I've lost weight, but where? And what kind of "weight"?

yuko0407

Hi there.

I really don't understand. I'm dieting since March, 25th. I started at about 66.5kg (146.6lbs) and I'm now at about 61.5kg (135.6lbs). My GW is about 56-58kg (123.5-127.5lbs), depending on where I'll feel comfortable.
So, I'm pretty close to my goal, and this is great BUT...

I don't see any difference in the mirror, neither in the fitting of my clothes!

I'm 160cm (5'3"), so I've started a little overweight (BMI=26) and I'm now in the healthy range (BMI=24). I don't lift weights, neither I do any form of workout (this will change, hopefully), so obviously I don't expect to have visible muscles, or be "ripped" in any way. But I'd expect a difference in the mirror, or in the clothes. My belly, hips and thighs cm are the same. Can I have lost 5kg of weight only in my arms and back?? It seems huge, as I'm not very tall. Unfortunately, I don't have any "before" photo, as I figured that measuring would have been enough.

Other question: can I be sure that the weight I've lost is (mainly) fat, if my protein intake has been (more or less) adequate?

sardelsa

Since you stated you did not lift weights or exercise during your weight loss, unfortunately you likely lost some muscle along with fat. High protein wouldn't be enough, you also need to stimulate the muscles to help retain them.

However it's not too late...I would definitely start lifting now and continue to lift while you get to goal and during maintenance. It will make a huge difference in body composition! Good luck!

panda4153

Hello, anytime you lose weight it’s never going to be all fat, it will always be a mix of fat, muscle, and fluid(water weight). You can minimize muscle loss by incorporating strength and resistance training, making sure you get adequate protein, and not eating too little. It’s very possible also that you have lost visceral fat, which is fat that accumulates around your organs internally. When you lose visceral fat, your appearance doesn’t change much, but your weight will. If that’s the case it’s a very good thing. From what I understand visceral fat is more dangerous to our health then the subcutaneous fat we carry. You don’t have to do strength training if you don’t want to to lose weight, you just have to continue to eat at a deficit. However lifting can helping you to maintain muscle and help you achieve the look you may want.

magnusthenerd

Are you still losing weight? If you're not currently at maintenance, at least part of the weight is likely to be a loss of water, which would if you're using a two compartment model that just looks at weight as fat or lean, would be part of the learn category.

Hard to say where the weight came from. It is possible that a large portion of any fat lost was visceral (around the organs) rather than subcatenous (under the skin). That kind of loss wouldn't show much in the mirror, but on the plus side, it would be the healthiest fat to lose.

If you want to maintain muscle, some kind of resistance training is generally going to be necessary. Just having the extra weight is its own minor resistance added to every step and motion that is now gone, and thus not stimulating the muscles to be retained.

yuko0407

Thank you all!

@sardelsa Yes, I plan to start a bodyweight program in few weeks. If I come back to a decent muscular shape (I'm 51 yo and not working out for some 20 years), I'll continue with weight lifting, eventually.

@panda4153 @magnusthenerd I hadn't thought to the visceral fat, but this makes a lot of sense! OK, then, I'll keep going, telling myself that I'm probably healthier, and waiting a bit more for a change in the mirror

lorrpb

Congrats on your loss! Keep in mind that the mirror is the last place most of us see the changes. We do not have a good memory of how we looked before and don’t jade an accurate perception of how we currently look. Most of us are comparing what we see to s fictional image in our mind of how want to look, then feel disappointed. Weight training will help a lot, if you are consistent about it. I’m 2.5 years into maintenance and continue to see improvements through weight training at age 64.

yuko0407

@lorrpb Thanks!! Your message is very inspiring. And congrats, you are in a wonderful shape. All the best!