Gym scales LIE and it's pissing me off..

R

Rererara

0
Hi everyone,

I've been frustrated with seemingly not losing any weight even though I've been working out/eating healthily. The gym scales have been showing me that diabolical number, 66.6kg, for over 3 weeks (the day before yesterday it was even on 67kg - I almost set the building on fire);

However, I've been doing this body treatment for 5 weeks at a beauty clinc and when I first started they weighed me there + took measurements etc. I had my last session yesterday and - SUPRISE SUPRISE - on their scale I had lost 2.2 kgs and inches. I've had the impression that my clothes are not as snug anymore

Now I'm scared of using my gym scales - as a) there is something wrong with their scale and it keeps on showing me the same results I'll get frustrated and end up binging or b) the other scale was wrong and I really haven't lost anything.

I know that sometimes you weigh more due to liquid retention etc, but 3kgs seems quite a bit. Do scales tend to 'break' easily?

Thanks,

Rere
 
Hey Rere, at the body treatment place, do they take your measurements before or right after the treatment. Also, what type of treatment is it?
 
Continue to eat right and exercise.
If such a little thing is all you have to be pissed about, You! are in a very good place indeed.
Stay positive and your mind body and spirit will respond in a positive manner.
 
The average person consumes about 1.5kg of food and 2-3L of fluid per day. That's 2.5-3.5kg worth of fluctuations per day. The only time I record my bodyweight is when I wake up in the morning, excrete whatever's gonna come out, then step on the scales naked without having anything to eat or drink. I know that's a bit TMI, but it's the best way I know how to keep the measurement as valid as possible.

If you're taking your weight in the gym, then you probably have clothes on, food in your stomach, and fresh fluid put into your body recently. You'll have a hard time reliably tracking actual fluctuations in your bodyweight because of all the food, water and external weight.

On top of that, I'm getting the impression that you're a woman (my apologies if you aren't). As you know, womens hormones go through a full cycle every month. It's not just a matter of hormones doing nothing for 3 weeks and then going haywire on the 4th week - there's differences every week. These differences don't just affect mood, they affect water retention and metabolic processes. Thus, even if your body composition has improved from one week to the next, the scale might not tell you what's going on until a month later, when you're at the same hormone status.

In any case, scale weight is less important than clothing size, actual visible changes (take progress pictures rather than just going by what you see in the mirror, because body image can tell you lies), girths, waist:hip ratio, etc. I'm going to link you to something, which I often link women to because I think they need to see it for themselves.



This is an article about Staci, one of the members of nerdfitness.com who started out overweight and overfat, then dieted and cardioed her way down from 170lb to 117lb. Then she got into strength training, started eating to improve her strength, and went back up in weight to 142lb. The interesting thing is that in gaining 25lb back, but gaining it in muscle not fat (and actually losing some fat while she was at it), she stayed the same size as when she was 117lb, but ended up looking much better in the end.

Scale weight isn't everything.
 
get a heavy dumbbell at the gym and weigh it on the scales so you will be able to see if they are accurate or not. Even if they are accurate, it depends on whether you are weighing yourself with the exact same variables each time. There can be a huge difference depending on what you ate the day before, or the meal before, what clothes you are wearing, whether you are retaining fluid etc. You would be better off getting scales for your home and weighing yourself in the morning, without clothes and before you eat anything.
 
Hi everyone!

(Sorry for the lack of apostrophes - my keyboards broken)

Thanks so much for replying, wasnt expecting that much feedback.

PLB Fitness - they weighed me before starting the treatment and then right after the last session. The treatment consisted of electrostimulation (kind of like those funny belts they used to sell back in the 80s) and vacuum suction (so no body wrap type of thing) - I`m not sure if that would account for the weight loss though as technically there isnt any fluid loss involved (well, at least not during or straight after)?

BushidoDan - haha thanks! I know I shouldnt be putting so much emphasis on a number, but still it is kind of frustrating, especially when two scales tell you different things. But will continue the healthy eating and exercise...this time I wont be giving up so easily.

Goldfish- how did you guess I was a girl? Was it the overly dramatic headline and whiny post haha

I always tend to weigh myself in the evening (thats when Ive got time to work out) and yes, that could explain the fluctuations. However, when I got weighed at the body treatment thing it was also late (around 9pm) and I had eaten quite a bit during the day..

The article is quite inspiring - she looks great even if she weighs more. But, and emphasis on the BUT, unlike me she gained muscle due to strength training which I am currently not doing (Im quite shy at the gym and in the weight training section I feel like a fat cow amidst lean meat; plus I absolutely despise weights) - only doing cardio at the moment.

And yes, Ive been feeling better and my clothes feel looser...i think ill only take measurements for 2-4 weeks and see what happens. Weighed myself again today and scale was still stuck on 67...if I keep on seeing that number I might just give up, so will try not to go on the scales for a while.

Workoutdvdworld - might do that, but as Ive mentioned above, I think the scales will only get me even more frustrated...
 
Hey Rererara,

I agree with Goldfish that weighing yourself in the morning (after a trip to the bathroom, but before you eat or drink anything) is probably the best way to weigh yourself. This way you avoid including the food and liquids that you've consumed throughout the day!
 
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