Losing pounds but not inches -- am I doing this wrong?

Nedra19455

MFP and many users of MFP recommend taking weekly measurements as a more accurate way of measuring success than scale changes. So starting around 20 days in, I started tracking a few measurements on a weekly basis. After a couple weeks, I was surprised to see that the measurements weren't dropping, in fact, they were sometimes rising. This was occurring despite the fact that I was losing pounds, my clothes were fitting more loosely, people were saying I was looking trimmer, and I went down 4 notches on my belt.

I started tracking more measurements, thinking that maybe the weight just wasn't coming off of my neck, belly, and hips, but was coming off of other areas. I started tracking my left thigh, my forearm, my calf, my chest . . . all of them were staying the same, though.

So I've lost 15 lbs. I feel great. I am more active. I've dropped a pant size and can now fit into my old summer clothes that I packed away last year, thinking I'd maybe never get to wear them again after the pregnancy. I'm excited to keep going. Except for those dang measurements which are making me frustrated.

Am I measuring wrong? I try to measure in the same places each time. I look in a full length mirror to make sure that the tape is flat.

Should I stop measuring if all other signs are positive? Are tape measurements really more accurate measures of success than weight? Maybe wait until my weight loss plateaus and then start in with measurements to track success if the scale becomes less "friendly"?

Should I be measuring on a less frequent timeline? Like maybe once a month? Or every 2 months?

Finally, does anyone have any insights into what might be going on here? I can't figure out how I can be losing weight, looking slimmer, and fitting into smaller clothes without some quantifiable change in my girth!

DanaDark

You must not be measuring the right places.

Your belt has dropped 4 entire notches, yet you claim you haven't lost even a millimeter on the spot. This seems unlikely. Instead, seems that that is a spot you are not measuring.

Simply put: You are not measuring the areas where your weight is currently coming off.

SezxyStef

no offense but if you have moved your belt 4 notches you have lost inches...

A belt is just a tape measure without the measurments in it.

How often are you measuring? you said 20 days in you decided to measure...how long after did you measure?

I measure every 10 weeks now...I used to at the start do it every 10 days but I had a lot of inches to lose...and was exercising hard.

tk2222

Yeah, you're clearly measuring wrong, somehow. If your clothes fit differently (better,) then the shape of your body has obviously changed. Give it more time, perhaps - I measure quite frequently, (I sew, so I like to keep close track in mind for projects. And I just like to have a lot of numbers) and sometimes I see long plateaus followed very sharp drops in measurements while my actual weight loss is much steadier.

Nedra19455

no offense but if you have moved your belt 4 notches you have lost inches...

A belt is just a tape measure without the measurments in it.

How often are you measuring? you said 20 days in you decided to measure...how long after did you measure?

I measure every 10 weeks now...I used to at the start do it every 10 days but I had a lot of inches to lose...and was exercising hard.

None taken.

I have been measuring once a week since April 26. So I have 6 data points.

Nedra19455

You must not be measuring the right places.

Your belt has dropped 4 entire notches, yet you claim you haven't lost even a millimeter on the spot. This seems unlikely. Instead, seems that that is a spot you are not measuring.

Simply put: You are not measuring the areas where your weight is currently coming off.

I should add that there are occasional fluctuations, but no overall decreases. Maybe I just haven't been doing it long enough to see a proper trend.

SezxyStef

no offense but if you have moved your belt 4 notches you have lost inches...

A belt is just a tape measure without the measurments in it.

How often are you measuring? you said 20 days in you decided to measure...how long after did you measure?

I measure every 10 weeks now...I used to at the start do it every 10 days but I had a lot of inches to lose...and was exercising hard.

None taken.

I have been measuring once a week since April 26. So I have 6 data points.

Yah I wouldn't measure once a week...I found it takes about 10lbs of weight loss to notice inches...but as I mentioned your belt is a measuring tape without the numbers...measure between the notches...

00NL

i went from 89 to 55 kg and my navel went from 45 to 35 inches. so remember it takes time and effort and patience. no need to measure again and again, the inches will come off. for more desired results use resistance/strenght training.