is the scale a liar?

[jmoutlaw]

the scale im using shows that i've lost a good 20 lbs, but for some reason, i cant see a difference. would this have anything to do with the fact that I see myself all the time? opinions?

[sureshk]

could be water weight.
could be cos you see yourself all the time
could be because you lost a lot over your whole body, so isn't that noticeable in 1 particular place.

it's a good sign anyway, just keep it up.

[TunaShakes]

the scale im using shows that i've lost a good 20 lbs, but for some reason, i cant see a difference. would this have anything to do with the fact that I see myself all the time? opinions?

The best way i've seen this described and holds true in my case is to think of your body like a roll of toilet paper. You take off 1 layer at a time and it still looks the same if you have excessive bodyfat, but after you take off enough you eventually see the progress you've made.

[MondayNgt]

Depending on where you are on your weight loss journey and how you're working out, yeah, the scale can be deceptive especially as you're nearing the lower numbers. I just put my scale away in my bathroom closet myself, as it's no longer a good indicator of my progress (I'm in the 160s).

[jmoutlaw]

The best way i've seen this described and holds true in my case is to think of your body like a roll of toilet paper. You take off 1 layer at a time and it still looks the same if you have excessive bodyfat, but after you take off enough you eventually see the progress you've made.

thats a good analogy, i never thought of it like that...

[jmoutlaw]

ive got about 15 lbs left before i try to bulk up...i was originally trying to go from 198 to 170, but since im now 175 and cant tell a difference other than the feel of "soft fat", i think ill opt to take it down to 160-165

[bradknob]

I pretty much was in the ame boat, i lost a good bit of weight but in the mirror i was the same shape so it seemed like i made no change. until i looked at before and after pics u can totally see a difference. Although i was just a smaller version of my fat self so i hit the gym and thats where i could really see results. take pics to monitor ur progress dont live by the scale.

[jmoutlaw]

I pretty much was in the ame boat, i lost a good bit of weight but in the mirror i was the same shape so it seemed like i made no change. until i looked at before and after pics u can totally see a difference. Although i was just a smaller version of my fat self so i hit the gym and thats where i could really see results. take pics to monitor ur progress dont live by the scale.

Good point! I was actually convinced that it was all water weight that I lost. I did take pictures when I first started, and can tell little differences, but when I look at myself in the mirror, I look the exact same. I feel lighter, healthier, etc...Ive been away from home for the past 2 months, so im sure my wife will be able to tell a difference when i get back in about 3 months.....if i keep it up. The only other thing is that I keep wanting to change my diet up a little bit because I think because I think im eating too much. I guess in this case its "matter over mind"

[Reloadguy]

If you have a lot of fat then you won't see significant changes until your BF gets low. When I was cutting the first 25 pounds I lost were barely noticeable, which was due to not only very high BF% but also in my case, having very little muscle mass.

[Il_Dago]

It's not a liar, but it sure stretches the truth.

The actual number shown on the scale can be affected by any number of things. Have you pooped? Did you drink a lot of water? When was the last time you ate? There are dozens of factors that can change the number you see on the scale. General rule of thumb: As long as you can keep it going down or at least staying the same, you're golden.

Use the fit of your clothes and your reflection in the mirror as your progress guides. It's harder because they only show progress every month or two, but I'll be damned if it doesn't feel tons better to buy new, better fitting pants than it does to hit some arbitrary number on the scale.