Question:
Exercise on weigh-in days
This may seem stupid to many of you, but my question is this: I am almost 8 months post-op (RNY)and am still losing; I weigh myself every Friday morning after I've dried my hair, before putting anything in my mouth - I want the lowest number possible on the scale. So on these Friday mornings I don't exercise because I'm afraid that exercising will pump up what little muscle I have and tip the scale up. Does anyone know if this is true or not, am I just being stupid or is their some truth to this? I just remember some old beach movie where they told this guy to go pump iron so his muscles would bulge for some contest and I don't want any higher number than necessary on the scale. LOL. Thanks in advance for all your comments - even if you tell me I'm silly! — dnefews (posted on March 26, 2009)
March 26, 2009
If you are looking for the lowest number then it needs to be right in the
morning as soon as you wake up. I mean use the restroom but do not take a
shower or dry your hair. :)
— sydsyd
March 26, 2009
I agree with Sydney. I have a weird thing about that. I have to go to the
bathroom and get undressed to get in the shower. I just feel like when I
get a shower, I am going to have "water weight", so I weigh as
soon as I get up.
— Dawn A.
March 26, 2009
Your question doesn't seem stupid at all, but it seems like you are a
little over focused on the weigh-in's. I used to do that so I know what
you mean. I have some superstitions too about weighing in, but those
numbers are not nearly as important as that fact that you are reversing
your bad health. Good luck on your journey!
— katiecakes
March 26, 2009
Why not test your theory. weigh yourself, exercise, than weigh yourself
again. I did and the scale went down. Of course as soon as you drink a
glass of water it will go back up.
— smparker2
March 26, 2009
I don't know if its true or not, but at Curves they tell you to weigh
yourself before your workouts cuz you weigh more afterwards. Good luck to
you! I weigh myself after using the restroom and before my shower too.
Undressed and before consuming anything. I did it daily..You are a better
person to wait a week! Congrats and God Bless! hugs, Kim
— gpcmist
March 27, 2009
I weigh myself upon waking every morning, after bathroom and before workout
or shower. I believe exercise adds to the scale when you do strength
training, but cardio tends to get rid of a lot of sweat/water. It's not
silly at all to look for the lowest number on the scale... it helps your
morale. Just don't get too focused on the numbers since weight tends to
fluctuate. Keeping track of your measurements should help. :-) Good luck
— slimcolagirl
March 27, 2009
Denise, Well, because I have a Master's Degree in Exercise Physiology, I
for one just started craking up when I read that you might think you gain
weight by exercising because you pump up your muscles. Think about it. If
you are not putting anything in your mouth, how are you going to gain
weight? Now, if you exercise hard and sweat a lot, which is your body
releasing water from your system to try and cool you down, you will loose
weight until you replace that fluid. Before I started having back problems
I use to be a long distant runner (one has nothing to do with the other
beause I have osteoarthritis) and after running for 1 or 2 hours I would
loose as much as 5-8 lbs. Researhers say that basketball and baseball
players an loose as much as 10 pounds during a game. They eventually have
to replace all those fluids that they have lost but until they do it shows
up as weight loss. If you want to weigh in at your lightest, get up in the
morning, have a big glass of water, and then go exercise your butt off.
Come home, shower, and then weigh in before you have anything more to
drink. And believe me exercise does not make you gain weight, even if your
muscles do swell up because the extra fluid they take in is already in your
body. Paula B.
— paulajaneb
March 27, 2009
First of all it can take a month to gain a lb of muscle and not in one
workout! Plus you are burning calories while working out and are more
likely to lose weight than gain weight UNLESS you are drinking water then
you'll weigh heavy from the drink if nothing else! You should stop focusing
so much on the scale too! LOL I know so many do...I have to tell you a
funny story from another scale-lover! I laughed so hard I almost peed!
I'll make it short! This woman had been out all day running errands and
getting in a good day of walking around...She missed her regular time to
weigh in...So she figured she would just weigh with her clothes on,
thinking she could just subtract a pound of summer clothes...so she runs up
the stairs...pops her shoes off and jumps on the scale thinking she might
have even lost a pound or so...She gained 10 pounds and starts
screaming...Her hubby runs up the stairs worried...And she breaks down
about her 10 lb gain and wondering how on earth all that running around
could make her gain....Hubby takes her shoulders and looks lovingly in her
eyes and says...Why don't you try weighing without your hangbag and turns
and walks out of the bathroom! LOL Too funny! I weighed my purse too and
it's also 10 lbs! Sheesh! Just thought I'd share a giggle!
— .Anita R.
March 28, 2009
I to am a scale watcher.... Since I have started my strength training my
weight loss has slowed dramatically. I was very upset. I talked to my nut
and my Dr and they told me to stop looking at the scale and to look at
measurements. Also I work right next door to my Nut's office so she lets
me run in and stand on that "special" scale that will measure my
% body fat as well as all those other important number anytime I want. My
% and BMI is down dramatically so I don't feel so bad. Personally I weight
right after my shower in the am. I work out on my way home from work (I
already get up at 5am so not getting up any earlier) so I don't have to
worry about that affecting my weight. PS... Anita, I have done something
like that when I weighed in my cloths, all my accessories (metal belt,
rings etc and my id badge with has 6 different cards on it.) I started to
cry and then my husband, God love him, told me to take it all off an start
over.
— phyllismmay
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