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Most of us worry about some pounds gained and probable weight loss from time to time, and usually, this is very much related to the number we see on the scales.
Well, sometimes weight is truly just a number, and these strength training lovers will prove it to you. Compiled by Bored Panda, these before and after photos show that weighing yourself isn't always the best way to see whether or not you are actually getting a toned body, and you definitely don't need to starve yourself or go on a very strict diet to see the actual difference.
Even though these photos show that you can maintain your weight by weight lifting and some serious muscle gain and still look stunning, some people did choose the other path, and their results are inspiring nonetheless. Different physiques require different choices!
Scroll down to see how incredible these women look without losing a single pound, yet gaining incredible muscle tone!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
The Scale Doesn't Measure Sexy
#2
For Anyone Fretting Over “Holiday Weight” This Is Your Reminder To Screw The F***ing Scale!
#3
Nothing Quite Like A Reminder That Weight Can Be Deceiving, Age Means Nothing And Healthy Looks Different
#4
Pleaseeeeee Stop Getting Hung Up On The Number On The Stupid Scale! Please Stop Thinking Your Weight Equals Your Progress And For The Love Of Everything Please Stop Letting Yor Weight Have Any Affect Whatsoever On Your Self Esteem, Like I Used To
Louisa Johnson 6 years ago
I like how you can see from her smile in each photo that she becomes a more confident version of herself.
Donna O 6 years ago
I was just thinking the same. They're so low down that I can't see how they could even cover her bum properly!
Load More Replies...
Iris Jessup 2 months ago
Thank you for this post. It reminded me that I shouldn't judge my progress based on a number on the scale. Instead, I should look at the facts and how I feel.
Maggie Dougherty 6 years ago
WOW!!! I aspire to look like her! I went to the gym three or four times a week, and I got down to the middle pic, but it's so hard to keep off, and maintain!! I had a gym buddy, and to me, that makes a huge difference, and so much better, at least for me it did...Sigh!
Miguel Garcia 6 years ago
Ok, wait a minute, why is the bellybutton in a totally different place in the first one? Suspicious of photoshop job now.
Ameneh Sarbaziazad 3 years ago
I think that is because the camera’s angles are different in each photo.
Load More Replies... Miguel Garcia 6 years ago
The only difference I see is the thigh gap. Other than That, they all look the same.
#5
Same Weight - Different Year And Shape
#6
Stop Letting The Scale Determine Your Success - It’s Literally Just A Number!
Kirsten Miranda 6 years ago
For people confused, it's a loss of weight and gain of muscle mass (which is heavier than fat obviously)
#7
Throw Away The Scale!!!!!!!
#8
Now This Is A Very Common Question I Always Get Asked. “How Much Weight Have You Lost Since The Start Of Your Fitness Journey?!” Uhmmmm. The Truth Is That I Have Stayed Almost The Exact Same Weight As When I Started
#9
I Weighed Myself Today For The First Time In Forever...i’m Exactly The Same Weight As When I Started Last June!
#10
Age 26, 5'8'', 137 Lbs. My Weight Has Stayed Constant Since I Began Lifting
Niall Allen 6 years ago
Don't you find your quality of life is restricted with big black discs on your head? :p
#11
This Is A Little Reminder That Number On The Scale Is Just Number. Your Weight Doesn’t Equal Your Progress!
#12
Would You Care If Your Weight Stayed The Same, If Your Body Composition Completely Changed?
#13
And This Is Why The Scale Should Not Be The Main Measurement Of Progress Or Health. The Scale Does Not Differentiate Between Muscle, Fat, Water, And Organs
Beverly Smalls 6 years ago
Muscle weighs more than fat, hence, she loses Bodyfat through sweat and carbon dioxide, and gains lean mass in turn. :)
#14
Screw The Scale, Seriously.
#15
I Get Asked All The Time "How Much Do You Weigh?"
Bway_Gonnabe11 6 years ago
you look great, but that's still rude for people to ask that... I mean, come on. but great work, you look wonderful!
#16
It Was Never My Goal To Be Skinny
#17
Scales Versus Pictures
#18
By The Scales Standards And My Old Way Of Thinking, I'm Failing At This Weightloss Thing.
Lindsey LaMeyer 6 years ago
That's the kind of thinking they have on those weight loss shows like Biggest Loser. They dont have a clue how fitness works...they're so focused on the scale.
#19
Guess What, Exactly The Same Weight In Both!
#20
It's A Comparison Of Over A Year. This Transformation Could Be Done Within 3 Months
#21
In Both Of These Pictures I’m The Exact Same Weight, Normally I Would Be Devastated And Feel Like I’ve Failed. One Of The Biggest Things I’ve Achieved On This Challenge Is To Ditch The Scales And Learn To Feel And See The Changes I’m Making To My Body
#22
Some Things Change: 2014 And 2016
#23
I Feel Like I Haven’t Posted A Transformation In A While, So Here You Go! Same Weight And Such A Difference
#24
This Is My Proof That It's Not All About The Scale!
#25
Don't Be Fooled Or Ruled By The Number On The Scale!!!
#26
Same Weight But Different Body Fat!
Add New Image
What do you think ?
John L 6 years ago
BINGO!! This is not Rocket Science either. Muscle is much denser, and takes up less space. Why are people so surprised at this revelation? 00-banghea...083768.gif 
William Teach 6 years ago
OK, this is the type of post on weight that I love. People working to get healthy. Great job, ladies, and men.
JillVille Child Care 6 years ago
Great job ladies! The scale is very deceiving, if anyone asks how much you weigh, there's a simple answer: "One hundred and Sexy!"
mbergen 6 years ago
I was always told when you are dieting and/or working out (whether to lose weight or gain) never use a scale, use the mirror, mirrors never lie. Go by what your eye finds appealing not what a number says.
Tinpot 6 years ago
For me it was the way clothes fit. I lost 40lbs and then started working on muscle tone. I went from a size 12 to 4. Haven't stepped on a scale in a year and don't plan to any time soon. On the negative, when you do tone up you do notice every extra lb. No scale necessary.
Load More Replies...
stellermatt 6 years ago
so from my understanding, muscle weighs more than fat, but it's more condensed so takes up less space. I reckon if you compared waist size you'd see the difference, they all look great though (before AND after).
DannyG 6 years ago
muscle weights around 6 times more than fat in equal volume.
Load More Replies...
Carol Taylor 6 years ago
But have you noticed that all these chicks were skinny to begin with before they toned themselves, if I, who is actually obese, were to do the same thing the scales WOULD show that I'd lost a lot of weight before it started coming back on as muscle tone
Chuck Bartowski 6 years ago
You're absolutely right- results will vary. But I think the message here is to not just focus on weight, instead, focus on improving your health. Exercise, eat right, and don't worry about the stupid scale.
Load More Replies...
Anouk 6 years ago
Wow - this thread could not have come at a better time! Thank you!!!! I have been working really hard to lose weight and more importantly, tone and slim. I've not been doing it for very long but I have been careful with what I eat and doing a hard 90 minute workout every other day for the last 2 months. And I've been starting to get seriously disheartened because my weekly weight is just not changing. I have lost about 3lb in all that time. But.....I feel better...I can see my tummy starting to tighten, and I can feel my clothes getting looser. I just never realised exactly HOW much of a change there can be in your body shape, without actually changing your overall weight. This thread has made me realise that my weekly weigh-in is not the ultimate measurement of my progress. I honestly don't care how much I weigh, as long as I feel fit and healthy and can wear the clothes I like. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this has helped with my morale!
Tiffany Zhu 6 years ago
I have a flat stomach when I stand up straight and a considerably 'fat' stomach and double neck when I slouch. Fun fact, posture also changes everything.
John Smith 6 years ago
All of these comments; "don't care about the scale!" ...... yet they all obviously do, obsessively.
Jonathan Eatsalot 6 years ago
Your weight is IMPORTANT, not meaningless. Well intentioned slogan fails miserably.
Otis Spunkmeyer 6 years ago
Question about selfies: why is it common for the person to partially block their face w the phone, and why do a lot of people look at the phone instead of straight ahead (or the reflection of the lens in the mirror?)
Kacee Adler 6 years ago
They might not want to show their face. They look at the phone to see the exact image they're capturing.
Load More Replies...
Biljana Malesevic 6 years ago
Why are all of them women? Is it only important for women how do we look? Just be happy with what you have, if you want to work out, work out, if you don't enjoy without it. Life is short.
Akos Fellner 6 years ago
Agree. I see a lot of pretty women on streets but none of them are worked out. I think a lot of worked out women has many complexus about herself and there are a lot of men, who feels himself not enough masculim and starts to fun about worked out women. Such men yelling full the Internet with "the good woman is a worked out woman."
Load More Replies...
The Cappy 6 years ago
Weight most assuredly is not meaningless. It's just not the only thing to take into consideration.
mocochang 6 years ago
Exactly. This article is very misleading. Weight is for sure important, but it needs to be measured along with fat percentage, sizes and such to get a proper understanding of someone's health.
Load More Replies...
Monika Rhodes 6 years ago
The title seems to imply that you don't need to do anything and maby 'suk it in'. Muscles weigh more than fat that's why.
Captain Planet 6 years ago
This post seems to devalue the importance of having and wanting to get a healthy body. Seems like really bad advertising Boredpanda. But then again Boredpanda doesnt really have morals. They have revenue goals.
Captain Planet 6 years ago
People will rarely give you proper answers to this question. But the real solution is having a really LOW FAT percentage. It does not matter how many crunches you do. Even if you have insane belly muscles you won't see s**t if you have a layer of fat on it. The main reason you see abs on people is because first of all they have a really really low fat percentage. You don't even need that much muscle. If you have really low fat percentage you will see them. If you have alot of muscles and a layer of fat you won't.
Load More Replies...
Amina Hays 6 years ago
This confirms what I've been saying for years. Something that I'm amazed about, is the fact many people take BMI as gospel. They don't realise that muscle ways more than fat, so you could weigh more than before but that's due to losing fat and gaining muscle. I can't believe that it's still being used in the medical field to determine someone's ideal weight depending on their height. It's utter nonsense.
Amina Hays 6 years ago
Oh my god, I meant weighs, not ways! Cocking autocorrect!
Load More Replies...
James Campbell 3 months ago
I was 120KG at 5'8" and had to lose weight and go on a Diet. I am now 90KG and sick, tired and as weak as all hell.
Clare Valentine 3 months ago
I always say to anyone, whether they are trying to change their body or not; do not look at the scales but the image reflected in your mirror.
Kate Jones 3 months ago
So much photoshopping. There's no point in this article because so many of the "after" photos are altered.
Weight loss Results 5 years ago
join the weight loss inspiratio n page on instagram and our community will help you in weight loss https://www.instagram.com/weightlosssecret_1/
Denise Milward 6 years ago
My OH took control of his weight and body shape,and he calls these No Scales Victories. Don't worry about the numbers, it's the shape and tissue balance that matter the most.
Sam Leigh 6 years ago
Thank you for the posted pics - certainly are heaps people who have worked hard . From my personal experience I can tell you that If you like idea of losing weight & getting fit but maybe the bodies here look a little scary, you can still have a tight body & feel more energetic without the six pack and defined muscles. I did GYM & Aerobics (incl weight training) 3 times week for years plus a year or 2 of Personal Training & NEVER looked like these guys (they look great btw just wasn’t for me). Simple Fact - MUSCLE IS HEAVIER THAN FAT - that’s it. If you build even a tiny bit of muscle You Will Notice the difference in your body. Some light weights every week done correctly (slow methodical movements breathing correctly keeping yr stomach in & feet flat on floor eyes up etc - repeating each exercise 3 reps @ a time) will do it for you & Weigh training Increases your bone density as well - something we all need as we grow older.
d r e a m w o r l d 6 years ago
Remember, guys; when you say you wanna lose weight, you really wanna get rid of fat. Trash the scale.
Julien Chassard 6 years ago
We are talking about weight and muscles ? Men are not concerned about weight and muscles ? This kinf of publication serves only to strengthen the female ego, already well inflated. He does not talk about weight, he talks about the weight of women. The men are always judged very severely by these women who preach the acceptance of the body of his neighbor. There is hypocrisy in the air.
preben nielsen 6 years ago
Muscle waigh way more than fat but unfortunately some of these pictures show wrong (too low) weight for the before pictures.
Carol Pendrey 6 years ago
I weigh the same as I did 10 years ago - and I used to starve myself! Don't do that now, exercise 4 times a week and ear properly - you have to put the work in to get what you want!
Julie Lynn 6 years ago
I would like to say that reaching a better health goal for any person, is a feat many cannot stick to and follow up on. They all look wonderful . Congratulations to all for a happier and healthier life :) :)
Rainy Day Wolf 6 years ago
wow, looking at the comments people really have an issue with muscular women... wtf
Katinka Min 6 years ago
Hm. I find most of the before photos perfectly nice looking. Now, the athletic look ist way better than the bony one that prevailed for so many decades, but, still: We women are way too hard on ourselves.
Clara The Idiot 6 years ago
This is because muscle is denser than fat, when your clothes get tighter and you get stronger then you know you're doing well!!
David Cusick 6 years ago
I think these should be on the wall of every female public bathroom. Skinny is not fit. Thanks for publishing this
Echo 6 years ago
I can't be the only person who thinks that most of these people look strange in the after photo right? I understand they are more muscular, but their waists make them look strange, and in my mind not as attractive body wise. In the pictures with faces even their faces don't look at cute or nice. Maybe the pants make their waists look out of proportion? Just my thoughts while scrolling through.
anarkzie 6 years ago
It seems like you've judged the whole article on your misunderstanding of the title, which as a book reviewer would be like literally to judging a book by it's cover.
Load More Replies...
Molly Tallmadge 6 years ago
It's supposed to say: "It's not always weight you need to lose, sometimes you need to gain muscles"
Load More Replies...
Here to Troll 6 years ago
LOL if you spent much time exercising you'd know this is common, and definitely true. LOL again because it was that stupid.
Load More Replies...
Rafaella Bueno 6 years ago
It's not about that, it's about how so many people, specially women, focus too much on weight when trying to get fit when you shouldn't because as you lose fat, you gain muscle, and your body changes but the weight can stay the same or even increase. So the numbers don't matter, is what this post is about.
Load More Replies...
anarkzie 6 years ago
They don't and if they did the point they're making would still be valid, that weight alone does not mean you're not making any progress because Muscles weight more than fat.
Load More Replies... John L 6 years ago
BINGO!! This is not Rocket Science either. Muscle is much denser, and takes up less space. Why are people so surprised at this revelation? 00-banghea...083768.gif
William Teach 6 years ago
OK, this is the type of post on weight that I love. People working to get healthy. Great job, ladies, and men.
JillVille Child Care 6 years ago
Great job ladies! The scale is very deceiving, if anyone asks how much you weigh, there's a simple answer: "One hundred and Sexy!"
mbergen 6 years ago
I was always told when you are dieting and/or working out (whether to lose weight or gain) never use a scale, use the mirror, mirrors never lie. Go by what your eye finds appealing not what a number says.
Tinpot 6 years ago
For me it was the way clothes fit. I lost 40lbs and then started working on muscle tone. I went from a size 12 to 4. Haven't stepped on a scale in a year and don't plan to any time soon. On the negative, when you do tone up you do notice every extra lb. No scale necessary.
Load More Replies... stellermatt 6 years ago
so from my understanding, muscle weighs more than fat, but it's more condensed so takes up less space. I reckon if you compared waist size you'd see the difference, they all look great though (before AND after).
DannyG 6 years ago
muscle weights around 6 times more than fat in equal volume.
Load More Replies... Carol Taylor 6 years ago
But have you noticed that all these chicks were skinny to begin with before they toned themselves, if I, who is actually obese, were to do the same thing the scales WOULD show that I'd lost a lot of weight before it started coming back on as muscle tone
Chuck Bartowski 6 years ago
You're absolutely right- results will vary. But I think the message here is to not just focus on weight, instead, focus on improving your health. Exercise, eat right, and don't worry about the stupid scale.
Load More Replies... Anouk 6 years ago
Wow - this thread could not have come at a better time! Thank you!!!! I have been working really hard to lose weight and more importantly, tone and slim. I've not been doing it for very long but I have been careful with what I eat and doing a hard 90 minute workout every other day for the last 2 months. And I've been starting to get seriously disheartened because my weekly weight is just not changing. I have lost about 3lb in all that time. But.....I feel better...I can see my tummy starting to tighten, and I can feel my clothes getting looser. I just never realised exactly HOW much of a change there can be in your body shape, without actually changing your overall weight. This thread has made me realise that my weekly weigh-in is not the ultimate measurement of my progress. I honestly don't care how much I weigh, as long as I feel fit and healthy and can wear the clothes I like. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this has helped with my morale!
Tiffany Zhu 6 years ago
I have a flat stomach when I stand up straight and a considerably 'fat' stomach and double neck when I slouch. Fun fact, posture also changes everything.
John Smith 6 years ago
All of these comments; "don't care about the scale!" ...... yet they all obviously do, obsessively.
Jonathan Eatsalot 6 years ago
Your weight is IMPORTANT, not meaningless. Well intentioned slogan fails miserably.
Otis Spunkmeyer 6 years ago
Question about selfies: why is it common for the person to partially block their face w the phone, and why do a lot of people look at the phone instead of straight ahead (or the reflection of the lens in the mirror?)
Kacee Adler 6 years ago
They might not want to show their face. They look at the phone to see the exact image they're capturing.
Load More Replies... Biljana Malesevic 6 years ago
Why are all of them women? Is it only important for women how do we look? Just be happy with what you have, if you want to work out, work out, if you don't enjoy without it. Life is short.
Akos Fellner 6 years ago
Agree. I see a lot of pretty women on streets but none of them are worked out. I think a lot of worked out women has many complexus about herself and there are a lot of men, who feels himself not enough masculim and starts to fun about worked out women. Such men yelling full the Internet with "the good woman is a worked out woman."
Load More Replies... The Cappy 6 years ago
Weight most assuredly is not meaningless. It's just not the only thing to take into consideration.
mocochang 6 years ago
Exactly. This article is very misleading. Weight is for sure important, but it needs to be measured along with fat percentage, sizes and such to get a proper understanding of someone's health.
Load More Replies... Monika Rhodes 6 years ago
The title seems to imply that you don't need to do anything and maby 'suk it in'. Muscles weigh more than fat that's why.
Captain Planet 6 years ago
This post seems to devalue the importance of having and wanting to get a healthy body. Seems like really bad advertising Boredpanda. But then again Boredpanda doesnt really have morals. They have revenue goals.
Captain Planet 6 years ago
People will rarely give you proper answers to this question. But the real solution is having a really LOW FAT percentage. It does not matter how many crunches you do. Even if you have insane belly muscles you won't see s**t if you have a layer of fat on it. The main reason you see abs on people is because first of all they have a really really low fat percentage. You don't even need that much muscle. If you have really low fat percentage you will see them. If you have alot of muscles and a layer of fat you won't.
Load More Replies... Amina Hays 6 years ago
This confirms what I've been saying for years. Something that I'm amazed about, is the fact many people take BMI as gospel. They don't realise that muscle ways more than fat, so you could weigh more than before but that's due to losing fat and gaining muscle. I can't believe that it's still being used in the medical field to determine someone's ideal weight depending on their height. It's utter nonsense.
Amina Hays 6 years ago
Oh my god, I meant weighs, not ways! Cocking autocorrect!
Load More Replies... James Campbell 3 months ago
I was 120KG at 5'8" and had to lose weight and go on a Diet. I am now 90KG and sick, tired and as weak as all hell.
Clare Valentine 3 months ago
I always say to anyone, whether they are trying to change their body or not; do not look at the scales but the image reflected in your mirror.
Kate Jones 3 months ago
So much photoshopping. There's no point in this article because so many of the "after" photos are altered.
Weight loss Results 5 years ago
join the weight loss inspiratio n page on instagram and our community will help you in weight loss https://www.instagram.com/weightlosssecret_1/
Denise Milward 6 years ago
My OH took control of his weight and body shape,and he calls these No Scales Victories. Don't worry about the numbers, it's the shape and tissue balance that matter the most.
Sam Leigh 6 years ago
Thank you for the posted pics - certainly are heaps people who have worked hard . From my personal experience I can tell you that If you like idea of losing weight & getting fit but maybe the bodies here look a little scary, you can still have a tight body & feel more energetic without the six pack and defined muscles. I did GYM & Aerobics (incl weight training) 3 times week for years plus a year or 2 of Personal Training & NEVER looked like these guys (they look great btw just wasn’t for me). Simple Fact - MUSCLE IS HEAVIER THAN FAT - that’s it. If you build even a tiny bit of muscle You Will Notice the difference in your body. Some light weights every week done correctly (slow methodical movements breathing correctly keeping yr stomach in & feet flat on floor eyes up etc - repeating each exercise 3 reps @ a time) will do it for you & Weigh training Increases your bone density as well - something we all need as we grow older.
d r e a m w o r l d 6 years ago
Remember, guys; when you say you wanna lose weight, you really wanna get rid of fat. Trash the scale.
Julien Chassard 6 years ago
We are talking about weight and muscles ? Men are not concerned about weight and muscles ? This kinf of publication serves only to strengthen the female ego, already well inflated. He does not talk about weight, he talks about the weight of women. The men are always judged very severely by these women who preach the acceptance of the body of his neighbor. There is hypocrisy in the air.
preben nielsen 6 years ago
Muscle waigh way more than fat but unfortunately some of these pictures show wrong (too low) weight for the before pictures.
Carol Pendrey 6 years ago
I weigh the same as I did 10 years ago - and I used to starve myself! Don't do that now, exercise 4 times a week and ear properly - you have to put the work in to get what you want!
Julie Lynn 6 years ago
I would like to say that reaching a better health goal for any person, is a feat many cannot stick to and follow up on. They all look wonderful . Congratulations to all for a happier and healthier life :) :)
Rainy Day Wolf 6 years ago
wow, looking at the comments people really have an issue with muscular women... wtf
Katinka Min 6 years ago
Hm. I find most of the before photos perfectly nice looking. Now, the athletic look ist way better than the bony one that prevailed for so many decades, but, still: We women are way too hard on ourselves.
Clara The Idiot 6 years ago
This is because muscle is denser than fat, when your clothes get tighter and you get stronger then you know you're doing well!!
David Cusick 6 years ago
I think these should be on the wall of every female public bathroom. Skinny is not fit. Thanks for publishing this
Echo 6 years ago
I can't be the only person who thinks that most of these people look strange in the after photo right? I understand they are more muscular, but their waists make them look strange, and in my mind not as attractive body wise. In the pictures with faces even their faces don't look at cute or nice. Maybe the pants make their waists look out of proportion? Just my thoughts while scrolling through.
anarkzie 6 years ago
It seems like you've judged the whole article on your misunderstanding of the title, which as a book reviewer would be like literally to judging a book by it's cover.
Load More Replies... Molly Tallmadge 6 years ago
It's supposed to say: "It's not always weight you need to lose, sometimes you need to gain muscles"
Load More Replies... Here to Troll 6 years ago
LOL if you spent much time exercising you'd know this is common, and definitely true. LOL again because it was that stupid.
Load More Replies... Rafaella Bueno 6 years ago
It's not about that, it's about how so many people, specially women, focus too much on weight when trying to get fit when you shouldn't because as you lose fat, you gain muscle, and your body changes but the weight can stay the same or even increase. So the numbers don't matter, is what this post is about.
Load More Replies... anarkzie 6 years ago
They don't and if they did the point they're making would still be valid, that weight alone does not mean you're not making any progress because Muscles weight more than fat.
Load More Replies...
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