being overweight according to BMI. It's a good excuse for the chubby which I bet OP is tbh.

[jesshkah]

Agree to disagree. The "healthy" range of BMI ranges over 6 points which is quite significant.

[jesshkah]

@Josht13 I'm honestly insulted that you'd go to the lengths of assuming I'm chubby because of how I've written a MyTake lol.

[Josht13]

Well when people have an overweight BMI they are generally overweight you can choose to be offended it doesn't bother me but I just checked out your insta and I am very perplexed in how you would be overweight you HAVE to be measuring something wrong I mean not even close to chubby or close to overweight.

[jesshkah]

@Josht13 it's because BMI ONLY takes into account weight and height. I checked like 5 different calculators online before I posted that lol.

[JohnDoe3000]

Weight and height are good enough since the BMI scale has a considerable "healthy" range which smoothes over variance in hidden muscle and fat.

[jesshkah]

The considerable variance is exactly why it's not a good measure lol..

[JohnDoe3000]

No, the variance is taken into account through the range.

[19MK34]

Most of this take is good because you are right that weight and BMI are not very useful in measuring health and fitness. Then you ruined it by saying "Train for a look, not a number", since the way you look has even less to do with health and fitness than your weight does and if you train to look a certain way you are almost certain to be disappointed.

[jesshkah]

That's fair, I see what you're saying. I meant it more from the perspective of someone who has an idea of what would make sense for their body. I know what kind of look I could carry on my body and I'm going for that rather than the number.

[19MK34]

Most people who are new to working out have zero idea what sort of look is realistically achievable. In fact the 'fitness' industry is built on people thinking they can get completely unrealistic results. That's why they use steroid users who claim to be natural to advertise products like supplements and workout programs.

It makes zero sense to judge your progress on the way you look, at least weight is actually measurable, rather than being based on how you feel or your interpretation of your own appearance.

[jesshkah]

Agree with your first paragraph, disagree with the second.. I train not by the number on the scale, but for example a "look" like the muscle definition in my legs and arms. Not so much an arbitrary glance in the mirror like "I look good today!"

[19MK34]

But its still open to bias. Even this guy thinks he is too small and feels insecure that he isn't big enough...

i.dailymail.co.uk/.../...ge-a-40_1462735002432.jpg

Sure you might not be mentally deranged as he is, you might be able to be a lot more objective and separate your insecurities from what is actually there, but surely you can see that basing it off how you look in the mirror is a terrible way for people to judge health and fitness? A lot of people can't be honest with how they look, they can't judge their progress that way, whereas a number is not a subjective measurement, gaining 10lbs is gaining 10lbs.

[jesshkah]

Yea body dysmorphia is a real thing for a lot of people on the other end of the spectrum. I do see your point though. Weight loss is difficult in general honestly, and for a lot of people even hitting their goal ends up not being enough. I was just trying to say that fixating on a number is one of those things that people can do without.

[NatashaBeauty]

I don't understand y women are so weird about their weight. Just be like me I'm perfect just the way I am. I'm not overweight or underweight. I'm 100% happy with my perfect body

[jesshkah]

Pressure from society, it happens to a lot of women and men as well unfortunately. It's great that you feel that way! I honestly wish more people did :(

[KittieCat]

This has so much truth in it I think the internet might explode.
Nice take!

[jesshkah]

Thank you so much! :D :D

[COCOCHANEL]

good thing i never invested in one
i've always been of the opinion that shape is far more important than weight

[wolfie12]

Weight is inacurate, but is still good way to measure in long term (like comparing month to month). In short term it's terrible. After my lifting days my weight can be offset by whole kilo to 2 compared to the time when I weigh myself after cardio days.

[jesshkah]

exactly. yea not saying that it shouldn't be counted at all, but it shouldn't be obsessed about, with those people who weigh themselves practically every day looking for some change.

[coolbreeze]

Great take. You raised very great points. The number is not important. But the results of how you take care of your body matters a whole lot more. True we all come in different shapes and sizes so that plays a huge role to.

[jesshkah]

Thank you! And thank you so much for reading :)

[coolbreeze]

Your very welcome. You write good mytakes.😀Keep up the good and great work.😀