First PT session got me feeling down :(

Well, I'm not quite sure where to post this but I needed to get it out, so thanks in advance for listening. 

I just had my first personal training session this morning and you know, before I got on the super-high-tech-scale they had at the gym to evaluate me, I was feeling great!! I had woken up earlier this morning to find out that I lost another pound this week and last night I could finally see my shoulder blades whenever I lifted my arms up. So yeah, I was REAL happy. Then I got on the scale.

I am 22 years old, 5 feet 1 and weigh 140lbs. I found out today that despite losing 35lbs since October, I had 41% body fat and that my lousy analog scale at home is off by four pounds which means to say I actually weigh 144lbs. :( My PT then pointed out that based on BF alone, I was categorized under "obese". 

That got me feeling really down. I've worked so hard and have been really good the past four months and I was really happy to climb out of having a BMI 33 of being "obese" to 26 of being "slightly overweight" and now I find out that I'm STILL obese. It's just really disheartening and while not really demotivating, it's just a little depressing. My target is only 30 pounds away (110lbs) and I can't seem to climb out of this obesity thing.

I tried to look at it in the positive way...I tried to tell myself that hey, at least now I know my TRUE WEIGHT (and that I need to throw out that lousy one at home) and now I know how much BF I have, how much worse it would've been if I had NOT yet lost the 35 pounds, yadda yadda.

So why aren't I feeling cheered up? Sigh. Why can't I seem to handle this setback very well? argh!

DON'T consider this a setback...you're just a little bit further behind what you thought you were, so of course it's a little discouraging. But you have made TONS of progress! Imagine what you bodyfat percentage was when you were at your highest weight! You singlehandedly slashed that!

Now- I was 140 and 5'2 which felt like a great accomplishment (and hey it was!) but I just didn't feel like I looked my best yet. When I took measures to reduce my body fat and increse my muscle mass, my weight loss really took off! I never thought I would get under 130 but it happened, and it will if you keep on pushing, ESPECIALLY with a proper weight training regimen! I have a normal BMI now, I never thought that would happen, honestly.

You are at the perfect place to start chiseling out the body you want for yourself! We short girls have it hard, we have to work twice as hard to fit into the silly categories they've built for us...

Don't get hung up on the "numbers" so much and take a closer look at how you feel and how your clothes fit! Scales can be quite evil. For me, today is exactly one month since I started counting and I'm up 3 pounds from when I started!! BUT...my clothes fit much better and I have tons more energy. So don't get down about a few numbers on the scale. Also, BMI can be misleading. Did you know many bodybuilders are also considered "obese" by their BMI number? It is a loose calculation and should not make you feel like you are in one category vs. another. Focus on your long term goals and health and don't give up! You lost 35lbs and that is a great accomplishment! While you should definitely monitor your weight as part of an overall plan, don't get frustrated if you see these numbers fluctuate up and down. It happens to A LOT of people! Keep in mind when you start lifting weights you may gain a few more pounds of muscle, but you will see your fat percentage decrease. Keep pushing forward and you will get there!

Original Post by themeofpaganini:

Well, I'm not quite sure where to post this but I needed to get it out, so thanks in advance for listening.

I just had my first personal training session this morning and you know, before I got on the super-high-tech-scale they had at the gym to evaluate me, I was feeling great!! I had woken up earlier this morning to find out that I lost another pound this week and last night I could finally see my shoulder blades whenever I lifted my arms up. So yeah, I was REAL happy. Then I got on the scale.

I am 22 years old, 5 feet 1 and weigh 140lbs. I found out today that despite losing 35lbs since October, I had 41% body fat and that my lousy analog scale at home is off by four pounds which means to say I actually weigh 144lbs. :( My PT then pointed out that based on BF alone, I was categorized under "obese". I'd look for a new pt!! That is not encouraging, not at all.

I had the same thing happen at my gym. My bodyfat count was higher than I thought. Mine was 30.5, and I thought I'd be down ariound 22. Boy was I upset. I had to let go of the numbers thing, too. I don't even own a scale. I did suffer from anorexia/bulimia. It was almost 19 years back, however, the toughts stay with. I choose not to act upon these thoughts. One way by not owning a scale and putting myself through all that.  I'm 5'3" am 53 years old and weigh, at last count still 132!  I'm not even losing.  I don't feel like I've lost and won't go near a scale for some time to come.  That is how I cope!

Keep on keeping on!!

That got me feeling really down. I've worked so hard and have been really good the past four months and I was really happy to climb out of having a BMI 33 of being "obese" to 26 of being "slightly overweight" and now I find out that I'm STILL obese. It's just really disheartening and while not really demotivating, it's just a little depressing. My target is only 30 pounds away (110lbs) and I can't seem to climb out of this obesity thing.

I tried to look at it in the positive way...I tried to tell myself that hey, at least now I know my TRUE WEIGHT (and that I need to throw out that lousy one at home) and now I know how much BF I have, how much worse it would've been if I had NOT yet lost the 35 pounds, yadda yadda.

So why aren't I feeling cheered up? Sigh. Why can't I seem to handle this setback very well? argh!

 

Hey, look at it this way.  Maybe their scales are off!  And you really are a gorgeous 140!!

If not, don't be discouraged.  It sucks to find out you weigh more than you thought you did.

But, you are doing awesome!  Most people don't even bother to care about being at a healthy weight.  You are on the right path to becoming healthy.  You've been working out and eating healthy.  And you've even already lost some weight.  Don't pysch yourself out now. 

Be encouraged!

 

the initial numbers are scary! i was 37% body fat. I am so anxious to redo the numbers again in a couple weeks and see the progress i made. use it as motivation to work your butt off w/ the trainer and cahnge those numbers!

You know... you felt great about yourself until you saw the trainer - it doesn't sound like they were doing their job very well - you're paying them to ENCOURAGE you, not to make you feel like crap because you're not perfect (if you were perfect you wouldn't NEED a personal trainer!). I'd be saying 'thanks but no thanks' and trying someone different.

double post

I haven't had the chance to check back and wow, so many replies! Thank you so much everyone for the encouragement and kind words. It really made me feel so much better and I DO feel better after the initial disappointment and revelation has gone. I just came back from an intense workout and now I think of it as..."hmm good, gotta get that bodyfat down!" 

@oneis2many : I wish I could let go of numbers so easily...I'm really ruled by the scale, it's my primary source of monitoring myself. It'll be hard (though not impossible) to regard the scale's addictive powers ;) Also, I guess the PT was just doing her job and telling me facts as it is: facts. I'd rather not sugar coat it of course, that would be much worse. I wouldn't know how else she could have said what she said in a less discouraging way though.

@kajikit : I WISH I was paying for a PT!! Fact is that I get 4 PT sessions free when I signed up for the gym and now I'm taking advantage of it. My next session is with her this Friday, hopefully things will be better than the first.

Thank you so much again everyone. You're all sooooo kind. :D 

What kind of equipment was your gym using? It may not be that accurate. I just went to a PT session 2 weeks ago (even though I am not new to working out but I needed to psych myself up) and the trainer admitted to me that the electronic body fat percentage machine is not that accurate and can be up to 3 percentage points off...that is a lot! The first time it told me mine was 29%. Now that is almost obese and I am 5'6" and my weight then was 134 pounds. I have a lot of muscle so that thing is crazy. Immediately afterwards it read 23%, which I still think is high. The calipers are much more accurate and when I asked him to use those instead, he refused...I'm thinking about just buying a pair for myself for $12!!

I really believe that when you go in for your "free" sessions they try to make you feel awful and give an extremly high bf #-  I went through it, and although I am not thin and in shape as I should be (an I know it), but I am not obese and they tried pulling that on me- trying to convince me to sign up.... For a physiology class that I was in at the time, we got to go to the lab and have our bf measured on a scan, it came out to 15% less than what the trainer told me- still too high, but you know.... and tried to feed me a lot of other BS (like that I at 5'6 should weigh closer to 115 lbs, which trust me, not good for me)

Remember- the purpose of the free sessions is for them to sell it to you so that you will keep coming back and pay them- so take advantage and learn some things, but don't let it get you down on yourself with the obesity marks....