The science of the scale

Group: General Diet & Nutrition

Created: 2011/12/31, Members: 399, Messages: 16719

With such a topic so broad we truly try to cover the basics from all angles in this group. Nothing too big or too small. Nutrition is as significant if not more as exercise is to reaching your goals so learn all you can.

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thepoohguy Posts: 114 Joined: 2006/09/26	2007/08/29, 01:14 PM Okay. Please do not reply to this as don't worry about the scale, or throw away your scale, etc.:angry: I'm trying to understand the science of the body and the scale. If 3500 calories = 1 pound, why is it that the body weighs 3 pounds more in the evening than in the morning? Why does the scale fluctuate so much?:surprised: I know that Lean Body Muscle is important and all that, but I think for those who get discouraged by stepping on the scale after a big week of working out, that we need to understand this obscurity. Can someone explain the science of the scale? Thanks.

	2007/08/29, 01:24 PM It has mostly to do with water weight. You go the longest without food or drink during your sleep time. Calories are burned off while sleeping and AM voiding and elimination drop a few ounces. Make sense? Oh yeah....throw away your scale. -------------- From aboard MV The Shop Johns Island Charlie
tuin Posts: 80 Joined: 2005/03/02	2007/08/29, 01:34 PM Sorry to say this but... dont worry about the scale :) some of us are just heavy... i lost like 20 lbs recently, and maybe i look as if i lost 30... keep working on it and try the mirror and how your clothes fit instead of trusting the damn thing... :big_smile:
	2007/08/29, 01:37 PM Yep....accurate scale = oxymoron... -------------- From aboard MV The Shop Johns Island Charlie
	2007/08/29, 01:42 PM And....put down the bear when you weigh.:big_smile: -------------- From aboard MV The Shop Johns Island Charlie
tuin Posts: 80 Joined: 2005/03/02	2007/08/29, 01:46 PM :laugh: yeah, i guess... they should add it here: http://www.oxymoronlist.com/
thepoohguy Posts: 114 Joined: 2006/09/26	2007/08/29, 02:11 PM So what about muscle weight? I've heard that muscle will weigh more after being exercised then after being at rest. Why is that? Oh and Charlie, I can't believe you never said anything about Andrew's squat post. I mean the title alone should get your attention for a comment:big_smile:
	2007/08/29, 02:15 PM Never heard the thing about muscle weighing more after exercise. Got a source I can read? I leave Big Andrew alone. He's about 7 feet tall and bench presses Toyotas. -------------- From aboard MV The Shop Johns Island Charlie
7707mutt Posts: 7,686 Joined: 2002/06/18	2007/08/29, 02:20 PM OH man I got coffee allover the place...thanks Matlock:big_smile: -------------- Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack! I wish everyone would get a partial amnesia and never use 'tone' ever again. (thanks Menance) 7707mutt@freetrainers.com
thepoohguy Posts: 114 Joined: 2006/09/26	2007/08/29, 02:23 PM No source. I heard it years ago. Probably some crap that just stuck with me over time. I did find this though that was very helpful... http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/scale.htm Toyotas, big deal, anyone can bench a foreign piece of crap.
	2007/08/29, 02:54 PM I think the muscle weighing more after exercise thing is BS and if not, very negligible. There really is good reason when people tell you to throw away your scale. Scales are notoriously inaccurate. Water weight variations confuse and discourage weight losers. It is very easy to lose inches and gain weight. That's confusing as well. The best indicator of success really is how your pants fit. No kidding. Take this to the bank. I rarely post anything serious anymore. But here I'm not joking. You will be happier measuring your results with a tape measure or your clothes and get a much more accurate idea of your progress. Vivisection is the only absolute foolproof method of measuring BF content and that's a little extreme except for hard cores like maybe Wrestler. The water tank method can be accurate but expensive. Calipers give a reasonable reading if the person doing it is knowledgeable. Online BF charting programs can be a good tracking method but aren't very accurate. They will help you log and chart progress though if you are honest with them. BF scales are total bullshit. I know bullshit because of my buddy in the picture. Plain scales are at the bottom of the useful chain. Always at your service Muttersnapper. -------------- From aboard MV The Shop Johns Island Charlie
tuin Posts: 80 Joined: 2005/03/02	2007/08/29, 03:38 PM :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: conclusion: throw away your scale :big_smile:
georgiagirl Posts: 421 Joined: 2006/07/11	2007/08/30, 04:00 PM ============ Quoting from charlie826: And....put down the bear when you weigh.:big_smile: ============= Ummm wouldnt the BEAR be putting him down instead? -------------- Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than exposure.---Helen Keller
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/08/31, 10:38 PM courtsey edit for Charlie: And..put down the beer when you weigh :D end edit... LMAO (atleast i think thats what he meant!?!?) -------------- There is no such thing as a set point. Im only set on getting past this point :)
thepoohguy Posts: 114 Joined: 2006/09/26	2007/09/01, 09:30 AM I think he meant bear as in Poohbear. Besides I don't drink.
Velasca Posts: 441 Joined: 2006/10/26	2007/09/01, 04:48 PM ahhh..makes sense now...thats why i should never post late.. lol
BILL06 Posts: 755 Joined: 2006/08/08	2007/09/03, 01:03 AM <----- Is the 12-16 ounce curling champion in new england :laugh: -------------- Get busy living or get busy dying. Rabula Tasa- Latin meaning Clean Slate
thepoohguy Posts: 114 Joined: 2006/09/26	2007/09/03, 09:33 AM I don't have a beer belly, it's more like a chicken graveyard!