I lost 45lbs but only 1 inch is this normal?

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Hello! I originally weighed 386 now I weigh 341. I have lost 45lbs. Which is great! But I am concerned that My waist and other measurements have only budged an inch. I do walking almost everyday with lifting just once a week. I eat at home and stay usually within my calorie and carb. limits. Am I not seeing the inches come off because I am starting out so big or am I loosing muscle mass? Thank you for your help! Have a GREAT day :)

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    You're probably losing from places you aren't measuring.

    I have the same problem. A lot of people recommend strength training - although that hasn't done anything to help me yet.... Works for most though.
  • gaelicstorm26
    gaelicstorm26 Posts: 589 Member
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    But how do your pants and shirts feel?

    I'm TERRIBLE at measuring myself. I have no idea how to do the same place twice. I know it is probably very easy.

    I lost 16 lbs and I measured my waist and somehow it came out to 1.5 inches more. Now I know that must be user error, because I pulled a smaller size of pants out of my closet (wearing them now). So I'm obviously getting smaller...I just don't know how to use a tape measure correctly. :blushing:
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Well, you are seeing inches come off, just not as many as you would like from the places you would like. :wink:

    There are a few reasons I can think of why you would see weight loss without many inches lost:

    1. You only measured certain places, and weightless comes from all over. Hands, feet, face, ankles, wrists, forearms…you get the idea. You probably shrunk in those places as well, but didn't measure.

    2. Different kinds of fat. You have body fat, but you have intramuscular fat and fat surrounding your organs as well that you lose when you lose weight, and you can't really measure that easily.

    3. Lean body mass. It happens to all of us, and while losing weight slowly, eaten plenty of protein, and resistance training help retain LBM, we all lose some when we lose weight. You probably lost quite a bit of water weight as well.
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Great job! Keep at it and eventually you will see more inches coming off.
  • Adc7225
    Adc7225 Posts: 1,318 Member
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    I lost fat in areas other than those I would normally measure . . . like back fat and fact right under my breast, etc.. I also went from being solid to being sort of squishy so maybe your body just has not reached the next stage yet. In fact my body seems to go through phases where its firm and not so firm - keep up the good work and trust that either way with the weight gone you will be a much healthier and happier person.
  • mary659497
    mary659497 Posts: 483 Member
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    Congratulations on your weight loss. I am sure you are losing inches.
  • JenniferIsLosingIt
    JenniferIsLosingIt Posts: 595 Member
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    Congrats on your weight loss! I am at 380 now, I have lost 7 pounds since starting MFP and 32 total! I just started measuring so I hope to see progress as well. When we took my measurements I was the same at my bust my waist and my hips! UGH! So I know I have soooo far to go! Keep up the good work! :wink:
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    You lost 11.7% of your total weight, which is great, but not surprising that it is only one inch. When you think about surface area and the size of a torso, 1 inch loss from a circumference is HUGE.
  • Sie_Con
    Sie_Con Posts: 101 Member
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    Congrats on that weight loss. That is amazing progress! Can't wait till I can say I've lost 45. Sometimes it seems like inches and pounds work in very mysterious ways. You can lose weight and gain inches, or vice versa. Muscle, fat, water, TOM - all of it matters. That's disappointing that you've only lost 1 inch but I'm sure you'll start to see a lot more visible progress soon. I bet your waist is less squishy and you feel a lot healthier though, and that's what matters. Keep up the great work!!
  • mfourada
    mfourada Posts: 10 Member
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    Thank you for your responses everyone!
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    Hello! I originally weighed 386 now I weigh 341. I have lost 45lbs. Which is great! But I am concerned that My waist and other measurements have only budged an inch. I do walking almost everyday with lifting just once a week. I eat at home and stay usually within my calorie and carb. limits. Am I not seeing the inches come off because I am starting out so big or am I loosing muscle mass? Thank you for your help! Have a GREAT day :)
    Congratulations on your 45 pounds gone bye-bye. :bigsmile:

    Give it time and continue onward. You'll see more inches lost as time goes on.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I lost fat in areas other than those I would normally measure . . . like back fat and fact right under my breast, etc.. I also went from being solid to being sort of squishy so maybe your body just has not reached the next stage yet. In fact my body seems to go through phases where its firm and not so firm- keep up the good work and trust that either way with the weight gone you will be a much healthier and happier person.
    I know what you mean!
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    Since everyone's shape is different, it would not be a surprise to find that different amounts of weight loss show up as different tape measure losses. I've done from 136 to 103, which resulted in a 6 inch loss around my waist. But I'm also 5'1."

    Just keep up the good work.
  • PinkyFett
    PinkyFett Posts: 842 Member
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    I seem to lose inches and not lbs. My pants fit better after only 6 lbs. Everyone's different. I don't think there is a normal to weight loss.
  • csy108
    csy108 Posts: 58 Member
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    I lost fat in areas other than those I would normally measure . . . like back fat and fact right under my breast, etc.. I also went from being solid to being sort of squishy so maybe your body just has not reached the next stage yet. In fact my body seems to go through phases where its firm and not so firm- keep up the good work and trust that either way with the weight gone you will be a much healthier and happier person.
    I know what you mean!

    Yeah I have this going on, too. I always have to tighten my belt another notch at least a week, if not more, before I actually see an inch come off my weight measurement. It's like my waist gets squishier and then, when it's ready, an inch disappears all at once.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    You could be me. Stalled in the 180's for 6 months, but went down from a 16, to a 14, to a 12 in the 180's.

    Go effing figure.

    :huh: