All Of That And Only Four Pounds?!

Matiara

I apologize in advance for being technologically illiterate when it comes to posting photos. I do not know how and will do my best to describe my circumstances.

I weighed myself this morning for the first time since I got back on the exercise wagon on 4/23. I normally don't because even though I know that inches, the way my clothes fit, and the positive physical changes that I see are more important than the number, it plays games with my head. However, I've seen so many changes in the aforementioned categories that I was curious to know how much I'd lost.

I'm 5'11" and was 193 pounds when I started. I do 20-45 minutes of Turbo Jam/Fire 6X per week and I do bodyweight to moderately weighted resistance work 6X per week. I don't work out more than one hour per day. I don't track my food here, but I keep a log at home and I net around 1800 calories per day on average.

Since April, I have seen several indicators that I'm getting smaller. I bought a pair of size 12 jeans in March that were tight on me. By mid May, I had to buy a belt to stop them from falling low and now I have to take the belt in three notches. I'll probably need a new pair altogether soon. In April, I could not get my size 10 shorts past my thighs, but now I can get them zipped and buttoned. I've had to replace a couple of my tops because they got too big and my back fat has noticeably diminished.

I'm also seeing a lot more definition. When I started, I could not see my thigh muscles, but now I can see the line of demarkation between my quads and hamstrings on my inner and outer thighs even when my legs are relaxed. I can see my abs through the pudge. In April, I could only see my upper obliques, but now, I can see them all the way to my lower belly. I even have a two pack first thing in the morning. With all of this, I thought that I had lost at least 7-10 pounds.

I was suprised when I weighed this morning and I was at 189. Can four pounds really make that much of a difference?

Full disclosure, I upped the ante in a couple of workouts this week. I have some soreness in my glutes and hamstrings and my triceps are wicked sore. Also, it's lady time in a few days as well and I'm on notch two of my belt today instead of notch three. Perhaps my seven pound guess is accurate and I'm carrying a bit of water weight due to these two factors?

I'm happy that I have a loss, but I'm just amazed at such big changes with such a small number. At least my bug could crawl a little to the right on my ticker.

I_Will_End_You

Also, it's lady time in a few days as well and I'm on notch two of my belt today instead of notch three. Perhaps my seven pound guess is accurate and I'm carrying a bit of water weight due to these two factors?

This could very well be. Maybe weigh again when you get off of your period. You also said you intensified your workouts this week, your muscles could be retaining more water due to that.

Francl27

Pretty much why I weigh more often than that... it's disheartening to say the least to weigh yourself once in a while and not lose weight, when really, you probably did but you're retaining water that day.

For what it's worth, I don't even weigh myself in the 2 weeks before my period anymore.

KGill67

Congrats to you for all your progress! I guess it goes to prove that, say, 15 pounds of muscle looks very different from 15 pounds of flab! If you'd lost four pounds through calorie-cutting alone, I bet you wouldn't see or feel any difference, but you've got some hard-won muscles there now. Impressive!

Squamation

It sounds like you've been seeing fantastic results so I'm not sure why you're letting the 4lb weight loss get to you.

I'm down 2 sizes in clothing and have lost 0 lbs (not kidding) but I don't care if I stay this weight for the rest of my life- as long as I continue to tighten up vs being squishy I'm happy.

I would guess you've been adding muscle while losing fat, which doesn't show up on the scale. Focus on the positive- what you're doing is working. Try taking measurements and track your progress that way vs. weighing in.

Keep up the amazing work and don't allow the numbers on the scale to bother you.

Melissa11412

this is exactly why i threw my scale outttttttttttttttttttttttt and go by clothes/tape measure/pics

the clothes aren't lying, you have 12's that were tight, now you're needing a belt to hold them up

you couldn't get into 10's, now they're going on AND you can button/zip them

you're having to buy smaller tops because the back fat is goin' BYE BYE

whatever you're doing is WORKING. keep it up!!!

cmay89

and boy what a difference a day makes when it's lady time. Yesterday, I was 178 in the morning. Today, I was 173. Same scale same time of day.

Sounds like you're doing very well, you just caught yourself on a bad day weight-wise. Keep going by your clothing results because they sound awesome!!

crystal8208

Congrats to you for all your progress! I guess it goes to prove that, say, 15 pounds of muscle looks very different from 15 pounds of flab! If you'd lost four pounds through calorie-cutting alone, I bet you wouldn't see or feel any difference, but you've got some hard-won muscles there now. Impressive!

This!!! I would kill for a size 10! No one knows that scale number except you and your doctor. So, enjoy those smaller clothes. That's what everyone sees, a smaller, leaner you! :flowerforyou:

BITEME_GRRR

Thats awesome!!!! Who cares about Weight? Weight is totally insignificant. I threw out my scale about two years ago - i go by how i look feel and the measure of my performance (like can I run a 6 minute mile, etc)...
Work on those things. You are seeing the results, right?
Good job on all the hard work and keep it going.

Don't weight yourself because the scale doesnt measure body fat, performance, looks or even confidence ))
Trust me..

Badjinn

Did 8week boot camp. Scale didnt budge but loss dress size and over 1% body fat. You've done an awesome job. Keep it up.

born2drum

You're already doomed if you eat back your calories but don't track what you eat. Trust me, writing down everthing is a start but weighing all foods is way more important. Invest in a scale. You won't regret it.

Also, you should have lost more than that since April. I'm at 195.5 (weighed last night) right now and weighing in tmrw and hope to be at 194.25 tmrw morning on an emptystomach.

Plus, you don't burn that many calories doing bodyweight exercises. You need to step it up a notch.

seliinac

I've lost 10 pounds but haven't lost many inches. I would rather look thinner than the scale say I'm lighter, wouldn't you?

Tobi1013

You're already doomed if you eat back your calories but don't track what you eat. Trust me, writing down everthing is a start but weighing all foods is way more important. Invest in a scale. You won't regret it.

Also, you should have lost more than that since April. I'm at 195.5 (weighed last night) right now and weighing in tmrw and hope to be at 194.25 tmrw morning on an emptystomach.

Plus, you don't burn that many calories doing bodyweight exercises. You need to step it up a notch.

Well, aren't you a peach?

OP - The scale can be a deceitful SOB. It sounds like you are doing all the right things!!! Keep up the great work and celebrate those lost inches with some new jeans!!

Diggedydog

I have the same problem. I started at over 300 pounds and in the last six months I have lost 12 pounds. I weigh in once a week. It is frustrating BUT I had to take in three pairs of pants and I have lost half an inch on each bicep. Focus on how you feel and how you look. Don't let a number wreck your day. Your size changes and noticable muscle definition are awesome!! Keep up the good work. :flowerforyou:

ritchiedrama

born2drum is right in saying not to eat back exercise calories.

lngman

As others have said, you may have traded fat for muscle. That's great progress. How your clothes fit tells more than your scale. And don't forget that many home scales are notoriously inaccurate...or if you weighed yourself on different scales that may be part of the issue.

nomeejerome

You're already doomed if you eat back your calories but don't track what you eat. Trust me, writing down everthing is a start but weighing all foods is way more important. Invest in a scale. You won't regret it.

Also, you should have lost more than that since April. I'm at 195.5 (weighed last night) right now and weighing in tmrw and hope to be at 194.25 tmrw morning on an emptystomach.

Plus, you don't burn that many calories doing bodyweight exercises. You need to step it up a notch.

And you are a dude who may be confused by the weight fluctuations of a woman during the time of the month. She is seeing results, so obviously something is working for her. In addition, she also stated that she had an intense workout with soreness, so there could be additional water retention. Yes, tracking is important and I agree that weighing foods is the most accurate approach. However, she is seeing results and is confused by the actual number of pounds lost versus the effort etc. It is possible the number she is seeing is masked by time of the month and additional exercise.

bubblygoldfish

Keep up the hard work.... the exercise is paying off!

Matiara

Thanks to all of the supportive replies.

To clarify, I am not unhappy about. It's not bothering me. I'm analytical and I'm simply perplexed because I can't wrap the my mind around the differences I'm seeing and feeling being only a four pounds' difference on the scale. I don't care about the scale number if my results keep going in the direction that they are, but the question at the heart of my lengthy post was if it was possible for so small a loss to make that much of a difference in my body or if water weight shenanigans were perhaps masking a higher loss.

I have my calories set to lose 1/2 pound per week. I know it says 1 pound in my profile, but it's because I didn't change it back after I got done playing around with the numbers. Since I've been back at it for 14 weeks, that would work out to seven pounds, if I was doing things perfectly and I'm not far off. Considering I'm only a few days from my cycle and I'm a bit bloated, I'm probably closer or spot on. Emotionally, I want to lose weight quickly, but I have to be realistic and this pace is sustainable. I will tweak when necessary.

I didn't ask for a critique of my routine, but since someone brought it up, I'll address it. I don't see why I would need to mess with it when it's obviously working. I said that I do a *mixture* of bodyweight and weighted, so I don't know why bodyweight was zoomed in on. And since when are pushups, planks, spider crawls, and the like unproductive exercises?

Anyway, whether weighted or not, I do progressions that are challenging for me, which I thought was the point of a resistance routine. I push myself and I "step it up" whenever something gets easy. Don't assume that I fling around light weights for endless reps because so many women on this board are afraid to pick up a weight.

I'm wearing smaller clothes, I'm getting stronger in my workouts, and I'm seeing muscle definition. As long as that's happening, I'm obviously doing more right than wrong.

Have a good weekend, everyone. Newly motivated by my progress and on the way home to work out.

Pinklady1053

You're doing great, keep it up! You really inspire me! : )