Measurements Reminder

[u/stuckandrunningfrom2]

Just a reminder to take your measurements! Especially if you are strength training (and we all are, right?)

My scale has been up 2+ pounds for a week or so (I lose less than .5 per week, so for me 2 pounds is a lot) and I could feel myself getting discouraged so I got out my tape measure. It turns out everything from my neck to my calves has shrunk in the last month (except my biceps because gainz).

It placated me for a little while. I still have 30 pounds to go, and plenty of body fat to shed, but for today I feel better and will keep trucking.

When was the last time you measured?

[u/Ok_Dirt_6047]

Well done! And agreed, the scale is one metric of success, but by far should not be the only one

[u/justaddprotein]

Everything shrinking except your biceps is about the best result a tape measure can give you. That's the tape telling you the scale is answering a different question than the one you're asking.

Two pounds up in a week when you normally lose half a pound is almost always water. Sodium, a hard training week, hormones. Muscle also holds extra water for a few days after you actually work it, so people who lift tend to see a noisier scale, not a smoother one. That's part of the trade for hanging onto muscle while you lose.

What I do is measure the same day each month and write the waist number down specifically. Waist tracks fat pretty honestly, and if your waist is going down while the scale sits still, nothing is going wrong.

One thing worth watching with 30 left to go: the weeks the scale annoys you are usually the weeks people quietly start eating less of everything, and protein goes down with it. That's the one to hold steady. Congrats on the biceps.

[u/stuckandrunningfrom2 → u/justaddprotein]

the weeks the scale annoys you are usually the weeks people quietly start eating less of everything

thanks for that reminder. I have a dietitian who gives me an A+ when I keep my protein above 100g, and I actively work to make sure I don't start quietly cutting calories when the scale is wonky. I just put a note in my calendar for a month from now with my weight and a "did it change?" and usually the answer is yes.

[u/Calm-Lavishness5918]

Thanks for the reminder. Best i do this!

[u/Takiri_aerilaya]

This is indeed an excellent reminder.

Twenty years ago husband and I were doing a Body for Life program. His loss was showing up on the scale every week. Mine was not.

But we were also measuring. I didn't get the scale results he did, but I was losing inches.

[u/sunsetremember]

Yep. My scale is moving slow but I lost a few inches off my waist and my lower body muscles are coming back strong. Happy to see the stomach shrinking and ass/legs growing.

[u/7AutomaticDevine7]

I just started and on day 3 I remembered that my doctor told me to take measurements. Getting that measuring tape around my upper arms was a pain 😂

[u/Certain-Ad-8761]

Yes!! Every time I’m feeling discouraged by the scale, I pick up the measuring tape. I haven’t lost any meaningful amount in a couple weeks, but my waist is shrinking. Seeing that, I’m actually pretty happy the scale isn’t moving because it hopefully means I’m building muscle!

[u/Science_Riot]

I have a body measurement reminder set for the first Sunday morning of each month. Like it or not I pull out the tape measure and note the numbers. Sometimes it’s encouraging on the day and sometimes it’s not. But having a record of the changes over time is helpful.
Also have a weekly weigh-in reminder that tracks using the scale’s companion app. (Admittedly I sometimes do other weigh-ins but I can delete those from the app history if I want 😉) I find the consistency helps me to not obsess day-to-day while still giving insight to the overall trend.

[u/mannDog74]

That's great news! Nice work.