Why do I weigh more than I look

Why Am I Heavier Than I Look?

Youre killing it on the treadmill, mixing it up with some strength training, eating more of the right foods and less of the wrong ones, and staying honest by tracking your meals and workouts. In some ways, all your hard work is paying off. You feel stronger and slimmer. Muscles that have been MIA for ages are finally peeking out, creating new definition in your arms, legs and abs. Maybe your energy is soaring, allowing you to accomplish more than ever before (and have more fun doing it!). Your clothes are fitting a little better, and overall, you like what you see in the mirror. So why is the number on the scale higher than youd expect? In short, you're heavier than you look. You're not alone. Plenty of people are baffled by what seems like a disconnect between the number on the scale and the image in the mirror.

Is Strength Training Making You Heavier?

If you've recently started dipping your toe (or your triceps) into strength training, that could have something to do with the discrepancy between the scale and the mirror. While it's a myth that muscle weighs more than fatafter all, a pound is a poundit is denser, which means it takes up less space in the body. This may explain why you look slimmer but the scale hasn't budged.

Water weight could also be a factor, according to strength and conditioning coach

Brandon Mentore

. After physical activitystrength training in particular

water retention is activated to compensate for what has been lost through exertion and sweating

. "In combination with the muscles uptake of water during training, this can cause you to weigh a couple pounds more post-exercise," Mentore explains. "The more intense or strenuous the exercise, the more pronounced the effect can be."

Fitness trainer

Alex Haschen

has seen a lot of his clients struggle with this at the outset of an exercise program, as they tend to want to quantify all their hard work by seeing a certain number on the scale. "Generally speaking, most people looking to get in shape are referring to losing weight," Haschen says. "When the scale shows a smaller number, they consider that an accomplishment, and it is, but the scale is far from the only way to measure healthy successes."

How to Measure Progress off the Scale

According to Haschen, the best way to gauge progress in the gym is to monitor your body fat percentage (BFP). "Lowering your BFP not only helps you get the physique you desire, but it also drastically improves your overall health," he says. There are many different ways to measure your body fat percentage, some more accurate than others, but as long as you use the same method consistently you can get an idea of your progress.

Tyler Spraul, a trainer with

Exercise.com

, recommends taking periodic progress photos as a visual record of the changes to your body. "Even if the scale isn't budging, you will be able to see some changes happening that you probably would not notice if you didn't have a record," he says. "There's so much going on when you start to strength train, including building up of muscle tissue, strengthening and reinforcing bones and connective tissueall kinds of positive growth that is paving the way to a stronger version of you."

If progress photos arent your cup of team, there are plenty of other ways to measure progress off the scale:

• Try on the same pair of pants each week to see if theyre fitting you differently
• Use measuring tape to determine inches lost
• Monitor your cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides and/or thyroid levels
• Pay attention to how you feelyour energy level, confidence and overall wellness
• Focus on new things you can do that you couldnt before, like pushups, pull-ups or running a mile

If you find yourself frustrated by a number that doesnt seem to represent what you see in the mirror, resist the urge to move on to the next diet, workout or cleanse. Next time you start to wonder, "Why am I heavier than I look?", remember that your health, strength and self-worth are about much more than whats on the scale display.

Thread: I weight A LOT more than I look

Okay, so I weight a lot more than I look and it's kind of getting on my nerves.

What is wrong with me?? I don't know how this is possible. But many people think I weight a llllot less than I actually do! (Family and friends think I'm around 150 ish) I wear a size 8 too btw.

Lastest case of this was the other day. I was at the gym the other day talking to one of the trainers. She was asking me what my goals were and I told her I want to lose weight and tone. I told her I wanted to reach my goal weight in amount 4 months but I wasn't too concerned about the number. She asked what my goal weight was and I said about 125 pounds, she smiled and said that would be so easy for me and I could achieve it in a lot less time than 4 months. I said, "really..?" She then asked me how much I currently weigh. I asked her to take a guess and be honest. She looked me up, down and around for a while before guessing. She said, "around 150 pounds, 152 max," I laughed and said, "really? That is not even close." And she asked me to clarify. When I told her my actual weight (187 pounds) she didn't believe me, at all and thought I was joking. She then made me step on about 8 scales because she still didnt believe me. Then she called another trainer over and asked him to guess my weight. He guessed the exact same thing! then the female trainer dramatically yelled, " NO SHES 187" so loud, I swear the entire gym heard! Lol... Anyways they told me that I don't look anywhere near my weight and that I needed to change my goal weight or I'll be way too skinny. They said that my goal weight should be around 160 and I would look slim and toned at that weight.

Should I change my goal weight?

Why do I look so much less than I weigh? Btw the body fat % on my profile is just an estimate. I haven't had it tested. I don't know what to do now.

Why Do I Weigh More Than I Look

There are many reasons why someone who appears to be a smaller size might actually weigh more. Its confusing, but there are lots of factors in this world that can lead to this result. Whether youre a larger size or not, healthy is a broad word with many interpretations. Theres no one perfect way to be healthy and look the part, but with some adjustments and lifestyle changes, you can feel better about your body and know that you are making smarter choices for your long-term health. Lets break down everything you need to know about weighing more than you look.

Why Do I Weigh More Than I Look?

The first thing to understand is that your weight is not the same as your body fat. Its important to remember that your weight is the total amount of matter that you are made up of. Your body fat is a measurement of how much fat you have stored in your body and it can help you determine if you are at a healthy weight for your height and frame. If you weigh more than what your body fat measurement says, then you might be carrying excess weight around on your frame. This can lead to obesity, which has an increased risk for many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

5 Things How Does Your Height Affects Your Weight?

• Your height and weight are not correlated. At first glance, it may seem that the two are related, but theyre not. If youre a tall woman, you might have a higher BMI than someone who is shorter, but its not necessarily because of weight. Its because your body is better at storing fat as you age and your BMI will increase as well.
• Weighing more doesnt necessarily mean that youre carrying more fat. While the scale can be a quick way to see if there is an issue with your weight, it can be misleading. The scale only measures what you weigh and doesnt account for the percentage of fat in your body. It might seem like theres more fat on your frame than someone who weighs less, but this could simply be because they have less muscle mass to carry around their frame; they may also have less body hair to hold onto extra calories as well!
• Weighing more doesnt automatically mean that youre overweight. If youre a larger size, its important to weigh yourself in a way that accounts for body fat percentage and BMI. If you use the bathroom scale, ensure that you place a piece of paper underneath before you step on it for stability. The scale will only show your weight so dont get hung up on the numbers!
• Being heavier doesnt mean that you should pack on the pounds with food or drink calories. Although its tempting to gain weight when you look like your size, this is not always healthy for your body or your health overall. It can be easy to overeat when there is no reason to be eating more calories than what is considered healthy for someone who weighs less than what they look like. There are many reasons why someone who appears to be a smaller weight is the same size, but this isnt necessarily true.
• Weighing more doesnt always mean that youre carrying more fat. The scale can be an inaccurate measure of whats going on in your body because it only measures your weight and not how much fat you have. If you weigh more than youre supposed to, it could mean that your body is storing fat instead of using it as energy and that youre actually looking better than what your scale says. In fact, if youre weighing more than whats healthy for your height, then theres a good chance that youre doing everything right but still arent seeing results.

Healthier Choices To Help You Feel Better Now

1. weight is lower, but its not necessarily the case. You can be a larger size but still have a low body fat percentage.
2. You might be carrying more fat than you think! Its important to understand that your BMI is only a measurement of your weight and height and not an accurate reflection of how much fat you have stored in your body. As mentioned above, this is why BMI isnt always an accurate measurement because it doesnt account for the percentage of body fat you are carrying around. If youre a larger size and weigh more than what your BMI says then there could be other circumstances at play that could result in this outcome.
3. Its okay to weigh more than what your scale says! Even if you are a larger-sized woman, its okay to weigh more than what the scale says because it doesnt mean that there is extra fat on your frame! If you have excess weight one weight is the same, but theres no correlation between body fat and weight.
4. Youre not as healthy if you weigh more than what your body fat percentage says. Its important to remember that we can only see our weight on the scale, but there are other factors that affect our health and fitness levels including how much muscle mass we have, how much water we have stored in our bodies, and even how many calories we are eating each day.
5. Youre at a higher risk of developing heart disease and other diseases if you weigh more than what your body fat percentage says. The risk for heart disease is increased when someone has an excess amount of abdominal fat (around the midsection) and this type of fat is also associated with an increased risk for diabetes. If youre carrying around extra weight around the midsection, you might be at a higher risk for developing heart disease or diabetes over time as well as having difficulty losing weight, but that doesnt mean theres more fat on your frame.
6. Its possible to be too thin. If you look at the number on the scale and youre worried about it, dont sweat it! It could take a while for your body to adjust to a healthy weight, so dont beat yourself up if it takes some time to figure out what is right for you.
7. Weight loss can happen in different ways! Weight loss is not always about losing fat from the body. Instead of focusing on how much weight you weigh or how much fat you have, focus on what behaviors lead to better health and wellness. This includes eating healthy foods that are full of nutrients and exercising regularly throughout the day, even if its just 10 minutes of walking or yoga every day! You can find all kinds of free workout programs online that are tailored to fit your schedule and goals!
8. Your weight might be higher than you think, even if your BMI is low. You might be exactly at the target weight for your BMI, but your weight can still be higher than you think because of all the water in your body. Water is a very dense and heavy substance, so it will add up quickly. If youre carrying a lot of water around with you, then the scale will register more on the scale than it should.

Conclusion

The number on the scale isnt a curse word. Its an indication of how much you weigh right now. By making healthier choices, you can get it lower than it currently is. For many people, the number on the scale will change over time. You might weigh more than you look now, but you can change that. If you are happy with your health and the way you look, then dont stress about the number on the scale.