How long until the scale moves?

[Astro Orbiter]

I'm pretty overweight. I'm coming off of 3 years as a work-potato. Like a couch potato, but planted behind a desk for hours instead of on the couch. If I'm on my couch, I'm staring at a laptop screen. Gained 30 lbs for my hard work, too. I wasn't a lightweight to begin with, it just made me more fat. I'm also turning 40 later this year.

So here I am, 3 years into being the heaviest I've ever been. The last 5 lbs went on in March. They dropped off pretty quickly in April/May when I started to shift my diet.

June 27, I started riding my bike. I've gone from 3 miles almost killing me to 5 miles being painful. I ride every day, anywhere from 3-8 miles on completely flat terrain. My goal is 5 miles/25 minutes in the am, 3 miles/15 minutes in the evenings. I get rained out a lot right now for the evenings and it gets too dark to ride by 8:15.

I've also cut out soda (98%, anyways), have started drinking water (not quite 64 oz per day yet), and have cut out the office vending machine. I still eat a lot of processed foods but watch calorie content carefully.

I can see things re-sculpting - clothes fit differently, rings are looser. But the scale's not moving. And I'm sick of seeing it vascillate with the same 3 lbs after 3 weeks. I will admit that 4th of July weekend was a bust in terms of calorie control.

So - when will the fat loss start to outweigh the muscle creation? When can I plug a 10 lb banner in?

Deb

 

[laxdef69]

You have already done some amazing things, so for you!

Don't sweat the scale not moving, pay attention to the things you have already noticed, like your clothes and rings, your progress in how much you can exercise.

Pay attention to what YOU wrote "June 27, I started riding my bike. I've gone from 3 miles almost killing me to 5 miles being painful". That is a 60% increase in distance in ONE month Deb!

You are doing the right stuff by eating healthier, and moving more.

It took time to get out of shape...it just takes time to get back into shape!

Nothing will take an exercise program off track faster than working too hard, too soon...make sure you schedule in some rest days...they are as important as working out.

I find that I can vary by 3-5 pounds in a single day depending on hydration/nutrition/exercise. Heck, your scale can vary depending on if you move it an inch or two, or if its more or less humid than the last time you checked it.

You're better off either throwing the scale away, or only checking it once a week...I find that by keeping a log, I see progress about two weeks after consistently eating right and exercising...I've come to believe that day to day variations are from heat/humidity/hydration and the time of day that I weigh myself; I always weigh more at night than first thing in the morning.

Stick with it...you will do GREAT!

Mike

 

[NY Disney fan]

I still eat a lot of processed foods but watch calorie content carefully.


Deb

The scale won't move if you are eating like this. You need to eat clean, whole foods that aren't processed. Calories are not equal. The body has a hard time metabolizing processed foods which leave you hungrier and wanting more. Eating lots of fiber and complex carbs like veggies and fruit will fill you up. Fiber and protein are the keys to feeling FULL! Dump the pasta dishes and start eating egg whites, turkey slices (low sodium), oatmeal, asparagus, broccoli, whole grains like brown rice.

And I'll probably be flamed for this but, lots of cardio is not going to sculpt your body and burn fat. Strength training will. Do 30 min of intense cardio a few times a week, I don't think more than 30 min is necessary. Then focus on strength training. It will lean you out and fast!

ETA: like Laxdef69 said, throw the scale away and go by your tape measure.

 

[Astro Orbiter]

You have already done some amazing things, so for you!

Don't sweat the scale not moving, pay attention to the things you have already noticed, like your clothes and rings, your progress in how much you can exercise.

Pay attention to what YOU wrote "June 27, I started riding my bike. I've gone from 3 miles almost killing me to 5 miles being painful". That is a 60% increase in distance in ONE month Deb!

You are doing the right stuff by eating healthier, and moving more.

It took time to get out of shape...it just takes time to get back into shape!

Nothing will take an exercise program off track faster than working too hard, too soon...make sure you schedule in some rest days...they are as important as working out.

I find that I can vary by 3-5 pounds in a single day depending on hydration/nutrition/exercise. Heck, your scale can vary depending on if you move it an inch or two, or if its more or less humid than the last time you checked it.

You're better off either throwing the scale away, or only checking it once a week...I find that by keeping a log, I see progress about two weeks after consistently eating right and exercising...I've come to believe that day to day variations are from heat/humidity/hydration and the time of day that I weigh myself; I always weigh more at night than first thing in the morning.

Stick with it...you will do GREAT!

Mike

Thanks, Mike - I took most of yesterday off, only did 3 miles in the am and nothing in the evening. This morning my legs weren't as sore and 5 miles was easier.

I don't like to schedule days off because I never know when I'm going to have to work late, or oversleep, or afternoon showers will come and rain on my bike ride.

Deb

 

[Astro Orbiter]

The scale won't move if you are eating like this. You need to eat clean, whole foods that aren't processed. Calories are not equal. The body has a hard time metabolizing processed foods which leave you hungrier and wanting more. Eating lots of fiber and complex carbs like veggies and fruit will fill you up. Fiber and protein are the keys to feeling FULL! Dump the pasta dishes and start eating egg whites, turkey slices (low sodium), oatmeal, asparagus, broccoli, whole grains like brown rice.

And I'll probably be flamed for this but, lots of cardio is not going to sculpt your body and burn fat. Strength training will. Do 30 min of intense cardio a few times a week, I don't think more than 30 min is necessary. Then focus on strength training. It will lean you out and fast!

ETA: like Laxdef69 said, throw the scale away and go by your tape measure.

Comment away - I put myself out there.

If I overcommit I'm going to set myself up for failure. I need to tackle this thing 5 lbs at a time because that's how I got here. I won't commit to a gym yet because I know I'm not ready to go there. Time with DD is more important to me. And I can't commit to packing a healthy lunch because I suck at it - so processed foods (tuna, soups) at lunch are a much better choice than fast food or the roach coach (no cafeteria).

 

[NY Disney fan]

And I can't commit to packing a healthy lunch

Yes you can! Baby steps.

 

[mrsklamc]

And I'll probably be flamed for this but, lots of cardio is not going to sculpt your body and burn fat. Strength training will. Do 30 min of intense cardio a few times a week, I don't think more than 30 min is necessary. Then focus on strength training. It will lean you out and fast!

ETA: like Laxdef69 said, throw the scale away and go by your tape measure.

Not flaming, but I think it may be different for different people, because a very healthy friend told me this and I strength trained religiously for several months and didn't get any leaner until I added the cardio.

 

[3DisneyKids]

I'm pretty overweight. I'm coming off of 3 years as a work-potato. Like a couch potato, but planted behind a desk for hours instead of on the couch. If I'm on my couch, I'm staring at a laptop screen. Gained 30 lbs for my hard work, too. I wasn't a lightweight to begin with, it just made me more fat. I'm also turning 40 later this year.

So here I am, 3 years into being the heaviest I've ever been. The last 5 lbs went on in March. They dropped off pretty quickly in April/May when I started to shift my diet.

June 27, I started riding my bike. I've gone from 3 miles almost killing me to 5 miles being painful. I ride every day, anywhere from 3-8 miles on completely flat terrain. My goal is 5 miles/25 minutes in the am, 3 miles/15 minutes in the evenings. I get rained out a lot right now for the evenings and it gets too dark to ride by 8:15.

I've also cut out soda (98%, anyways), have started drinking water (not quite 64 oz per day yet), and have cut out the office vending machine. I still eat a lot of processed foods but watch calorie content carefully.

I can see things re-sculpting - clothes fit differently, rings are looser. But the scale's not moving. And I'm sick of seeing it vascillate with the same 3 lbs after 3 weeks. I will admit that 4th of July weekend was a bust in terms of calorie control.

So - when will the fat loss start to outweigh the muscle creation? When can I plug a 10 lb banner in?

Deb

Hey Deb! Didn't realize this was your thread till just now. Over on our other thread, my nickname there is Plateau! I have literally lost maybe 6 pounds or so since mid-February, and you KNOW how much I work out. And I eat very well also (very little processed food, no real junk, etc.) and the scale just does NOT move for me.

BUT...I have lost a ton. In case you haven't seen this on our other thread (it is way back), I will post my before and "in progress" pics for you here (it is not my "after" pic since I am still not where I want to be). To me, I look totally different here....looks like I lost a lot, huh? Not according to the scale! I have lost a ton of fat and built a lot of muscle, so that is a big part of it. I have lost 2 - 2.5 sizes in my clothes. (I was a 10/12 when I started and am now a size 6.)

So screw the scale! For the longest time I wouldn't even get ON the scale. It just upset me too much to feel like I was working that hard and not getting results. Instead I set different goals and used other things to measure my success. This seemed to work best (for me) with clothes. We all have clothes from a ton of different weights we have been at, right? Well, I would find a pair of pants that were too tight (not terribly tight...but tight enough that I wouldn't wear them in public). And instead of "weigh-in day" I would have "try-on" day. And sure enough, the different clothes that I tried on would get looser and looser and then eventually fit perfectly and then eventually get too big!

Hope this helps and you know you can ask me and the rest of our team anything! Between us, we have all been through it all!

Here are the pics...

 

[soupy11]

Water, Fibre and no processed foods is the only way I can get fat burning. If I don't get 70-80 oz of water a day and 15 grams of fibre I don't lose. Period. I can burn 1000 calories a day exercising and nothing comes off if I am eating fast food and not getting water. I also find with Psyllium fibre it gets my fibre intake up and the weight moves easily.

Also watch starvation. If you aren't getting the proper calorie level for your exercise duration, you will never drop. Your body will eat up muscle (especially since you aren't doing a full time strength program). It is a tricky balance for everyone and is different for everyone. That is what makes it so darn difficult.

Good luck. Try to get the fibre up and hydrate. And staying off the scale is a big help! LOL Nothing more aggravating then getting into the routine of daily weigh-ins......

 

[Raenstoirm]

Here are the pics...

That is awesome!

As for the scale, I have been working at this actively since January and have dropped ten lbs. When i think about it that way, it is very discouraging, but they I look at other things. I have dropped a dress size, I can exercise for 45 minutes without having to fight my body to get it done, and my outlook has changed. I just got back from a beach vacation. I am in no way "sexy" but I wore my two piece proudly. Yes my thighs jiggle (a lot) but my stomach is nearly flat and THAT is what I was showing off. And when messing around on the beach, i could run for the Frisbee and not get out of breath, despite running in sand. That is an accomplishment. One day I will be sexy in a bikini, but for now, I am happy.

 

[Astro Orbiter]

Thanks, all.

The scale did move - some of it was plateau and some of it was a non-zeroed scale. I'm now perfectly pleased with 12 lbs in 1 month and working to get close to that again this month!