I posted this info about 6-8 mos. ago, but since the forum has changed, it was lost, and I think a lot of you (esp. newbies) may appreciate this:

I used to houseclean for a lady who hired a physical trainer to come into her home and help her lose weight (with a McDonald's/junk food diet, the lady never did lose anything!).

The trainer was a bombshell--absolutely gorgeous figure (mind you, I'm seeing her in her workout outfit which was virtually second skin), firm, toned, terrific. One day, we got on the discussion of weights, and she asked me to guess what her weight was. I decided to estimate based on my own body: though I was 5'3" and 116 pounds, I was still fairly "hippy" (pear shape) and this lady clearly looked smaller and much better than I did.

105? Nope. 110? Hmmm-mmm. 120??? Try again. (I started thinking, This is ridiculous--she can't weigh more than I do.) 130?!?!? Keep going, she said. I finally gave up, almost thinking the lady was lying to me. Her body was so sculpted and "perfect" that it was pathetic and she was almost identically my height.

143lbs.!!! She was 27 lbs. heavier than I, but smaller, toned, and gorgeous! No flab anywhere! Needless to say, my mouth fell open and my eyes bulged out. She explained to me that muscle weighs twice as much as fat. She was no bodybuilder by any means and still maintained a very effeminate form, but her muscles were so conditioned and toned and had increased so much in volume that it shot the scales up deceptively so. (Don't forget she was smaller than I.)

So DON'T be afraid of your scales. Don't get discouraged if you're obviously losing inches and for "some reason" aren't losing any weight or are no longer "burning fat"--or even if you start GAINING weight instead of losing, but are still losing inches. I learned a valuable lesson that day: Forget the pounds, Listen to the Inches!!

Katherine

Live like there's no tomorrow
Eat like everyone's watching
Breathe like you're on a respirator!

Katherine,

This is SO true! I lost about 50lbs a few years back and weighed 175lbs. I was also doing BodyFlex at the time and so I was wearing size 10 pants (and some 8's). It's really true that what you weigh doesn't matter so much as what your measurements are.

I joke that I don't care if I weigh 275lbs as long as I can wear a size 6

Tracey

Katherine,

Thanks. That is really good information. I think most of us tend to get wrapped up in what the scale says. Actually, I had rather go by a piece of clothing as a goal to get down to. I have a pair of pants hanging on my door as we speak that is my next pair of "goal pants".

Tracey, I'm with you about not caring what the scale says as long as I can (some time in the distant future) wear a size 8! LOL!

Alicia

Start weight=292(June,2002)
Current weight=257
Goal weight=135
Inches lost=29 3/4
"When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences" (Dr. Phil)

HI EVERYONE, JUST JOINED THE FORUM AND LEARNING THE OXYCISE PROGRAM. I TEACH AEROBICS TO AGE GROUPS FROM KIDS TO SENIOR CITIZENS.

I AM 54 YEARS OLD. 5'7" AND WEIGH 180 LBS. NO ONE BELIEVES ME. YOUR RIGHT MUSCLE DOES WEIGH MORE THAN FAT. I AM ONE OF THOSE WHERE MY WEIGHT BOTHERS ME EVEN THOUGH I DON'T LOOK HEAVY. LOOKING FOR GOOD THINGS FROM OXYCISE. VIRGIL

Hi Virgil...and welcome to the group! I'm going to start trying to focus more on inches than pounds. I think scales tend to lie!

Kelly

This is in response to Saniya's dismay from a couple months ago, but I see other posts where others are wondering the same thing: why am I losing inches and my scales say I'm not losing weight? I felt like this info bore repeating, so I decided to "reply" to bring it to the front burner again.

Katherine

Thanks Katherine. I missed this a few months ago. This is great to know that doing any workout where inches disappear is always a good things. So there is no going wrong with Oxycise.

I agree. There were plenty of weeks that I lost & am losing inches & not lbs. I think it is much harder to see our progress with inches since we are so obsessed with the scale. Several years ago (lots!like when I was 19 so 21 years ago) I had to lose 50 lbs to get into a missionary training school. I lost almost all of it & was at 150lbs. I had faithfully exercised so I was in ok shape. I saw photos of myself a few days ago & looked comparable to my Bible school friends who I knew all weighed less than me but because I was firm I looked as good as them.

Right now I am losing every week around the ribcage even if I don't lose weight.

Shelby

Start weight 105 kilos
Goal weight 70 kilos
Current weight 92 kilos

Hi all
I weigh in at 186 and wear a size 14 at 150 I wear a size 7. I never worry about my weight just the size of cloths and the way they fit. I don't even let the doctors office tell me what I weigh. I found out a long time ago that if I worry about the weight I will drive myself crazy. Inches is the they way to go for me.
Moni

don't worry about the pounds..inches matter MORE. Years ago i weighed 185 lbs and wore a size 18 I have changed the composition of my body over the years (1st with weight traning and walking, but now with oxycise) I weigh 180 lbs and wear a size 12. Muscle weighs more than fat...don't get discuraged.

Ang

Great comments, everyone!!

Just a tiny correction:

Muscle doesn't actually weigh more than fat...
(because a POUND of muscle weighs exactly the same as a POUND of fat) .... BUT it IS a LOT more dense than fat, so a pound of muscle takes up a lot less ROOM on your body, and that's good news! AND the more muscle you have, the more calories you body has to burn, even when you sleep. That's great news!

We hope everyone will listen -- don't judge your success or failure by your scale alone. If you are losing inches and your muscles are getting harder, and the "soft spots" are decreasing in thickness, it's a sure sign that your body is burning fat... regardless of what the numbers say on your scale.

Jill strongly recommends testing your body fat percentage every month or two (try to get the most accurate test possible -- calipers or professional-quality electronic equipment are good) ... and that you measure carefully along with keeping track of your weight.

If your body fat percentage is in the "Excellent" category for your age, it really doesn't matter what the scale says!