How many of you can see changes but...

[Bethanie]

nothing moves on the scales, the numbers stay the same.
I feel lighter and my clothes are a litter looser.
Do i believe what i'm seeing or the scales?
B.

[RawSinger]

It sounds like you're losing fat but gaining muscle mass. If you're working out (especially if you're weight-training), you could be losing fat but gaining muscle, so you may not see a change in the number on the scale for a while. But lean muscle mass is good. More important than the scale is your inches (bust, waist, hips, arms, thighs, etc).

[Bethanie]

It makes me sad when i never see the numbers changing, you've made me feel a lot better.
I work out a couple of times a week but i need to do better than that.
I've read that you will lose weight eating raw but i need to exercise more.
Thanks
B.

[RawSinger]

I understand your frustration. It's unfortunate that your average scale cannot tell us what percentage of our weight is muscle and what percentage is fat. It would save a lot of people grief!

Exercise is super important but remember not to over do it :)

[Bethanie]

I had a test done and my body fat is high ratio so i need to get it down.
I was thinking that's why no matter what i do the numbers on the scale don't move.
I feel go and i'm eating raw and working out so i won't worry about the scales anymore.
Thanks
B.

[cara4art]

Oh I hear you! Even with weight-training and eating well, it can be a LONG time, especially for us mature ladies(I don't know how old you are though)to REALLY notice definite changes aside from clothes fitting just a tad looser and feeling a bit lighter. But take heart, the way it works is that you will FEEL lighter and better a good while before you really LOOK better noticeably. You see, you can't spot reduce, fat comes off from all over the body, and the places that have the most will be the last where you notice any difference at all, depending on how much weight you drop and your own kind of build to begin with anyway. But in the meantime, you can make more headway on this project by bumping up your weight-training workouts to three times a week, and cardio to 4-5x a week for 40-45 minutes. This, along with keeping tabs on your diet, should get things moving in a positive direction. Be sure to eat enough to support your workouts, but not so much that the fat isn't coming off. On the cardio, a couple of those times, look into interval training(brief spurts of very intense activity alternated with easier pace)as this helps the fat-burning process along with the weight-training. Every couple of weeks, add a bit of intensity to your weight-training sessions, either by increasing the volume of work, or by shortening rest times - there's tons of info out there about this. If you are still not sure, it's worth it to pop for a few personal training sessions with someone good to get you on the right track.
With high body fat, often it isn't until one drops the last few pounds that all of a sudden one looks MUCH better, even though fat weight release has been occuring all along, if this makes any sense. Good luck and keep on training!

[StarFire]

Don't despair!! What you are describing is quite common... and many... Many ... MANY of us have experienced the same thing.

THATS WHY ALISSA SAYS -- THROW AWAY THE SCALE... don't weigh yourself... judge your progress by how you are feeling... and how your clothes are fitting! The scale will move eventually... but so many things can be happening internally -- plus.. you maybe gaining muscle mass... but if your clothes are fitting better, looser or whatever... isn't that more important than a number on a scale? This isn't about what the number is on that scale -- but about your health.... about how you're feeling!! If your clothes are looser -- than you are losing INCHES!!! which means you look smaller, more toned, tighter! these are all GOOD Things!!

For my first 30 days raw -- I did not weight myself AT ALL.... got rid of my scale completely. I weighed myself on a neighbors scale at the end of 30 days.... and was astonished at how much I had lost. I knew I was losing because my clothes were looser.... that was the proof for me that the raw vibrant foods were doing their job. My body was releasing the fat, and utilizing the nutrients to rebuild my body.

that is still my common practice.

think about it for a moment... do you REALLY need a scale to tell you when you are gaining weight? Or do your clothes become tighter - more uncomfortable... You begin to feel 'loggy' and puffy right? No matter what number is on that scale - if you can no longer zip up your pants... you've gained weight!! Yu don't need a scale to tell you that! ;)

it's the same with releasing the weight... if you're focused on a number... then you're not focused on your health. If your pants are looser... WhOoOotwOoOOot!!! YEA BABY!!! then you know you're releasing the weight!!

You're doin great...!!! you're losing inches and that's a GOOOD THING!

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/smiley_zzclapping.gif ...RAWk on!!

[jacsam]

CONGRATS!!!! Your doing it.

[Bethanie]

I'm no longer a slave to the SCALE:D
I'm 57 and my husband looks at me sometimes and says he can't believe it:) so that makes me feel GREAT!!
Raw is the way to go!!!!!!!!!!
I've got to get a picture for you girls soon but i keep putting it off.
B.

[Theogirl]

Another caution besides not believing in your scale... don't let your clothing size rule your mood either! I wear size 10 jeans and since going raw they are getting really baggy on me (or maybe the lycra's letting go??:p ) and I went to buy a pair of new pants at a leisure/yoga store. Well, the girl promptly went and brought me a pair of SIZE 4:eek: . Unbelievably, they fit and I bought them. Well after spending $90 on a pair of quality yoga pants, and still needing a swimsuit I went across the street to Army & Navy. Yay, they had two piece swimsuits for $2.50 a piece!! Guess what size... Yep, size 16 Christina bathing suit. Sure the swimsuit is a little loose but it works too! How's that for size discrepancy?? ;) Moral of the Story: Don't get too caught up in size either!!

[iamacranberry]

You're likely gaining muscle mass and losing fat. This is mere redistribution of weight, and it is a step toward health.

[GoingtoRAW]

I agree with saying throw out the scale - or at least don't get attached to it by weighing in every day. I notice changes in the way my body looks and the way my clothes fit with raw as opposed to what the scale says. So if the scale doesn't move I'm ok with that because I know that eventually it will move in the right direction if I do the right thing.:) Try weighing in once a month....

[Bethanie]

I like that idea.
I'm going to put my scales away until then.
Matter of fact i'm going to start saving up for a better scale, one that measures body fat.
Thanks
B.

[Aleesha Sattva]

oh man do i hear you!!! i spent 3 months watching the scale sit at the same weight... 200 pounds without ever moving down. (it did migrate slightly up but never below 200) and i was working out 4-6 days a week.

then it happened... my weight began to move... such a nice feeling.

but my clothes did get looser during that time and my body was changing... just not the scale. :P

[Bethanie]

I have lost 1 and 1/2 pounds so unbelievable to see the number change.
I was getting so discouraged by the scales and now a change is happening.
I feel like working out, the sun is shining and my outlook is bright.
Thanks for the love and support you guys:D :D
B.

[StarFire]

I'm no longer a slave to the SCALE:D
I'm 57 and my husband looks at me sometimes and says he can't believe it:) so that makes me feel GREAT!!
Raw is the way to go!!!!!!!!!!
I've got to get a picture for you girls soon but i keep putting it off.
B.


Okay... You're on a time out until you get us that picture girl..... http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii159/stampincanada/Occassionals/Smileys%20and%20Stuff/ClockWatching.gif


http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s43/FireStar_830/timeout.jpg

[Bethanie]

We've been going through a lot here with very high taxed and trying everything to keep our home that i've been putting it off.
When we pull out from under this overwhelming pessure that we're under i will post my picture.
We were involved in that morgage ordeal also.
Thanks again for all the support:D
B.

[cara4art]

Yes, I forgot to add to my earlier message about also not getting hung up on the scale either. I don't own one, and I only weigh myself once in awhile at my gym anyway. At first I was weighing frequently, like every day, but I stopped that a long time ago for good reasons. Also, about whole clothing size issue, there is no standardization in women's sizes, and don't forget the whole "vanity sizing" phenonmenon. Today's size 6 in some clothes is actually like the size 8-10 of 30 years ago. Also, cheap clothing made in Asia tends to be cut smaller than more expensive clothing, in many cases. Lastly but not least on the sizing issue, from one manufacturer to another it differs, as well as being cut for different body types. This is why one can try on 10 pairs of say, size 8 jeans, and some you'll be swimming in, others make you look like a sausage, others are just not cut for your body no matter what the size, and hopefully, the one pair fits you beautifully and makes you look great! Best marker of your own size changes is that trusty pair of pants you have(with no elastic waistband)even if they are old. If they've gotten loose around the waist, there's your answer - things are moving in a positive direction. Also, how you feel in general. If you're feeling lighter and more energetic, also good!
Just to return to scales for a minute - the ones that you can buy that purport to measure body fat are not good from what I've seen in reviews, namely the Tanita, so save your money. Just remember, the scale ONLY tells you how much you weigh at that moment. It does not tell you about water retention/hydration/dehydration issues, unexcreted poop, or body fat/lean muscle mass. Do the pants test instead. You don't really even have to know your exact body fat percentage anyway - if your pants have gotten a LOT looser, you know you've dropped it anyway, as StarFire said.

[blizzful7]

I've been on Weight Watchers for a while. Since eating raw I've been toying with the idea of quitting. I've been nearly 100% raw for 3 weeks and have lost very little weight. I'm about 7 pounds from my kind of arbitrary WW goal. I told myself when I joined WW this time that I would stick with it until I made goal. Yet, I'm tired of the whole process (meetings, scales, anxiety) and want to close that chapter of my life. I don't know. Maybe I should stick to my original plan of meeting goal. On the other hand, I think the attention to weight loss overshadows the many benefits of eating raw and makes me feel like it's another diet of deprivation in which my success depends on the scale.
Tired of "living" that way.
Any advice?

[Bethanie]

With all the advice i've received the great advice given here is all you need to be successful.
I'd save my time and money and just do what you're doing, it will work, i'm a witness it's working for me.
Time saved is valuable, use it for something you love to do:D
Only my advice.