June 22nd was my one year anniversary on keto. I’ve lost over 50 pounds and surpassed my goals & expectations. Now I need to practice what I preach and ditch those scales. Seeing an unexpected jump in weight (always temporary and unexplainable) can still mess with my head. My clothes tell the story, as does my overall health.
SO… Year 2 Resolution: Bye bye scales! Curious if many of you have done the same.
“De-Scaling”. Love it! I only ever weigh in at the doctor’s office. No body weight scales at home.
Way back I went through a weight loss system based on shakes and soups. There was a weekly weigh-in. I have not mentally recovered from that trauma.
Somehow the numbers don’t mean much to me. (Same with temperature, distance, etc.) I just care about how I look and feel.
The only reason I got a scale was so I could participate in certain forum conversations, tell newcomers I went through something similar, etc.
Ah, yes…the scale. I too have been traumatized by them. Another number I am not fond of is the …BMI!!!
BMI!!! Just the thought gives me the willies. I’m glad I know nothing about what mine should be and what it is. At this point, I figure there is nothing I could do better, do more of, or stop doing anyway.
I stopped using the scale a long time ago. I had shoulder surgery and gained a bit of weight (likely due to higher cortisol from not being able to sleep). I then got 3 DEXA scans done. In the course of one year, I gained about 4 pounds of fat free mass and lost about 6 pounds of fat mass.
But you’d never know from my scale, where if I fast >24 hours, I can lose 5 pounds in one day. It’s hard to see a 2 pound change over the course of a year when there are 5 pound variations per day.
Also, I noticed I could not lose scale weight while I would drop a belt hole. Something was going/changing, but the scale weight did not reflect that.
Those are the two main reasons I stopped using the scale.
It’s all so interesting. I had a knee procedure done last week, so of course they weighed me…I really don’t look or feel like the scale said I weigh!
I love BMI! It’s a great way for me to argue when a doc or nurse when I’m going in for something shows me that I’m morbidly obese at 11% bodyfat! I love backing them in a corner with that one every time.
I have, for me it was a bad thing. Too much crept up on me. I now just have a realistic mindset about it, it lets me watch trends and is my warning that I better do something before too much damage is done. 2,3,4,5lbs I can just go easy for a day or 3 and correct, 8.10,11,12 then the ship needs to make a turn real fast!
Since I was about 16 (maybe 18), and a body builder, I’ve been “overweight” by BMI. And that includes when I could see all the veins in my arms and all the heads of my quadriceps. (Though I still had a layer of fat over my abs – perhaps a harbinger of things to come?)
And if you’re a certain ethnicity, BMI is even worse.
Nearest Dexa to me is like 2+ hours away. You guys know anything about InBody? Crossfit place here does those
DEXA is also expensive, about $150/each, where I live. I paid $500 for 3.
Something like the InBody will not be as accurate, but might not be bad for tracking.
Might be worth a try I think it is relatively cheap.
I am down to that layer on my abs that went on around puberty… The visceral fat seems long gone. I wonder if there is some kind of thing where certain fat really is more stubborn. I’m managing to make progress on the scale but it almost seems like my body would rather break down lean tissue than give me abs.
If you’ve gained 8 or more pounds, don’t you already know by your clothes etc? But, if I get to where my clothes are too tight, I would want to look at the scales too.
They’re hit or miss, I’ve used my gyms after both BodPod and DEXA scans and sometimes they’re really accurate sometimes off by a few % points. With the InBody make sure you’re hydrated well, but not recently, early AM is best on an empty stomach. Much more accurate than consumer grade stuff but still a BIA reading. They’re fine for watching trends though. My go to is the BodPod, very accurate and cheap, I only did the last DEXA because I wanted to see muscle in balances and I got a awesome deal on the DEXA plus a metabolic rate test… couldn’t refuse.
Congratulations on your anniversary and weight loss!
I am so grateful that I was able to ditch the scale immediately after starting keto. I took a starting weight and then stayed off the scale completely, except for when I went to the doctor’s. It’s been 2.5 years and I still don’t weigh myself. I detest the scale; I really do. Total mind eff, whether it’s “good” or bad. It’s very liberating not to weigh. As you say, you can tell where you’re at by your clothes and how you look.
Good luck!
Are you watching total calorie and protein intake? Undershoot those and you can absolutely loose muscle mass.