When the scale doesn’t make sense…

sarahmk5

I’ve been trying to lose weight and was tracking my progress with a scale and everything was going really well.  I moved to DC for two months and forgot to take my scale with me.  While I was there, I walked over a mile every day and kept eating healthy and reducing my portions.  I was definitely loosing inches, but wasn’t able to track my weight.I finally got on a scale this morning – and I GAINED 7 lbs!  I know that muscle weighs more, and it’s more important that I feel good about myself, and I lost inches so that’s something, and blah blah blah.  But it’s disheartening, and I don’t really understand why I gained all this weight back.  I was just walking and eating better; I had no strength training at all.Has anyone else gone through this or has any advice or tips?

DevonStiles

What's your eating look like? Also, different scale = different results. My mom's scale is crappy and it'll give me three different weights within 5 minutes. My scale is pretty close to the one at my doctor's, usually a 1-2lb difference.

Nebb

I hate scales. I started at 206 both at home and at the gym - at home I am 190 now and at the gym I am 194 (so I obviously use the at home weight since I like it better hehe). Right now I am wearing shorts and pants I purchased last year after losing 20lbs (then gained 20+lbs back so I couldnt wear them) and they are a tad loose on me - yet I weigh 13lbs more than I did last year.What youre experiencing could be bloating, water retention, muscle, god knows what. I find there are so many factors that go into weight it just doesnt work for me so I only pay attention to measurements.

thealphabride

RIGHT ON NEBB!!! When we burn fat and gain muscle the scale is not to be trusted!!! Track your inches and how your clothes fit, and clothing sizes. I only lost 9lbs last year, but shrunk 2 sizes fast. Although I have lost 10 lbs since May this year, I am doing WW and just started with exercising I am only down one size. And ulitmately, I don't care what the scale says, I care what size I am in clothes, and how my body looks and feels.

sarahmk5

Thanks for the help guys!  (And for the record it is the same scale)  I know it's better to rely on measurements, it's just discouraging to see the scale go back up.