# STOP "losing" weight- smash up your scales!!



## ElleMac (Sep 20, 2011)

"I WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT". How many of you have ever heard this? In fact, how many of you have ever thought this, and how often? The "weight loss" epidemic has struck us hard nationwide... but why is there so much focus on "weight"?

Before you continue to read this, I would like to ask you- How many of you have scales in the house? Most people will answer 'Yes'. Great! Now throw them away. No, I'm not mad. This WILL bring you great freedom. Besides, none of us need to know what we weigh. I'll say that again- none of us need to know what we weigh. Let me explain.

The concept of BMI, or Body Mass Index, appeared in the 1990s when the Government- yes, the GOVERNMENT- launched an initiative to encourage healthy eating and exercise. BMI merely puts us into a lovely wall chart, showing height and weight and if you are between 19 and 25, according to the Government, you are a healthy weight.

Not for one second does it consider body composition (please see my note further down for a more in depth explanation of body composition!) Muscle is much denser than fat, and packs into a smaller space, so therefore most athletes and bodybuilding champions are considered to be overweight or clinically obese according to BMI standards.

And to throw in a few famous names, so you can relate to what I'm saying- Matt Damon, George Clooney, Johnny Depp, Will Smith and Brad Pitt are also allegedly "overweight".

And what about what's going on INSIDE your body? A person can spend their whole life "weighing" the same, but they can be extremely unhealthy on the inside, losing muscle mass and gaining fat around their major organs.

I may not work for the Government but in my opinion, if you believe in BMI and that you have to weigh a certain weight, you might as well believe in unicorns and dragons...

Ditch the scales, stop "LOSING" something- and gain muscle, health and a fit and strong body.

Happy Training~

*Eloise Mackenzie *


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## justheretosnoop (Jun 15, 2012)

Weigh myself at the gym 1-2 times per month at the most. Getting my bf checked now on a monthly basis so it's really just cal I can do the LBM calcs. Apart from that, i'm not overly bothered anymore.


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## ElleMac (Sep 20, 2011)

Me too. I weigh myself more out of interest than anything- I have seen a total change in my body the past 6-7 weeks but my weight has barely changed. Weight can change according to SO many things- fluid, muscle, fat. Fluid weight fluctuates due to numerous reasons! Being honest this "weight loss" fascination p*sses me right off!

And why the "loss"? You aren't "losing" anything- only gaining!!! :hippie:


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## yannyboy (Jun 20, 2009)

I totally agree that the scales can be misleading

I weigh myself twice a week but use the mirror as a more accurate weigh of monitoring my fat levels

When you get to the situation where you can see your abdominals, you can see the clarity and cuts of the abs, the leaner you get

As for losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time, yes it can be done, but you need a perfect set up for it to happen


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## Brockyboy (Oct 17, 2010)

Never in my life have i said to myself i need to loose weight

Im the exact opposite im all about the bulk

i weigh myself twice a wk to see I've gained weight!


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## MichelleD (Dec 9, 2011)

I'm very slowly pulling myself out of the losing weight mentality. It was everything to me from the start of 2011 to lose weight, but now it's all about changing myself into a strong, lean, competition-ready woman. I still weigh myself nearly everyday, but it's more to make sure that I'm not losing weight anymore. Weighing myself *nearly* everyday is a huge improvement on the everyday without fail or I'd break out in a sweat type mindset I had not so long ago lol


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## jordan_ (Mar 5, 2011)

Brockyboy said:


> Never in my life have i said to myself i need to loose weight
> 
> Im the exact opposite im all about the bulk
> 
> i weigh myself twice a wk to see I've gained weight!


Lmao I'm the same


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## ElleMac (Sep 20, 2011)

I honestly used to weigh myself about 6 times a day. I was a hefty 13st 11 (and I know this, because I kept reminding myself by weighing myself...) and I was absolutely fixated on being 135lbs. I have no idea why, but that was the number I had in my head. I dropped all of those habits when I started training and weighed myself just before getting on stage.

Guess what my weight was?

But really- weight doesn't matter. I have 2 photos of me from 2009 and 2011 weighing the same, and looking totally different, I must fish them out and post them on here!


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

I struggled to get my weight down for my comp, yet I was quite lean and to go any further would have meant either muscle loss, or to have come in absolutely shredded and possibly stringy which wasn't acceptable for the class I was competing in. I stepped on stage around 7-10lbs heavier than other girls of the same height, and for weeks didn't lose anything although my definition increased so I was definitley recomping. BMI doesn't take into account your build, my frame is not teeny tiny like some girls and even as a good level runner I couldn't get my bodyweight down to the 'formula' weights recommended for optimum performance. I have a good idea this is what was at play when some coaches called Jess Ennis fat recently, I actually have the same height to weight ratio she does but we both have abs (although mine are under a layer of water thanks to some munchies last week).

I use scales as a rough guide, but the mirror is a better one.

BMI is so misleading people who don't exercise, with high bodyfat and low fitness levels actually believe they are healthy because their BMI is within range. Their diet is often poor, mostly processed with little in the way of fruit and veg or decent protein sources. The same people then say they don't need to alter their habits because they must be ok, because their BMI is ok.


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## ElleMac (Sep 20, 2011)

lancashirerose said:


> I use scales as a rough guide, but the mirror is a better one.


I totally agree, and as well as the mirror, I go by my clothes. Besides, having thrown out so many of them, I have no choice!


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

ElleMac said:


> I totally agree, and as well as the mirror, I go by my clothes. Besides, having thrown out so many of them, I have no choice!


Charity shops near me have done very well!


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## ElleMac (Sep 20, 2011)

Bump... I've seen a lot of things about "weight loss" this morning...


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## Plod (Nov 11, 2013)

ElleMac said:


> Bump... I've seen a lot of things about "weight loss" this morning...


Why do I suddenly feel guilty as charged lol


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## gingernut (Dec 11, 2006)

Plod said:


> Why do I suddenly feel guilty as charged lol


I might have said it earlier in the thread but a few years back whilst moving house I purposely left my scales at the old place. I didn't buy another set until I really needed to be tracking things when I got overweight, I needed to know how overweight I was. The weight gain was nothing to do with not weighing myself, it was all to do with me eating and drinking far too much, too many kcals.

I'm now back onto weekly if that weigh ins. It's much healthier to try and go with how my body feels. If however I had a constantly reducing goal I'd stick to once a week.


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## Neil R (Oct 29, 2006)

I only tend to weigh myself every couple of weeks, but that's not because I have a "weight loss target" per se, its more to give me an idea of what kinda progress I'm making. I'll on;y weigh myself daily in the last few days before a show, and thats to ensure my 'water' fluctuation is minimal, which tells me if I'm ready.

Now checking the mirror...I do THAT every day!!


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## Plod (Nov 11, 2013)

I guess I have a real problem with body image at the mo

OK I'll rephrase that I HAVE a problem with my body image

Thus looking at myself in the mirror with my current level of BF doesn't work for me.

It would explain why I haven't posted any pics of myself !

Hence I think I've become reliant on the scales a little TOO much


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## RSteele (Aug 7, 2013)

I think it's easy to forget as someone who is into fitness in a serious way that the majority of the population are not and are extremely uneducated. The easiest way to try to help with an obesity epidemic at least in the short term is to simply encourage people to 'lost weight'. We all know BMI doesn't work for anyone with a reasonable degree of muscle but remember the intention was for it to be a barometer for most of the population to measure themselves against. As people get more into fitness there are other, and far better, ways of measuring improvements but I think for most people, telling them to lost weight is a good start...

Does that make sense?


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## Piranha Smudge (Jan 16, 2011)

I use the scales as a guide but use the mirror to see if things are changing!! Also photos every few weeks to compare help alot!!!


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