14 weeks, four lifts a week, and the tape is beating the scale

Saturday at 9:22 PM

Started in mid-February mostly because my bloodwork was trending the wrong way and I was getting winded on stairs. I'm 41, lift four days a week (upper/lower split), and I've held protein around 170g a day for 13 of those 14 weeks — that's the habit I'm actually proud of.

The scale is the annoying part. Down about 9 lbs in 14 weeks. Slow. But my waist is down 3.5 inches and I went from a 36 to a 33 in jeans. Squat and row working weights are both up, and I'm not cooked by the end of sessions the way I used to be. Sleep is the thing I've had to fight for; 7 hours minimum or the next day's session feels like garbage.

I'm not chasing shortcuts and I'm not expecting 2 lbs a week. What I'm trying to figure out is the mental game when the scale sits still for three weeks while measurements keep moving. Do you hold intake steady and trust the tape, or do you change something just to feel like you're doing something? Trying to stay patient over here.

👍 4

Monday at 10:47 PM

Nine pounds in 14 weeks with four lifts and 170g protein is not slow — that's ~0.6 lb/week, and the tape usually tells the better story early on. I'm a daily weigher too, but I only make decisions off my 7-day average, not the morning number. One concrete thing that helped: I log waist at navel + 7-day scale avg + one key lift (e.g., squat top set) in

👍 2

Yesterday at 8:14 AM

Honestly, welcome from another week-one person — this is oddly motivating. When you say the tape is beating the scale, which spots moved first for you? I’ve started a note with waist at navel, hips, chest, and one thigh, but I’m already second-guessing whether to measure flexed or relaxed arms. Also, do you measure at the same time of day? I’m trying to keep it simple: once a week, same morning, photos in the same mirror/lighting. Any one tracking habit that kept you from getting discouraged on the slow scale weeks? Thanks, and congrats on the protein streak — that consistency is impressive.

👍 4 ❤️ 2

Yesterday at 1:44 PM

What’s the actual waist delta? Tape only counts if standardized: morning, fasted, same landmarks—umbilicus and iliac crest. If waist is dropping while scale is slow and your squat/row are stable or up, that’s favorable partitioning, not failure. 9 lb in 14 weeks is ~0.64 lb/wk; at 41, lifting 4x, 170g protein, water/glycogen noise can mask fat loss. I’d track a 7-day weight average and waist-to-height every 2 weeks. Are your main lifts progressing? That tells you whether this is recomp or an overly aggressive deficit.

👍 3 ❤️ 1

Yesterday at 9:19 PM

Hey, the tape thing is real. I’m in a small town too, and our pharmacy has that old balanced scale by the consultation window — I started weighing there once a month, same time, same boots, because my bathroom floor is so uneven it lies by two pounds. The numbers that changed first for me were waist at the navel and upper arm, not the scale. I keep a cheap fabric tape in the kitchen drawer and measure first thing Monday before coffee. Are you tracking the same spots each time? If so, what’s moved the most — waist, hips, or thighs?

👍 5 ❤️ 2