Losing inches instead of lbs. even though not much exercise?

sroseber

I understand that when you workout you build muscle and muscle weighs more than fat so a person could lose inches and not lbs or inches faster than lbs. Thing is I didn't measure when I started this and keep forgetting to do it since starting. But this weekend I got into a size 12 jeans instead of the 14s I'd been wearing and today they are feeling a little loose (very little but I notice it when standing that I keep pulling them up). Now they are a different brand of jeans than the 14s and most likely a "stretch" jean as I think most of them are any more, so could have stretched a little from wearing them (I usually wear them a couple days before washing unless I get something on them.) I'm only down 4 lbs since starting MFP this time around and the scale has been hovering the last several days/week between 168 and 167.4 just keeps going back and forth. I work a desk job but I pretty much run around non-stop in the evenings (with a husband, 2 kids, a dog and a garden to tend to, not to mention the housework I have too much to do when I get home to sit down) but I don't "workout". I walk my dog or tend to my garden but I don't go to the gym or do DVDs or even use my elliptical machine I have in the dining room. Could I really be losing inches instead of lbs even though I'm not doing crunches or weights or major workouts? Seems odd to me but while I want to be a little frustrated with the scale not moving, getting out of size 14s seems like a success and I am both happy and proud of that so I posted this in the success stories for that reason. I'm going to try to remember next Sunday (my next official weigh-in) to take my measurements too so I can start keeping track of those too, if I'd done that to start with then I'd know the answer to my question now.

KatieM7

Yes you can lose inches without working out. MFP is set up for you to already have a deficit so it is quite possible for that to be happening. Also I wouldn't call walking a dog and gardening no exercise (of course depends on the gardening). Great job on the inches!

hiddensecant

Of course it's possible ... you're just a little luckier than others. I think I'm a little jealous :laugh:.

aippolito1

Even if you're not building muscle (which you could be anyway with gardening, if you're carrying kids, or lifting heavy groceries, etc. often), you have lost 4 lbs and if you're losing FAT, that makes you smaller because fat takes up a LOT of space. :happy: Keep doing what you're doing. If you can fit in a work out (even a 30 minute walk a few times per week) you could get your fat burn up and really lose inches!

fitandhealthy

Don't get frustrated with the scale because it really doesn't tell the whole story. The true success measurement is how you look/feel, and how your clothes fit! Your measurements and clothes sizes are a better way of knowing if what you are doing is really working. You've heard the "muscle weighs more than fat" theory, I'm sure. Good job!

Syreeta6

I'd rather lose inches than pounds any day! This is not a bad thing.

sroseber

Ok, so I still haven't measured but I'm pretty sure it was the brand of jeans being different that made the difference. Because I found a pair of size 12 jeans in the same brand as the 14s in my closet this morning and they definitely did not fit! And that's after me being sick all day yesterday and losing 4 lbs! Oh well, at least I know my scale will move and it's not broken :laugh: I will get there, don't know if that 4 lbs will stay off once I'm back to feeling like eating again but I hope I don't gain it all back. It's nice seeing that 8 lbs on my ticker and being so close to double digits!