Anyone wanting to improve their physique can relate to this topic, but featherweights in particular can benefit from stepping away from the scale number and focusing on body composition. I know this intellectually, but I have to remind myself of this constantly. I find it very difficult to give up on wanting the scale to read what I want it to (usually arbitrary numbers from my past or results of "ideal weight" calculators).

Maybe this post is selfish, but I am going to post in one place some of the images I have saved that demonstrate amazing transformations in body composition with little to no change in weight (often even a gain!). I hope others will benefit and contribute here.



First my favorite (I posted about her years ago)



131 pounds left.....................142 pounds right


(The rest are unattributed, but if you look at the source code you can find where they originally appeared... I only saved ones that had the weight included in the image. Sorry some of them are huge; I have never found how to re-size on this forum, it always jumps back to the original size).

I personally don't know how to completely let go of the scale number - yet. I want to finish my current round of "5 pounds lost" (which has now taken more than one month) and possibly one more, just to get back to a place that I feel is comfortable for me.... ~4-9 pounds more.

Then I want to transition to fitness goals.

Of course my body may decide not to cooperate, but I am not ready to give up on my weight loss goal yet.

Wow. That's incredibly eye opening isn't it? Thanks for posting.

I love seeing these before/after photos. It's amazing the difference that toning can make.

Fine, you win. I'll stop procrastinating and do my weight workout today. :P

It can be VERY hard for people to let go of that scale, or at least letting it determine their success.

I used to be very active here on the featherweights forum and got down to a low weight of 113 lbs at 5'4. I realized that the constant obsession with weight was doing me no favors, and I started focusing more on muscle gain than weight loss, and I've never looked back.

I now compete (bodybuilding - bikini division) at 120 lbs and sit at around 135 off-season/bulking.

Sometimes its just not that easy though. I do online coaching now (I am a nutritionist and personal trainer) and find that with a lot of my clients I have to tell them to stop weighing themselves, and to just take photos and measurements for me. A LOT of people either refuse or have a hard time with it, at least initially.

Sometimes it can be helpful to have someone to guide you in the right direction.

One of the greatest post I've read in a while, I used to step on the scaling machine and see a gain as something negative but now i know better

I too try not to weigh myself too much (2X a week at most). I personally find it super discouraging to even have small gains (water weight, bloating etc.). I also take measurements monthly to track changes.

I totally get what you mean about the pictures and looking smaller but gaining (I mean we all know muscle weighs more than fat right?).

I absolutely agree a healthy person with no muscle building limitations should focus on incorporating weights into their routine. Although I know some people want to lose first, then start working out. Which can also make sense if working out at a higher weight carries risk for medical complications/spinal issues.